FALMOUTH docks were a riot of colour and noise as the cruise liner, the Van Gogh, came to the end of its first world cruise.

Hundreds of passengers left the ship to the sound of the Redruth Town Band. Some were in tears, sad to say farewell to the ship and its crew after what many described as some of the best experiences of their lives.

Andy Williams, of Helston, described the three-month trip as fantastic. Mr Williams is a former Royal Navy warrant officer who retired three years ago after spending a large part of his 37-year naval career at sea.

"I really wanted to take my wife round the world to see all the sights I'd enjoyed whilst travelling with the Navy and this was the best way to do it," he said. "I've been on lots of cruises, in much bigger liners, but our trip on the Van Gogh was fantastic. Every member of the crew was helpful and friendly and that first class behaviour created a great atmosphere which I have no doubt played a large part in the pleasure we have got out of this trip. Even the longest stretches at sea passed more quickly because of the trouble they went to."

The Van Gogh left Falmouth on January 5, sailing around the globe from west to east and visiting some of the world's most exciting and beautiful places including The Panama Canal, the Sam Blass Islands, Ecuador, Mauritius, Cape Town, St Helena, Sydney and Auckland.

Travelscope's first class service began before the passengers boarded when they were collected by coach from as near their homes as possible and taken directly to the ship at Falmouth Docks. Unusually, all 410 passengers opted to stay on board for the entire trip instead of choosing to sail for just sections of the journey.

The Van Gogh's Ukrainian Captain, Valeriy Plachynda, said he was worried by the ambitious schedule.

"I was a little concerned because we wanted to visit 26 different ports around the world," he said. "As it turned out we even managed to fit in an extra 3 days on land for our passengers."

A few problems en route led to a a couple of changes. A scheduled stop was in Fiji but as the Van Gogh approached a military coup erupted and the British Foreign Office advised the ship not to stop there.

Keen not to disappoint his passengers the Captain arranged to make an unscheduled overnight stop in Auckland, New Zealand, instead.

On another occasion the ship's crew had organised to transfer passengers, by tender, to one of the tiny Sam Blass islands - which lie off the coast of Panama - for a barbecue.

The sea was rough that day but the Captain, supported by the crew, refused to be beaten.

"The Captain went out in a tender, island hopping, until he found an area calm enough to safely transfer the passengers for their barbecue," said cruise director Julie Thompson-Calica. "It was definitely worth the effort because he found a paradise island and it was a magical day."

"It was the nearest thing to paradise you could imagine," said Audrey Kilsby, a 68-year-old passenger.