Carlisle couple furious at Royal Caribbean cruise company for "nightmare" holiday

When Richard and Karen Quinn booked themselves a 10 day cruise from Southampton to the Canary Islands, between October 26 and November 5, they were expecting a relaxing holiday full of exotic port destinations and luxury entertainment.

But their cruise, under the liner Royal Caribbean International, ended up being far from relaxing.

"Under the ship are these things called stabilisers," said Richard, 53.

"In heavy seas, they come out like wings."

Richard, who lives near Harker just north of Carlisle, explained that the stabilisers are intended to make the ship more comfortable by reducing the rocking motion of the ship.

This time however, they had the opposite effect.

"When it came out, it ripped off, which ripped a hole in the hull," said Richard, who manages a caravan dealership on the Burgh Road Industrial Estate in Carlisle.

"The boat was taking on water," Richard continued.

"The crew was stood there, with life jackets on, and everybody else was in bed knowing nothing about it.

"So when we'd taken on this extra water, the ship became even more unstable."

Richard added that the crew proceeded to shut the emergency doors to contain the breach in the hull, possibly saving the ship from sinking.

"The bottom deck was flooded as far as we can gather," Richard said.

The ship, named The Navigator of the Seas, limped to the port of Vigo in north-west Spain.

Richard said that emergency repairs to the ship began right away.

"They sent the divers down to weld a big patch on the side of it," he said.

"This is something you've paid a lot of money for.

"So I was obviously a bit concerned about it. And I asked at the service desk on the ship.

"I said 'is this boat safe?' And they wouldn't answer us.

"The straight answer they gave me was that 'stabilisers are for comfort.'

"But I said 'that's what I paid you for. Not to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic.'"

Richard remained unconvinced throughout the trip that the ships was safe.

"So then they are saying 'it's all perfectly safe and there's nothing to worry about,'" Richard said.

"I thought 'you're having a laugh'

"You couldn't stand up. It was listing from one side to the other."

Richard is no stranger to the cruise experience, having been on at least eight cruises before.

But his previously acquired sea legs had not left him prepared for his most recent experience on the waves.

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"It was very unnerving, very scary. A lot of people were terrified, there was people being seasick. It was a nightmare," Richard continued.

"There was people flying. They were getting off the boat and making their way home.

"They couldn't take it any more, they thought 'we're getting off.'

"Because the uncertainty of what was going to happen, and they wouldn't tell you anything, they just said 'it's safe, the captain's got it under control.'

"When you're sitting having your dinner and your plate flies off the table or your beer glass flies off the table, that says to me that it's not safe, it's not under control."

Richard felt particularly unhappy for his brother Gary and Gary's wife Denise, who had joined him and Karen on the cruise.

It had been Gary's first cruise, but after the experience he has decided it will be his last.

"My poor brother, he's had problems with health in the past," Richard said.

"He had to pack his own business in because of his health problems.

"This cruise was meant to be a treat for him.

"It was meant to be the holiday of a lifetime, but it's made him a wreck."

Returning to Southampton on November 5, Richard was relieved to be back on dry land.

But his relief turned to anger when he realised the Royal Caribbean cruise company would not refund the considerable cost of the misadventure.

"They offered us 25% back off the holiday, which was in UK money about £800 out out nearly three and a half thousand quid," Richard said.

The company also offered Richard 25% off their next cruise with the company, an offer he will not be accepting.

"It was a holiday I'd never want to do again, ever," he said.

The company that runs Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International, deny that the safety of anyone aboard the ship was compromised.

"Repairs were made to Navigator of the Seas to resolve a technical issue. The ship remained fully operational with no impact on its manoeuvrability or the safety of our guests and crew," a spokesperson for the company said.

"However, because of time needed to make the repair, it was necessary to modify her itinerary," the spokesperson added.

"Navigator called on Vigo, Spain for an overnight stay on Sunday, Oct. 28. It then sailed on to Gran Canaria, Canary Islands on Wednesday, Oct. 31 and Tenerife, Canary Islands on Thursday, Nov 1. The ship returned to Southampton, England on Monday, Nov. 5 as scheduled."

For Richard however, the experience left him scared and angry.

"It should have been a once in a lifetime trip, but it turned into a once in a lifetime nightmare," he said.

"It's not a nice feeling to think you could have ended up as shark bait."

The company that operates the Navigator of the Seas vessel strenuously deny that the safety of anyone aboard the ship was compromised.

A spokesman for Royal Caribbean International told the News & Star: “Repairs were made to Navigator of the Seas to resolve a technical issue.

“The ship remained fully operational with no impact on its manoeuvrability or the safety of our guests and crew.”

The spokesman added, however: “Because of time needed to make the repair, it was necessary to modify her itinerary.

“Navigator called on Vigo, Spain, for an overnight stay on Sunday, October28.

“It then sailed on to Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, on Wednesday, October 31 and Tenerife, Canary Islands on Thursday, November 1.

“The ship returned to Southampton, England, on Monday, November 5, as scheduled.”