Personal Injury Solicitors

Passengers on board a Fred Olsen Cruise Lines trip to the Norwegian Fjords are taking legal action after they were confined to their cabins with symptoms of holiday food poisoning.

The Daily Mail reports that hundreds of passengers on board the Balmoral cruise liner were struck down with symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever.

Fred Olsen has declined to say how many passengers were affected by the illness, but it thought to number more than a hundred.

Martin D’Arcy – a 66-year-old retired sales service engineer on board the cruise ship – said that he was confined to his cabin during the eight-day cruise and still suffers symptoms of the gastric illness.

Mr D’Arcy from Dorset is taking legal action against the cruise operator and said:

“The illness just completely ruined our holiday – I was hoping to see so many sights, but my illness meant that I had to cancel excursions and I spent half of the trip quarantined in my cabin.

“This has affected more than just our holiday, as I am still struggling with illness symptoms now which are preventing me from getting on with my day-to-day life.

“I am extremely frustrated by what I have been through – and feel that I deserve answers as to why what was supposed to be a relaxing cruise, was completely turned upside down by illness.”

The outbreak of gastric illness on board the Balmoral cruise liner was so severe that the cruise had to be cut short one day before it was due to end so the ship could be sanitised before the next cruise – a 13-night trip to the Island of Madeira.
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The cruise ship was carrying 1,163 passengers paying between £799 and £1,649 per person for the eight-day Norwegian cruise.

A spokeswoman for Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has claimed that Mr D’Arcy only reported his symptoms to staff 11 hours after they surfaced, “during which time it was likely that he was able to spread the illness to others”.

“Fred Olsen Cruise Lines stresses to all guests the importance of making staff aware of any illness as a matter of urgency, in order to enable the most effective containment measures on board.

“Sadly, Mr D’Arcy did not do so and we were therefore not aware that he had become ill until much later.”

Nathan Philpot – Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ sales and marketing director – told MailOnline Travel that Mr D’Arcy’s illness appeared to be norovirus.

“Investigations into the outbreak are ongoing, but it appears that – almost certainly – the illness was spread by one guest, as the single source, while waiting at the Southampton Cruise Terminal.

“Norovirus is highly contagious – more so than the common cold – and could easily have been passed on at this time, meaning that more than one person may have boarded the ship with the illness; they were, most probably, unaware that they had picked up norovirus.

“Fred Olsen Cruise Lines issues pre-screening health questionnaires at the time of boarding, which need to be signed by all guests to confirm that they are not suffering from any illness – and no guest declared any symptoms at this time,” Mr Philpot added.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Holiday Illness Claims

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of holiday illness claims solicitors able to advise holidaymakers who fall ill on package holidays as a result of negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim against the tour operator, including claims relating to:

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No win no fee holiday illness claims usually have to be made within three years of illness or diagnosis – and children can claim holiday illness compensation up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee holiday illness claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.