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Six-figure payout for 200 Tui Island Escape cruise passengers whose dream …

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  • Passengers travelling on board TUI’s Island Escape fell unwell in 2009/10
  • Woman, 57, and elderly mother suffered vomiting bug and stomach cramps
  • TUI agrees hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation but does not admit liability

By
Carol Driver


Published:

07:55 EST, 25 April 2014


|
Updated:

08:02 EST, 25 April 2014

Nearly 200 passengers have been awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation after being struck down by a vomiting bug on board ‘atrocious’ cruises.

Holidaymakers had to endure overflowing toilets, urine-covered floors and lukewarm food on the Island Escape, on which they suffered diarrhoea, stomach cramps and severe sickness.

TUI, the cruise operator, has now agreed to pay a substantial six-figure settlement to the passengers, who travelled on board the ship to destinations including Morocco, Gibraltar, Madeira and Las Palmas between December 2009 and June 2010.

'Disaster' cruise: Nearly 200 passengers have won a six-figure compensation package after falling sick on board the Island Escape ship

‘Disaster’ cruise: Nearly 200 passengers have won a six-figure compensation package after falling sick on board the Island Escape ship

Some passengers had booked their holidays for Christmas, wedding anniversary and birthday celebrations.

Colette Ellis, 59, from Fareham, Hampshire, travelled on the luxury ship for a two-week cruise to mark her mother’s 75th birthday.

Within days the entire family were struck with stomach cramps and sickness which left them confined to their cabin for the majority of their holiday. 

Payout: Passengers are to receive compensation after falling ill on a Tui cruise, which they said was 'atrocious' on board, with a leaking roof on one ship

Payout: Passengers are to receive compensation after falling ill on a Tui cruise, which they said was ‘atrocious’ on board, with a leaking roof on one ship

Both Ms Ellis and her mother still experience gastric symptoms.

Ms Ellis said: ‘Our holiday was totally ruined, the conditions aboard the vessel were atrocious.

‘On
occasions toilets were blocked and overflowing, cabins were grubby and
on occasions food was not served at the correct temperature.

‘This
was supposed to be a dream cruise but it quickly turned into an
absolute nightmare, certainly a Christmas time we wanted to forget.

‘On our return home both myself and my mum, who was celebrating her 75th birthday continued to suffer illness.

‘We hope no one else has to go through such an experience like we did.’

'Atrocious': Passenger photos taken with a mobile phone reveal the dirty conditions on board the Island Escape

‘Atrocious’: Passenger photos taken with a mobile phone reveal the dirty conditions on board the Island Escape

Ruined holiday: An mobile phone photo on board shows the 'atrocious' conditions of the ship

Ruined holiday: An mobile phone photo on board shows the ‘atrocious’ conditions of the ship

Collette was one of more than 100 passengers who were struck down by illness on the Island Escape between December 2009 and June 2010.

They were not warned of the risk of illness prior to boarding.

Sunshine Cruises Limited, Thomson and First Choice Holidays Flights Limited have denied liability.

But travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have now secured a settlement of ‘several hundred thousand pounds’ from TUI in compensation.

This was for more than 100 passengers who have been ill and dozen whose holiday was ruined as a result.

Passengers affected are expected to receive up to £10,000 each.

Irwin Mitchell is also representing a 117 further passengers who have made similar claims following trips on the same cruise ship in 2012 and 2013.

Elizabeth Tetzner, a travel law expert at the firm, said: ‘We are pleased for this group of passengers that travelled on board the cruise ship in 2009 and 2010 that their legal battle is over and they will now receive settlements after their trips were ruined aboard the Island Escape cruise.

‘A number of the passengers that suffered illness suffered from symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy.

‘Aside from making the cruise extremely unpleasant, these types of illness can have a debilitating long term impact on their health.

‘Some passengers had to seek medical assistance on board the cruise ship, whilst others had to seek medical assistance upon return home.

‘Passengers have described to us how these special occasions were ruined by the illness suffered or by the experiences they suffered on board the cruise ship.

‘We hope that now a settlement has been reached they will be able to get on with their lives and put the experience behind them.’

A spokesman for TUI said they did not comment on settlements.


Comments (125)

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rob b,

Lincolnshire,

13 hours ago

We have bee 3 times on this ship and we are fussy and my wife OCD , we never saw anything to concern us . We kept our cabin spotlessly tidy but kept being thanked so much by the cabin stewards , we established we were a one off and actually saw them replacing 3 mattresses in the cabin opposite where they had all been urinated on ! The stewards told us this is common place ! The only filth we saw was that with lazy people who had to be reminded to sanitize their hands on entering the restaurants etc the staff worked tirelessly , I blame lazy dirty folk who bring their germs on board !

J D,

BIRMINGHAM UK,

3 hours ago

the island escape is a converted ferry , you can get a lot better ships for the same money .

countrybumpkin,

Whatsacity, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

I’d rather go to Butlin’s,,,,

RM,

Paris, France,

1 day ago

Sounds like the holiday I had in Liverpool a few weeks ago.

Joanna,

Devon,

1 day ago

Cannot imagine why anyone actually pays to be trapped on a floating germ breeding ground for a week or more. Madness. Hundreds of people cooped up like pigeons. Nightmare.

pauly,

london, United Kingdom,

5 hours ago

Doubt you could afford it.

J D,

BIRMINGHAM UK,

3 hours ago

you have not tried it then ? this is very old ship , but some of the new ones are very good , brilliant food and service ,been on about 12 cruises no illness ,went to warners for a weekend got norovirus

Brighton Girl,

Brighton,

1 day ago

Make no mistake, this is a very old ship. Should gave been scrapped years ago. Ships should have finite time, then be disposed, not just sold on. In reference to hygiene, having taken in excess of 10 cruises, bar far the worst offenders for hand hygiene are older passengers. I gave actually seen some be ‘squirted’ with hand sanitiser, only to rub it off in their clothes! As for nori virus this is prevalent anywhere where there are close confines of people, hospitals and schools, you can even pick it up on public transport. Basic rule, wash hands and sanitise before eating!

mort dog,

Auckland, New Zealand,

1 day ago

Been on two Cruises with NCL line one in the Med and one in the Adriatic both were superb and we are going again next year. Just love Cruises wake up to a different Country each morning. Try to pick a time of year when not too many kids as they are the ones that handle the food without eating it.

SirJohn,

London,

1 day ago

It’s the selfish passengers who travel knowing they are sick who infect everyone else. Also, unless you travel Cunard or PO, you aren’t going to get a top line ship.

catlover,

W-_worcester,

1 day ago

There are other top line ships – Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, Regent. Never hear of sickness on them.

J D,

BIRMINGHAM UK,

3 hours ago

there has been sickness on cunard and PO , there are plenty of companies that have top line ships ,some a lot more top line than these two .

John Smith,

West Midlands,

1 day ago

You wouldn’t get me on one of those plague ships.

Mad Dog,

Great Britain, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

“They were warned of the risk of illness prior to boarding” It would’ve been wise to listen to that, demand a full refund and book a far better holiday. Cruise ships are absolutely filthy places to be and cross channel ferries are just as bad.

whisper,

tacoma,

1 day ago

it says they were NOT warned so they had no choice to make

Dags,

brisbane, Australia,

1 day ago

Are these cruise ships properly designed ? This sort of issue has been happening a lot.

J D,

BIRMINGHAM UK,

45 minutes ago

it happens a lot because you have lots of people in close proximity , eventually people will be medically checked as they board as the sickness is normally brought on by infected passengers .

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