Illness On Costa Fortuna Cruise Ship

17/08/2010

Leading travel law firm Irwin Mitchell is calling for Europe’s largest cruise company to admit responsibility for poor standards on board its Costa Fortuna cruise ship, after passengers were struck down with illness, leading to one holidaymaker collapsing whilst ashore and being left behind.

Cruise passengers on board the Italian owned ship report seeing a large number of people seeking help from the on-board medical centre. 

Amongst those affected were David Sharpe, 75, and his wife Jean, 72, from Quedgeley in Gloucestershire, who had saved hard to afford the two week cruise around the Caribbean in March this year. However disaster struck when, towards the end of their first week on board, Mr Sharpe became severely ill with gastric illness which later resulted in him collapsing whilst visiting Nassau.

75 year old Mr Sharpe, who is diabetic, said: “I was served prawns one evening, which tasted a bit ‘off’ and within a few hours I started to suffer with sickness and diarrhoea. By the time we reached the next port of call I felt well enough to take a short stroll around Nassau but I think the fact that I had been so ill had taken its toll and had affected my blood sugar.

“I collapsed unconscious in the street and my wife had to find some passers-by to help carry me back to the port. However, by the time we got there the ship was moving off. Everyone was shouting and waving, trying to get some help but it was too late and the ship sailed off without us.”

Mr Sharpe was left ashore without his diabetes medication, which was still in his cabin. The stranded couple spent the rest of the day in a frantic taxi dash, to a pharmacy and then a local hospital, before finding a cheap hotel with the little money they had left.

The following morning they got another taxi to the airport and a flight to join their cruise ship at the next port of call, leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

Mr Sharpe added: “When we finally rejoined the ship I wasn’t offered any medical assistance and the staff were very unhelpful and dismissive. All the trouble we suffered was, in my view, as a result of the food I ate on the ship.”

Amandeep Dhillon, an international travel expert with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, who is acting on behalf of the couple, said: “Mr and Mrs Sharpe had their holiday completely ruined. They have been left bitterly disappointed and also out of pocket as a result of what happened. We are now urging Costa Cruises to enter into negotiations with us so that our clients can obtain the justice and compensation they deserve.”