‘Horrendous journey’ leaves cruise passengers seasick

CHOPPY waters left passengers throwing up for six hours as they endured “horrendous” conditions on a cruise to Wales.

The vintage cruise ship was left “tilting and tipping” violently leaving staff to collect sick in bin bags due to their seasickness.

One passenger on board the MV Balmoral said there was near “mutiny” after the ship was unable to dock at Llandudno as it headed to Wales from Liverpool.

Just under 400 people paid £34 each to board the MV Balmoral, which set sail at 9am on Saturday. It was eventually decided the ship should return to Liverpool because of passenger sickness and the weather conditions.

Erica Thompson, 45, from Bromborough, took her mum Alma, 81, on the ship as a Mother’s Day present and said she was concerned for their safety. She told the Liverpool Echo: “We shouldn’t have set off at all.

“The weather wasn’t great when we got on the ship. That doesn’t mean it will be rough at sea – but I would have expected them to know these things and know what the conditions would be like.”

Another passenger described it as an “horrendous journey”.

Balmoral arrived back in Liverpool at just before 3pm.

A spokesman for White Funnel Ltd, owners of MV Balmoral, said: “We realise that passengers suffered some discomfort during Saturday’s sailing which we very much regret. The shipping forecast indicated that the sea state would be suitable for sailing but the conditions proved to be significantly worse than expected.”