Specialist Lawyers Instructed For 5th Year In A Row In Relation To Cruise Ship

A passenger who was forced to cut short a special Caribbean cruise holiday with his wife after he developed a serious illness which left him hospitalised twice has called on lawyers to help him gain answers regarding his illness.

Alan Bowns, 69, from Sheffield, developed pneumonia just days into his stay on the Thomson Dream with his wife Elaine, 48, in March, with the problems proving so severe that he was admitted to hospital in the Cayman Islands and had to bring the two-week holiday to an end after just seven days.

When his symptoms did not improve upon return to the UK, he visited his GP and was subsequently admitted to Breathing Space in Rotherham NHS Trust Hospital for treatment. 

Alan and Elaine have now instructed Irwin Mitchell’s specialist International Personal Injury team to investigate how he came to develop the illness and whether more could have been done to prevent him from falling ill.

The legal experts, who have vast experience representing thousands of holidaymakers affected by serious illness at resorts and passengers on cruise ships around the globe, have now been contacted in relation to the Thomson Dream five years in a row.

Amandeep Samra, the specialist illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Alan and Elaine, said: 

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“We are very concerned by the first-hand account we have heard from our clients and have already started to make our own enquiries into what caused Alan’s illness.

“A case of this nature demonstrates why holiday illness is not a matter to be taken lightly, with such problems often leading victims to suffer long-term health issues from which they may never fully recover.

“This is far from the first time that we have been contacted regarding the Thomson Dream and we are determined to help our clients gain answers regarding what caused Alan to fall ill.

“As part of our investigation we would be keen to hear from anyone else who was affected or witnessed the problems.” Amandeep Singh Samra - Associate Solicitor

Alan and Elaine’s holiday on board the Thomson Dream started on March 7th, with the former then starting to suffer symptoms including chest pains, breathlessness and a cough just two days afterwards. He was given a nebuliser by the ship’s doctor in attempt to ease his symptoms.

Alan said: “The illness really knocked me for six and I went to the medical centre for advice. It was truly awful and I struggled to breathe properly in the cabin so I had to sleep in a deckchair outside as I couldn’t lie down comfortably on the bed in our room.

“When I started getting worse, it was decided that I should go to hospital on the Cayman Islands for specialist support. This was supposed to be a special wedding anniversary break and it was just completely ruined.”

While in hospital Alan was granted a ‘fit to travel’ certificate meaning he and Elaine were able to curtail the holiday and head back home.  After returning to the UK, Alan consulted his Breathing Space Specialist, who admitted him to hospital.

He said: “Our whole experience was an absolute nightmare. When we first boarded the ship we thought it seemed rundown and shabby in places – and that was before we discovered that the air conditioning in our room was also faulty. In addition the air conditioning tube looked ‘mucky’ and the cabin sometimes felt damp.

“To then fall ill was terrible, but we know that I was not the only one suffering with such problems on the ship too.

“This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip but sadly we’re going to remember it for all of the wrong reasons. It is unacceptable and I want to know what caused me to fall ill."