Cruise Lines

I do hope the woman deemed responsible for the outbreak of a norovirus-like infection on Fred Olsen's Balmoral last month doesn't read Gene Sloan's Cruise Blog.

Suggestions as to what should happen to her range from sending her the bill for everyone's ruined cruise - the illness spread to more than 100 people and eventually the ship returned to Dover a day early so it could be thoroughly cleaned - to well, sending her the bill. Hit her in the wallet "pour encourager les autres", as the French would say.

It's a strange story in so much as Fred Olsen's marketing director Nigel Lingard has said publically that they identified the cause of the viral outbreak - a woman who came on in Dover. He also told the Scotman she had been spotted "sneaking out" of her cabin when she was supposed to be in quarantine.

It begs the question why she was allowed on the ship if she was unwell. Equally, why whoever saw her "sneak out" did not challenge her, or at least report the situation to the poeple in charge.

But let's leave that one for a moment. It's the comments on Sloan's story that made me smile - the 21st-century equivalent of being hung, drawn and quartered (and so much less messy).

"They should fine her carelessness"

"The inconsiderate b#%& should have to pay for everyone's cruise ... The only way people like this learn is through their wallet."

"A score of lashes and a lusty keelhauling clearly dictated!!! On a more practical tac... send the wench THE BILL!!!!!"

"I hope that this greedy, selfish hag gets a bill from the cruise line for the lost revenue and the additional expenses incurred by the passengers who had to disembark early."

Wonder if Fred will circulate her details to other cruise lines, as insurance companies do when they have identified a fraudster? Either way, I suspect it will be a long time before she dares to show her face on a Fred Olsen ship again!