P&O Cruises ship’s stomach problem is not new, passengers say – BBC News

A stomach bug problem spreading on a cruise ship has been going on for weeks, passengers have told the BBC.

P&O Cruises’ Ventura departed Southampton on May 11 for a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands.

However, people who traveled on Ventura in previous weeks said the illness was also present during their cruises. A spokesman for the company said: “We are very sorry that these guests were affected.”

Elaine Bland said P&O Cruises informed her of “gastrointestinal” problems on Ventura shortly before she boarded on May 4 with six friends for a week-long trip to the Mediterranean.

The 69-year-old Isle of Wight resident said their landing was delayed for 90 minutes so the ship could be deep cleaned.

“But you can’t just get rid of this problem in a couple of hours,” Ms Bland said.

She said there were hand gel dispensers everywhere on board, adding that staff were handing it out “like candy”.

But Ms Bland said she and her friends came down with sickness and diarrhea on the third day of the trip.

“P&O knew it was on board and they didn’t deal with it properly,” she said. “They downplayed it.”

Ms Bland said she thought the ship should be decommissioned for a few days while it was properly cleaned.

“I felt sorry for the people who were following us,” she added.

Helen Bradburn, 49, from Essex, booked a last-minute cruise on Ventura to Amsterdam with her daughter.

On April 29, the day before the ship was due to depart, she said P&O Cruises had informed her of “gastrointestinal issues” on board and that additional cleaning measures had been put in place.

To limit the risk of catching anything, Ms. Bradburn took antibacterial wipes and decided to use only the toilet in their cabin.

But a day later, she said her 19-year-old daughter had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea and was asked to isolate herself in her cabin.

Describing the management on board as “patronising”, Ms Bradburn said: “They make you feel like you’re just a dirty passenger, like you don’t wash your hands… but that’s not what it is.”

Ms Bradburn praised the work of the ship’s medical team but said P&O had made no apologies and “put profits before the health of their passengers”.

On April 20, Marie, from Nottinghamshire, boarded the Ventura with her husband for a 10-day cruise around Spain, Portugal and France.

“For the first few days there was no self-service in the buffet and the staff served you all the food,” said the 70-year-old.

She said a crew member told her there had been an outbreak of stomach illness on a previous cruise.

The restrictions were lifted three days later, she told the BBC.

But after a day in Santander, Spain, Marie said she began to feel unwell due to illness, diarrhea and passed out.

She said the ship’s medical center told her she was too ill to stay on board and she was taken to a hospital in Lisbon, where she was told she had “acute gastroenteritis”.

Her condition worsened and she developed sepsis and kidney failure, she said, adding: “I almost made it. They told my husband I was very, very sick.”

Marie spent six days in hospital on antibiotics before flying home on May 3.

She said she believed she had “definitely” picked up a bug on the ship, but P&O won’t admit it.

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: “We are very sorry that these guests have been affected.

“Obviously, this is not something we would want for anyone on board, as one of our top priorities is always the well-being of everyone.”

The company said it had “validated disinfection protocols” and adopted a “refined and proven approach that works across hotel, housekeeping and medical teams”.

This included “permanent and enhanced sanitation” by specialist teams and “isolation of victims”.

The company has not confirmed how many people on the ship have been affected by the illness.