Passengers on board a cruise ship have spoken about their horrific experience after an outbreak of norovirus saw guests vomiting all over the ship.
The P&O Iona, which has capacity for 5,000 passengers and 1,800 crew, departed Southampton on February 15 for a seven-day cruise across Northern Europe, during which guests were struck down with the bug, and were seen being sick in restaurants, on deck and outside their cabins.
Matt Bowater, from Birmingham, was experiencing his first cruise, and said his holiday quickly became a nightmare. He claimed on-board hygiene standards were not up to par even before people became ill, reports the Mirror.
The 45-year-old told the Express: “This was my first cruise. I did not know what to expect. I filled out a feedback form on the second day. I explained the buffet food was lukewarm. The ship had hand sanitisers everywhere, yet the staff were happy to serve food that could harm the public. They even ran out of cutlery.”
He said that he saw bins overflowing in an area meant for hand washing, and that several passengers thought there weren’t enough crew members to manage the number of guests.
Matt added: “Talking to other passengers, it seemed like there wasn’t enough staff to match the number of guests. Some staff seemed to be just there to get a pay cheque. They weren’t clearing away food quickly before the outbreak started.
“Now that we know what’s gone on, I realised when walking around that some areas had been sectioned off. Most likely, someone had been sick, and there were sick bags on the staircases.”
He did point out that P&O increased cleaning measures as the situation worsened. He said: “Staff started cleaning all the handrails, and they were stationed at every food location entrance making sure people sanitised their hands. They also began handing out cutlery.”
However, he claimed his own room was not cleaned on one occasion, and onboard entertainment was impacted, explaining: “The last two nights, some shows had to be cancelled because of the illness. I met a family with a sick child – they looked drained.”
Passengers were reminded to wash their hands and report any symptoms to staff, with messages displayed on in-room TVs.
P&O Cruises insisted it follows strict health protocols and has taken steps to address the outbreak. They confirmed some guests reported gastrointestinal symptoms but said fewer than 1% of passengers were affected.
In a statement to the Express, a spokesperson said: “P&O Cruises works with global, national, and regional public health authorities on approved, stringent, and proven protocols across our ships in order to protect the health and wellbeing of all on board.
“As we navigate through the winter season in the UK with an abundance of caution, we have proactively stepped up these already very robust health protection measures.”
The company also defended the quality of its service and staffing, adding: “We are proud to have the highest standards of housekeeping, dining, entertainment, and overall experience for our guests. We are also immensely proud of our fantastic crew members, the majority of whom have worked with us for many years.”
They also reassured guests that they would receive a full refund if illness had prevented them from taking part in shore excursions.