I don't think any of us know exactly what contingency protocols are in place for emergencies such as this, and I suspect very few of the P&O staff would know this either. However that has not stopped many on CC and facecloth from castigating P&O for not having any adequate procedures in place due, according to them, from a penny pinching cost cutting culture that pervades P&O.
I do have my concerns about P&O's customer service standards but that's mainly because I get the feeling that there is a general malaise among the staff who think that we their wage paying customers are a nuisance that prevents them from having an easy job. However in a case like this they normally step up and try their best to provide as much support to their passengers as they are able.