Rescue: Passengers board HMS Albion at the port of Santander in northern Spain this morning. All 310 travellers who had turned up at the port eventually got onboardFlight out, Royal Navy warship home...it's not your typical holiday journey but for the 310 passengers boarding HMS Albion in Spain this morning, the vessel was a welcome sight.
The ship arrived in the northern port of Santander to pick up the holidaymakers as well as 500 troops returning from Afghanistan.
Relieved tourists mixed with Army, Navy and RAF personnel as they boarded the amphibious assault ship from 11am for a 40-hour journey to Portsmouth.
At first holidaymakers were furious after being told that there was not enough room onboard to accommodate all of them.
But anger was followed by relief after Commander Geoff Wintle annouced: 'We're going to get everyone on. Nobody is being left behind.'
Speaking shortly before the Albion set sail at 1.20pm, he said: 'It's a warship so the civilians on board won't be used to the austere conditions, but they will get fresh rations, fish and chips for dinner tonight and curry tomorrow.
'We will provide as many camp beds and sleeping bags as we can, but it's not a five-star hotel.'
'There's a dry policy on board so there won't be any drinking going on.'
Lucky few: Tourists at Santander are now on their way back to Britain but others are still waiting at Channel ports in France
Destination Portsmouth: 500 troops from different RAF and Army regiments and civilian MOD personnel are among those returning on the shipMeanwhile passengers at British airports had their hopes dashed today after more cancellations were announced as a new ash cloud headed towards the UK.
Flights later today will be limited to eastern Scotland while all London airports remained closed and there will be no flights before 7pm at the earliest in the rest of England, nor in Wales or Northern Ireland.
Ministers are said to be considering relaxing night-flight restrictions around Heathrow, once planes can land there, to clear the backlog of stranded passengers.
Back in Santander, the stranded Britons were simply relieved to be heading for home.
Londoners Jeremy Dickinson, 46, and wife Cecilia, boarded the ship with children Nicola, four, Thomas, eight and Sofia, six.
They were returning home after a four-week holiday in Argentina.
Mr Dickenson said: 'The British Embassy in Madrid told us we were classed as "vulnerable" people because we have three young children. 'I'm incredibly happy to be going home. It's a massive relief.'
Disappointment: A Royal Navy officer talks to passengers left stranded in Santander
Long queues: British tourists patiently wait for news of when they can leave Santander and return homesource: dailymail