A GROUP of passengers have launched a £500,000 compensation bid claiming a cruise firm failed to prevent them from falling ill on voyages from Southampton.

The 25 holidaymakers have joined forces to issue the action against Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.

They had all set sail from the city on a number of different cruises on the giant Independence Of The Seas ship between December 10, 2010 and June 25, 2011.

Lawyers representing the group say that although not all of the claimants had fallen ill, others suffered a “loss of enjoyment” due to sickness onboard the vessel.

A spokesman for Royal Caribbean International said that the company welcomed three million passengers on-board every year and worked hard to maintain “extremely high” health standards for guests and cruises.

She added: “Of the 25 guests that you refer to, not all of these guests experienced illness.

“The 25 guests were across five different sailings within a seven month period from December 2010 - June 2011.

“In this time period, the ship, Independence of the Seas, sailed on 15 cruises, welcoming over 67,000 guests.

“Those affected by the short-lived illness responded well to over-the-counter medication which was administered on-board the ship and therefore were not referred for additional treatment by the on-board medical teams.

“Regarding the instances referred to, our crew conducted extensive cleaning on-board the ship and guests were kept up to date on these additional measures prior to embarkation and throughout their cruise.

“Guests were also provided with advice and information on preventative steps and good hygiene, including hand washing and making use of hand sanitizers that we provided throughout the ship.

“Our hygiene procedures on-board are comprehensive and always strictly adhered to.”

A group of passengers has launched a claim for £500,000 worth of compensation against a cruise line they say failed to stop them becoming ill on their holidays.

Their complaints include flies in their bathrooms, a waiter blowing their nose on a napkin that was then placed on a table and an outbreak of illness so severe there were often ambulances waiting for passengers in the ports they visited.

Eileen Jones, from Llanelli, is one of 25 passengers who have issued the group action against Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. The passengers travelled from Southampton on a number of different cruises on the Independence Of The Seas ship between December 10, 2010 and June 25, 2011.

According to the claim, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises brochures promised passengers could “look forward to an experience unlike any other” on “an amazing holiday”.

They were assured that “Royal Caribbean are committed to excellence”.

However, the claim details how, rather than a dream holiday, passengers became ill with gastro-enteritis on a ship where hygiene rules were not followed. It said despite multiple cases of illness on previous cruises, the cruise line failed to effectively remedy the situation by adopting adequate cleaning and sanitation, or greater control in the preparation of food and drink.

The passengers complain of inadequately cleaned cabins - with fruit under the bed, dusty shelves and sewer flies in the bathroom cabinet.

Those who became ill complained there were not enough medical staff to help those in isolation, meaning long waits for visits, and medical staff failed to follow hygiene procedure such as washing hands and wearing gloves.

The claim says restaurants on the ship failed to provide clean cutlery and glasses and served food that was undercooked, not properly refrigerated or that had been reheated and re-served.

A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean said the cruise line welcomes more than three million guests on-board each year and works hard to ensure they all have an enjoyable holiday.

She said: “Of the 25 guests that you refer to, not all of these guests experienced illness. The 25 guests were across five different sailings within a seven-month period from December 2010 - June 2011. In this time period, the ship, Independence of the Seas, sailed on 15 cruises, welcoming over 67,000 guests.

“Those affected by the short-lived illness responded well to over-the-counter medication which was administered on-board the ship and therefore were not referred for additional treatment by the on-board medical teams.

“Regarding the instances referred to, our crew conducted extensive cleaning on-board the ship and guests were kept up to date on these additional measures prior to embarkation and throughout their cruise.

“Guests were also provided with advice and information on preventative steps and good hygiene, including hand washing and making use of hand sanitisers that we provided throughout the ship.

“Our hygiene procedures on-board are comprehensive and always strictly adhered to.”