Couple trying for baby scrap Caribbean cruise
A COUPLE who are trying to conceive were forced to cancel their romantic Caribbean cruise after realising it took them past five Zika-infected islands.
Kylie Bowie, 35, and her partner Richard Booth, 42, were booked on a 12night Royal Caribbean cruise with an itinerary including Haiti, Puerto Rico, St Martin, Martinique and Barbados, all of which are affected by the virus.
The couple, who booked the £4,000 cruise in August before anyone was aware of the virus, have been trying for a baby for around 18 months.
The couple, who both work for RB Vision Ltd, a home cinema installation company, in West Yorkshire, were due to set sail on Feb 21.
But even though experts are advising women who plan to become pregnant not to travel, they were told they would have to pay hundreds of pounds to transfer to an alternative destination or cancel the trip and claim money back through travel insurance.
The couple fear they are being pe- nalised because of their failure to conceive. Miss Bowie added: “We cancelled our cruise feeling we had little choice. Most people say that they wouldn’t risk it if they were in our situation, but they are unwilling to put this officially on paper. We are extremely stressed, upset and disappointed.”
Thomson, the travel company used by the couple, has said that pregnant women can rebook their holidays free of charge, but the rules are unclear for couples who take holidays while trying to become pregnant.