PASSENGERS on board a virus-hit ship insisted yesterday they would refuse to leave until they are guaranteed a full refund.
The Marco Polo was due to sail from Invergordon last night after cancelling a ten-day round-Britain voyage when more than 400 passengers and crew were hit by a vomiting bug.
NHS Highland yesterday confirmed they were suffering from the norovirus,
or winter vomiting disease.
Six people were in hospital and one passenger, Roy Sillett, from Norwich, died. He had heart and lung problems.
As the liner prepared to return to Tilbury, near London, those left on board insisted that they wanted reassurances of a refund before the ship docks tomorrow.
Helen Winchcombe, a passenger, said: "People want notice of a full refund for everyone before we leave the ship. They were disappointed the operators have not said what they are going to do, and everyone is in limbo."
Meanwhile, Marco Polo operator Transocean Tours of Bergen faces possible legal action from the London Port Health Authority, which said an outbreak of illness, when 31 passengers were hit by a gastroenteritis bug on an earlier cruise, was not reported ahead of berthing in Tilbury on 4 July.
Yesterday morning, more than 120 of the 769 passengers travelled home on a chartered train from Inverness.
Among them were Allan and Linda Russell, from Redditch in Worcester. Mrs Russell, 53, said: "We heard people were ill on the last cruise. If that's true, (Transocean] deserve to face legal action. Had I been given the choice of boarding the ship or not, knowing there was a virus on board, I would have refused.
I am looking for a refund now.
"There was an announcement two nights ago when they said 71 were ill. But yesterday we were told there was 400. I just wanted to get off immediately."
Derek and Pamela Cloke, from Derby, escaped the illness, but were detained on the ship apart, from a two-hour Invergordon trip on Monday. Mr Cloke said: "I have never been through such a traumatic experience. It was like a prison ship, really. We were sitting waiting to get ill. The staff were great, but the lack of information was unacceptable.
"We were not keen to stay on board – we hadn't had the illness and wanted to get off while we could."
Jim Kemp, of Ilford in Essex, said: "My wife had the bug, but I didn't and I didn't want to stay on and get it. The whole experience was terrible – we were getting more information from the media than we were on the boat. Never again. I've been looking forward to getting home since Monday."
But Biman Mullick, of London, said: "(The virus] was just a bit unfortunate, that's all. It's no-one's fault. We were looked after very well and we would come back again."
The Marco Polo is due to leave on Tuesday for a 12-night cruise of the Baltic and St Petersburg.
Meanwhile, a woman who took a birthday cruise on the Marco Polo just days before the ship visited Invergordon said she was struck down by the same symptoms.
Vivien Sadler, from Nottinghamshire, fell ill towards the end of a cruise around the UK and Iceland. She has now instructed travel law experts Irwin Mitchell after getting off the liner on 4 July.
She said: "Despite our best efforts, I began suffering from symptoms such as vomiting and stomach cramps.
"I am extremely upset, as it appears they continued to allow elderly people to board the ship, despite knowing how vulnerable they are to illnesses such as norovirus."
Clive Garner, from Irwin Mitchell, said: "It's very worrying indeed that Mrs Sadler suffered these symptoms on the cruise before hundreds of other people fell ill. Their experience does seem to support reports of an earlier outbreak on board the ship, and if that is the case it is a matter of serious concern."
The cruise firm declined to comment.
