Dysentery aboard Ocean Village Caribbean Cruise

01/05/2007

A Leeds man is taking legal action against Ocean after contracting Dysentery on board a luxury cruise ship.

Robert Ladle, 60, from Garforth in Leeds suffered severe poisoning in January 2007 onboard the Ocean Village Caribbean Cruise. The holiday, which should have been a cruise of a lifetime, was a 60th birthday celebration for him and his wife.

Robert, who was among a group of passengers who suffered from an outbreak of illness, suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea, which ruined his holiday.

Lawyer representing Dysentery victim

His Lawyer, Jenny Brooks of travel law specialists Irwin Mitchell said "This outbreak of Dysentery, which ruined what should have been a special holiday for Mr Ladle, could easily have been avoided if stricter hygiene and sanitation measures had been put in place.

"We have repeatedly called for more to be done to improve safety standards on cruise ships. Tighter regulation and independent inspection of cruise liners is needed to avoid further illness outbreaks, which cause significant suffering to passengers."

Mr Ladle said "I fell ill within three days of my holiday, which meant that I was unable to go ashore at some of the stops. I had been very much looking forward to visiting the many islands of the Caribbean and was unable to do so. My illness ruined the celebration of my birthday. Even now, I am still suffering symptoms of illness which is affecting me daily and is causing me a lot of discomfort and concern."

Irwin Mitchell's specialist travel litigation team has acted for a large number of passengers who contracted illnesses including Salmonella, E- Coli, Norovirus, Shigella and a range of other conditions due to inadequate health, hygiene and safety standards on a number of different cruise ships.

If you or someone you know has been affected by illness on a cruise ship, or at a hotel, our experts can help claim compensation. Fill in our online claims form for free advice.