Our international personal injury lawyers helped almost 200 passengers whose holidays were ruined by illness on several trips aboard the Island Escape cruise ship.

The cruises in question happened between December 2009 and June 2010, and were supposed to give holidaymakers an opportunity to enjoy locations like Morocco, Madeira, Las Palmas and Gibraltar.

But the passengers “atrocious” conditions aboard the Island Escape instead of what should have been a time to unwind and celebrate special occasions. There were a number of problems with the catering, including on some occasions:

• Hot food being served lukewarm
• New food being added to previous served food
• Food appearing to be left out for considerable periods of time.

The public toilets on board the ship were also a source of trouble, with some of them overflowing with urine due to blockages. A number of passengers were moved to hotels on dry land while the ship underwent a deep clean. Our clients weren’t warned about the risk of illness before they boarded the ship.

Our travel injury solicitors begun legal proceedings against Sunshine Cruises Limited, TUI UK Limited and First Choice Holidays & Flights Limited, who denied responsibility for the illness of the cruise ship’s passengers. However, we were able to secure a compensation settlement on behalf of the dozens of families we represented.

Symptoms suffered by the passengers included:

• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhoea
• Severe sickness

Collette from Hampshire was one of our clients. She booked a two-week cruise to celebrate Christmas, New Year and her mother’s 75th birthday on the Island Escape ship. 

But it only took a matter of days before the whole family were struck down with cramps and sickness, leaving them confined to their cabins for most of the holiday. Collette and her mum were still suffering from gastric symptoms four years after the cruise. 

Collette said: “We are happy that we have received justice after 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.”

If you have fallen ill whilst on a cruise ship, our accident and illness abroad claims team could help you to secure compensation. See our Cruise Illness Claims page for more information.

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