A furious holidaymaker has blasted the cruise line that turned a dream vacation into a holiday from hell after he was airlifted from the ship against his wishes.
Stephen Cassidy was left stranded 800 miles from home after being removed from the luxury cruise which he had booked as a joint birthday celebration with his wife, Carol.
He was flown by the coastguard to a hospital on Shetland, despite telling medics it was unnecessary, after a misdiagnosis by the ship’s doctor.
The cruise ship’s on-board doctor had told Mr Cassidy he was suffering with a serious infection but on arriving at the nearest hospital, in Shetland, he was unsurprised to learn it was nothing worse than a strained muscle.
The unwanted helicopter ride meant Mr Cassidy missed his wife’s birthday and was left stranded on Shetland, forced to pay for two flights to get back to his home in Poole.
Mr Cassidy says he blames the cruise line for his “rotten” experience and is asking for the company to refund him the cost of his ruined holiday and the two flights home.
'It was rotten for my wife and myself to be wrenched apart under those circumstances. It ruined our holiday and cost me a fortune to get home again.’ he said.
'I didn't feel like I had an infection – I just had a sore leg. The doctor misdiagnosed me and caused so much devastation.
The couple had paid £3,598 for the two week cruise visiting Iceland and the Norwegian fjords from Southampton aboard the Sky Princess. The pair, who run a music teaching business, booked the trip to celebrate their 60th birthdays and 40th wedding anniversary; it was their first holiday since lockdown.
Princess Cruises claim the massive ship, which has 19 decks and 1,830 cabins has “medical staff [which] includes doctors and nurses capable of caring for a broad range of medical conditions”.
A week into their trip Mr Cassidy paid a visit to the ship’s medical center complaining of a pain in his leg - doctors told him it could be related to a hip replacement he had previously had.
'I asked if it could be sciatica because I had had that before,' he told the Mail. '[The ship doctor] said it could be, but he had to treat me for an infection because it could possibly be that.
'[He] told me I had an infection in my prosthetic hip, which could be really nasty and would need scans and possibly surgery.'
After spending three days on antibiotics, costing £2,400 on his medical insurance, Mr Cassidy was shocked to learn on May 24 that a coastguard helicopter had been called to airlift him to shore.
Within minutes Mr Cassidy was up on deck where the former Army reservist was winched into the helicopter as it hovered over the ship. Along whith two other passengers he was flown to Lerwick, the nearest hospital.
At the hospital doctors told a frustrated Mr Cassidy that it was indeed just a muscle strain.
He added: 'I was never in need of any surgery, I didn't need to see a surgeon and I didn't need scans which the on-board doctor said I did.'
The two other men flown off the boat were also released without needing treatment after being misdiagnosed by the ship’s medical team, he claimed.
Mr Cassidy has made a complaint to Princess Cruises who have sent it to their legal team.
A spokesman for Princess Cruises refused to discuss Mr Cassidy's case in detail but said the allegations were 'without merit'.
A spokesman for HM Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard carried out a medical evacuation as part of our duty to respond to calls for help at sea.'
