​ReporterIona has returned to Southampton early (Image: Newsquest) Bad weather has forced a popular cruise ship to cut a voyage short and return early to Southampton. A winter storm forecast for the south coast has forced a major cruise ship to abandon its planned schedule and head back to Southampton ahead of time. She arrived in the city just after 1pm on Friday, having been scheduled to arrive on Saturday morning. To avoid attempting a potentially hazardous approach to Southampton in rough seas, the 5,000-passenger ship was forced to cancel a stop in Lisbon, according to Cruisemapper. The captain of P&O Cruises’ Iona opted to shorten the final leg of the vessel’s two-week itinerary after meteorologists warned of worsening conditions late on Saturday, with strong winds and driving rain expected to hit the port. The ship is completing a two-week cruise that departed Southampton on Saturday, November 22, with ports in Spain and the Canary Islands CruiseP&O CruisesLeisureTravel