Passengers on cruise ship Thomson Celebration spent the weekend at Langton Docks in Liverpool after their cruise was cancelled due to bad weather.
Thomson Cruises decided not to run its three-day Taste of Ireland cruise, which was due to call at Dublin and Cork, due to severe winds and rain.
Passengers were told the full cruise service would still be available, so 1,225 of the 1,300 passengers decided to stay on board and take part in golf tournaments, dance classes, quizzes and movie screenings. The company laid on buses to take some of the passengers to Liverpool for shopping or sight-seeing.
Thomson Cruises refused to give passengers their money back, but offered them 80% off their next cruise.
Customers, many of whom were first-time cruisers, were angry that a full refund had not been offered. Maggie Scott from Leicester told the Liverpool Echo: “We will get 80% of what we have spent back in vouchers, but they can only be used on another Thomson Cruise. We think that is unfair.”
A Thomson spokesman said: “We do appreciate this is very disappointing for customers, however the on-board mood was good. As the cruise was cancelled due to events entirely beyond the control of the ship, customers are not due any refund, and guests should contact their insurance company to assess whether they have a further claim.”