CRUISING is revered as the height of luxury, conjuring up images of passengers at black-tie dinners serenaded by string quartets.
But a new generation of younger, party-mad cruise-goers on some ships is threatening to sink the idyllic reputation of the industry.
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Exploiting all-inclusive drinks offers and cheap deals, their drunken antics make sailings like a rowdy Saturday night in any city centre.
One former cruise entertainer said: “Reasonably priced cruises and drinks packages turn guests into animals.”
Last weekend a British cruise ship was branded “Benidorm on sea” after drunken passengers hurled crockery and chairs at each other during a 2am brawl that left six people injured.
Passengers on the P&O Britannia had paid just under £1,000 for the seven-night trip — a snip compared to other cruises — while the all- inclusive drinks package cost £39.95 a day for 15 drinks.
Former cruise workers yesterday described a world of debauchery, violence and unashamed nudity.
Every year, 21million people holiday by cruise, and many packages are now aimed at younger guests, featuring star attractions from Strictly dancers to rockers Jon Bon Jovi.
‘SEX ON THE DECK’
The former entertainer, who prefers to be anonymous, worked on ships for five years and said: “The short cruises were the worst. These were far cheaper than your standard version and people went crazy drinking the bar dry.
“There would be heckling in the shows and fighting after the clubs closed.”
Another ex-worker, Claire Sanders, 29, labelled the booze cruise trips to Belgium and France “a nightmare”.
Mum-of-two Claire, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: “These were a lot cheaper than most cruises and really like a taster cruise, and they brought a different calibre of guests.
“There was a lot of drinking. They would start with champagne for breakfast and just keep going. The casino was open 24/7.
“The Brits were always the ones who took full advantage of all- inclusive drinks packages.
“If people aren’t fighting they are taking drugs. We got used to regular reports of cocaine being found.”
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Tina Molson, 52, from Cleethorpes, Lincs, who worked in duty-free shops from 2010 to 2017, said: “The booze cruises were the ones where all hell broke loose. Those were usually three days, and people went on them purely to take advantage of the cheap, duty-free spirits. That’s when you would get passengers jumping into the pool fully clothed and the odd stag do on board.
“On one longer cruise around Australia and Fiji, a couple who got married on board were caught having sex on the deck. They were put off at the next stop — on some random island.”
The newlyweds aren’t the only cruise-ship passengers getting frisky outdoors — with ten per cent of people admitting having al fresco sex on ships in a recent poll.
Holding thousands of guests, the larger vessels are like floating cities and offer plenty of opportunities.
And passengers are clearly in the mood — in another recent poll, by Royal Caribbean, 99 per cent said sex was their favourite cruise activity.
For the hundreds of staff on board for months at a time, life involves working hard and playing harder.
‘SO MUCH COCAINE’
Tina recalled: “We worked 12-hour shifts and afterwards there was always a party. We had fancy-dress crew parties once a month and that’s when people would couple up.
“The Brits were very promiscuous. Everyone wanted to bed an officer because they had better cabins.”
On a discussion on online forum Reddit, one former worker claimed to have a competition with an officer on who could have sex in the riskiest place. They said: “Everyone f***s each other, all over the ship.” Another former worker said: “There is so much cocaine and group sex. Holiday mode and booze and drugs, plus not having to worry about reputations, all makes for good times.”
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And what goes on on board, stays on board.
One ex-employee said: “A lot of employees have “ship wives/husbands” even those married on land. My manager had a ship wife who he shared a cabin with, while he saw his wife and four kids every two weeks.”
This weekend’s fracas on the Britannia resulted in five passengers and a crew member suffering bruising, cuts and scratches.
One witness claimed there was blood “everywhere” as guests fought in one of the restaurants as it headed towards Southampton following a week’s tour of the Norwegian fjords.
Earlier that day, hundreds of passengers waved Union Flags and sang Land Of Hope And Glory at the “Great British Sailaway” party.
CRUISES ARE STILL GREAT
By Lisa Minot, Travel Editor
THE shocking scenes on board P&O’s flagship Britannia do not reflect the normal experience for the two million Brits who go on a cruise each year.
But just like at some holiday destinations on land, some behave in a way they never would at home.
With ever-larger, more sophisticated and exciting ships launching each year, cruises ARE a great holiday for all ages and interests.
I have cruised on more than 20 ships and NEVER seen any of the scenes that unfolded on Britannia. I have cruised on that ship too, and it is a marvel.
Cruise companies must reflect on the decision to offer all-inclusive drinks packages and ensure they are policing the few who choose to abuse the holiday fun so a new generation of would-be cruisers are not put off by their sordid antics.
But one mum said many were just there to “drink as much as they could”.
The woman, who preferred to be anonymous, said: “From the moment we embarked on the ship, we found many of the other guests to be rude and have zero manners or respect for others. The boat was Benidorm-on- Sea with a me, me, me attitude.”
YouTuber and boxing enthusiast Tabatha Young, 41, from Chigwell, Essex, and a 43-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of assault when the ship docked on Saturday.
Police released them from custody but they remain under investigation. Channel 4’s current reality show, Shipmates, sees two teams of twentysomethings go head-to-head in a sea-borne, five-day popularity contest. It has been dubbed a “drug-fuelled orgy”, with passengers so drunk they had to be ferried around in wheelchairs and even a police raid.
‘EASIER TO GET COKE THAN A DRINK’
Anchored Cruise, a part of Royal Caribbean, advertised the trip last summer as “Europe’s first floating festival,” and Channel 4 called it the “party of a lifetime.”
Prices started at £499 for a room shared with three people.
The late-night, five-part series sees ten twentysomethings join 1,500 partygoers on the Visions Of The Seas trip around Europe.
Passenger Alicia Morris, 37, said: “It was like a floating episode of Geordie Shore with drugs and escorts and a police raid or two.”
Another said: “It was easier to get a bag of coke on board than it was to get a drink. It was mad.”
Channel 4 said: “We cannot comment on the behaviour of other passengers.”
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Royal Caribbean Cruises said it has a zero-tolerance policy for use of illegal drugs.
In February 2018, a ten-day Carnival cruise in the South Pacific was dubbed a “floating fight club” when 23 passengers travelling together sparked violent brawls.
One passenger said: “It was horrifying, people were screaming, throwing glasses. Nightmare.” The group were turfed off.
A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line said at the time: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to excessive behaviour that affects other guests.”
‘FLOATING FIGHT CLUB’
A few years ago, a festive P&O voyage in the Caribbean was branded a “chavs cruise” after some last- minute tickets were snapped up at a fraction of the usual price.
A Christmas tree was set on fire, a fight broke out between two families and two passengers were put ashore.
One security worker said companies hate to see an empty cabin, so sell any remaining off cheap, adding: “That’s when you see the real class acts. It’s Benefits Street on sea.”
He said some of the worst behaviour is on the freebie voyagers, when invited corporate types and travel agents enjoy a four-day office party. He said: “There will be vomit in the corridors and damage from excess . . squatting behind the artificial trees, because they couldn’t find the loo.”
Despite the anecdotes of shenanigans, crime is minimal on cruises with just six murders — five of which were domestic — in almost 30 years.
Ships are heavily patrolled by security 24/7. And crew members can be breathalysed if they appear drunk at work.
Andy Harmer, a director at Cruise Lines International Association, said: “Cruise passengers are protected by a comprehensive system of security.
“Security staff on board and on shore are well trained and experienced. Some are former law enforcement officers.”
