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Athena labelled ‘a cruise from hell’

From the Falmouth Packet, first published Wednesday 11th Oct 2006.

To the sound of Rod Stewart's "Sailing" the cruiseship Athena slipped quietly away from the docks for Portugal leaving in her wake many disillusioned and angry passengers from her previous cruise, described by them as a "cruise from hell" and one which attracted national media coverage.

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising, the definitive tome for anyone contemplating a cruise, describes a cruise as "a vacation - an antidote to (and escape from) the stress and strain of life ashore."

To the disgruntled passengers, many of whom spent thousands of pounds on the trip, the words will bring little relief after describing their "New York, New England and Canada Maple Leaf Trail" cruise as a nightmare when the ship was hit by hurricane force winds and heavy seas off Newfoundland.

Any ship in these circumstances would have rolled and pitched heavily in heavy seas. What do people expect in such horrendous sea conditions? The answer is the calm blue seas pictured in the brochure. Sorry fellas this is the North Atlantic in full fury.

Athena sailed from Falmouth in dense fog only to encounter bad weather two days out of the port. Cruise ships schedules are pre-planned using an average speed with little leeway built in for bad weather on what can sometimes be a tight itinerary to maintain.

The safety of the ship, passengers and crew is the paramount responsibility of the ship's master.

Travelscope Holidays who market the cruises warn passengers in its booking conditions: "Would you please note that the captain of the ship shall have absolute discretion as far as the safe navigation or safety or comfort of passengers during the cruise is concerned and may alter the route, itinerary and timing of the cruise at any time for any reason."

The Athena encountered hurricane force winds off Newfoundland, when 70-year-old retired doctor Michael Bedford fell down a stairway and subsequently died. Once a ship slows down because of weather the itinerary goes out of the window quite quickly forcing cruise operators to make instant decisions, such as cutting out a port of call to make up the schedule.

The National Hurricane Centre in the United States has monitored and tracked the paths of hurricanes for decades and it is a well documented fact that the paths of these tropical revolving storms in September pass to the eastwards of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the very area Athena was sailing.

On returning to Falmouth irate passengers confronted Travelscope director Richard Ford who said: "I'm a tour operator not a seaman. The itinerary was planned by the shipping company not us."

Passengers may have won the day in terms of compensation for ports missed if like the passengers on the Queen Mary 2 they had threatened a mass sit-in when the ship docked at Falmouth, not that I am inciting such mutinous behaviour.

Cunard were forced to back down after 2,500 passengers issued them with such an ultimatum, after the luxury cruise liner missed out four ports on its itinerary earlier this year due to engine problems. Cunard at first offered a 50 per cent refund which was raised to a full refund when the world's media jumped on the story.

In 2007, Travelscope are advertising almost the same cruise at the same time of year.

Personally, I can't understand why anyone elderly or slightly infirm wants to spend thousands of pounds "cruising" for 14 days out of 24 in the North Atlantic during late September on a 12,000 ton cruiseship.

Whingeing passengers claimed that Athena was too small for such a cruise across the Atlantic. This is completely untrue. The well-found vessel was launched in 1948 for the Swedish-Amerika Lines for service on its trans-Atlantic routes. Passenger ships also have to pass the most stringent safety regulations of any vessel afloat.

Perhaps we should leave the final words surrounding this Carry on Cruising saga to the brilliant Mr Rod Stewart, "I am sailing, I am sailing, stormy waters, to be near you, to be free."

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