A retired couple have told how their “once in a lifetime” cruise to celebrate their wedding anniversary turned into hell when they both fell ill.
Roy Lanceley, 71, and his wife Christine, 69, were struck by vomiting and diarrhea just days into their two-week Arctic cruise.
They were so ill that they were confined to their cabin for six days aboard the Ambassador Ambition, operated by Ambassador Travel, and required treatment from the ship’s doctor, who provided them with medication, including injections. against illness.
And when they returned home, Christine was diagnosed with gout due to severe pain in her right foot, caused by dehydration due to suspected norovirus.
The couple, from Greasby, Wirral, have now launched legal action.
Christine Lanceley was still ill when they returned home and consulted her GP on her return
After the “nightmare”, Roy Lanceley said: “Our dream holiday has been completely ruined. »
Roy, a former quality control inspector, said: “Our dream vacation was completely ruined. It was supposed to be a celebration of 47 years together.
“Instead, it was a nightmare we will never forget for all the wrong reasons.”
The couple left Liverpool on July 25 last year, but Roy started feeling unwell at dinner just two days later.
He had to run back to the cabin to be sick and lost consciousness for a time before continuing to suffer from nausea and diarrhea for the next four days.
The doctor on board gave Roy medication to help him hydrate and told him to avoid dairy products.
As her condition began to improve on the fourth day, Christine fell ill with the same symptoms and found herself drifting in and out of consciousness.
Christine, a retired teaching assistant who previously suffered health problems including diabetes, COPD, sleep apnea and arthritis, was given medication and injections for the illness.
She was still ill when they returned home and visited her GP who told her she had norovirus.
The couple believe other passengers were quarantined at the same time and many facilities on the ship were closed from the start of the cruise, without any explanation.
Roy added: “We had doubts from the start. Everything was closed, from the pool to the spa, to the bar and the gym, without any explanation.
Food served to Roy and Christine during their “nightmare” cruise
“We received an email on July 24 informing us of a delay in boarding due to ‘operational issues’.
“It was only after we left that passengers who had boarded in Belfast told us that these ‘operational issues’ were in fact a deep clean.”
Roy said the couple were informed that the other passengers had been forced to disembark on the morning of July 25 and spend the day ashore in Liverpool, leading to a four-hour delay.
He added: “The official response from Ambassador Travel came via a letter posted under our cabin door on July 28, informing us of the bug on board and the hygiene rules to be adopted by all passengers.
“The ship’s public areas were constantly disinfected with high-strength bleach throughout the cruise and given that they knew there was a bug, we believe this cruise should have been canceled sooner to begin.”
“We have never felt so sick and we feel lucky to have come out safe.
“This is not the souvenir we were hoping to take with us, after paying for a cruise to see the North Cape and the Land of the Midnight Sun.
“Nothing can now change the nightmare we have been through, but we must learn lessons from this mess.”
The couple asked Irwin Mitchell lawyers to investigate their illness and help them get answers about how they became so ill.
Nadhia Akhtar, the international serious injury lawyer representing the couple, said: “The details provided by Roy and Christine about their cruise experience are concerning.
“Their cases show how serious gastric illness can be, especially on board a ship, and it should never be downplayed.
“Such incidents can involve, as in this case, being confined to a cubicle and missing out on what was supposed to be the experience of a lifetime.”
The “Nightmare” Cruise Ship – Ambassador Ambition, operated by Ambassador Travel
“We are committed to providing Roy and Christine with the answers they deserve.
“If during our investigation any issues are identified, it is essential that lessons are learned to reduce the risk to future travelers.
“We would be interested in speaking to anyone else who may have suffered a similar illness on this ship, which would assist us in our investigations.”
A spokesperson for Ambassador Travel said: “We acknowledge that a formal complaint has been made by Mr and Mrs Lanceley.
“As this is now the subject of formal legal proceedings, it is not appropriate for Ambassador Cruise Line to comment at this stage.”