Vomiting bug wrecks Poole pair's dream holiday (From Bournemouth Echo)

Vomiting bug wrecks Poole pair's dream holiday

2:10pm Sunday 16th May 2010 in

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A £3,000 dream cruise has turned into a holiday from hell for a Poole couple after their luxury liner was stuck by a nasty strain of norovirus – for a second time.

Dave and Jackie Greenslade, from Oakdale, set off from Southampton on a two-week trip around the Mediterranean on board the Princess Cruises liner Grand Princess on Saturday.

They say they were unaware it had already suffered an outbreak of the vomiting bug on its previous voyage – although the cruise operator insists passengers were told.

Within days they too had been struck down with “horrendous” projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.

It is their first cruise and the most expensive holiday they’ve ever had – they even spent £1,000 on evening gowns and suits for formal evenings on board.

But after months of anticipation, instead of enjoying the time of their lives and visits to Barcelona, Cannes and Rome, they are confined to their cabin.

When the Daily Echo spoke to Mr Greenslade yesterday he had not left the tiny room since Wednesday – and his quarantine was set to continue as his wife had also fallen ill.

The only people they’d seen in days were cleansing staff wearing masks and gloves and medical staff who told them they were “run off their feet” with the numbers ill.

To add insult to injury they even face an 86 US dollar bill each for the medication to treat the unpleasant symptoms.

Princess Cruises has confirmed there was an outbreak of the virus on board on the liner on the preceding cruise. A spokesman said all passengers were informed about the earlier outbreak and the ship had undergone deep cleaning at Southampton.

But Mr Greenslade, 56, a salesman, insists he was never told – and would never have taken the trip had he known.

The father of two said: “I have gone through feeling sorry for myself – now I’m angry.”

He added: “We just want to go home.”

In a statement a Princess Cruises spokesman said there had been “an increased incidence of a mild gastrointestinal illness” which had been confirmed as norovirus.

She said of the 2,468 passengers on board, the number of passengers with active symptoms yesterday was 57.

She said “enhanced sanitation protocols” were in place and “every effort” was made to make passenger confined to their rooms “as comfortable as possible”.