Holidaymakers Confined To Their Cabin On Ambassador Ambition For Six Days

A retired couple from the Wirral have called on lawyers to investigate after falling ill with gastric illness during a “once in a lifetime” Arctic cruise to mark their 47^th wedding anniversary.

Roy and Christine Lanceley, from Greasby, fell ill with vomiting and diarrhoea days into their two-week cruise on the Ambassador Ambition, operated  by Ambassador Travel.

The couple, aged 71 and 69 respectively, were so ill that they were confined to their cabin for six days. They needed treatment from the ship’s doctor, who provided medication, including anti-sickness injections. On returning home Christine visited her GP who diagnosed her with gout because of severe pain in her right foot, which was caused by dehydration due to her contracting suspected norovirus.

Roy and Christine have now instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their illness and help them secure answers over how they fell so ill.

The law firm has years of experience in supporting holidaymakers who have been impacted by similar illnesses on both cruises and resorts across the world.

Expert Opinion

“The details Roy and Christine have provided about their cruise experience are concerning.

“Their cases highlight just how serious gastric illnesses can be, particularly on board a ship and they should never be downplayed. Such incidents can involve, as in this case, being confined to a cabin and missing out on what was intended to be the experience of a lifetime.

“We’re committed to providing Roy and Christine with the answers they deserve. If during our investigation, any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to reduce the risk to future travellers.

“We would be interested in speaking to any others who have experienced similar illness on this vessel which will assist us with our investigations.” Nadhia Akthar, International Serious Injury lawyer

Two days into the cruise which departed Liverpool on 25 July, 2023, Roy started to feel unwell at dinner. He had to run to the cabin to be sick. The former quality control inspector in the oil and gas industry lost consciousness for a time before continuing to suffer from sickness and diarrhoea for the next four days.

The onboard medic gave Roy treatment to help with hydration and told him to avoid dairy products. As Roy began to improve on the fourth day, Christine became ill with the same symptoms and found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The retired teaching assistant was given various medication, including anti-sickness injections.

Christine, who has previous health conditions including diabetes, COPD, sleep apnoea and arthritis, was still ill on their return home. She consulted her GP who told her she had norovirus.

The couple said they believed other passengers were quarantined at the same time and that many of the facilities on board ship were closed from the start of the cruise, with no explanation given as to why.

Roy said: “Our dream holiday was completely ruined. It was meant to be a celebration of 47 years together. Instead, it was a nightmare we’ll never forget for all the wrong reasons.

“We had our doubts from the start. Everything was closed, from the pool and spa, to the bar and the gym, with no explanation.”

“We had received an email late on 24 July informing us of a delay in boarding due to ‘operational problems.’ It was only after we sailed that passengers who had boarded in Belfast told us these ‘operational problems’ were in fact a deep clean and that they had been forced to disembark on the morning of the 25 July and spend the day ashore in Liverpool, leading to a four hour delay.

“The official response from Ambassador Travel came via a letter posted under our cabin door on 28 July, informing us of the bug onboard and rules of hygiene to be adopted by all passengers.

“The ship’s public areas were constantly being disinfected with very strong bleach throughout the cruise and given they knew there was a bug going around, we feel this cruise should have been cancelled before it began.

“We’ve never felt so ill and feel lucky to have come out in one piece. It isn’t the memory we were expecting to take away with us, after paying for a cruise to see the North Cape and the Land of Midnight Sun.

“Christine has a number of health conditions and she’s still not back to normal even now. Nothing can now change the nightmare we went through but lessons need to be learned from this mess.”

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling holiday illness cases