A BRITISH CRUISE turned violent yesterday after a brawl broke out between passengers travelling from Norway to Southampton, according to reports on board.
The fight occurred in the early hours of Friday morning aboard P&O’s Britannia which was returning from a week-long trip to Norway.
According to Good Morning Britain journalist Richard Gaisford, who was on board at the time, one witness reported that the fight broke out after one passenger became upset when another passenger donned a clown costume.
Gaisford wrote that cruise staff and passengers were left injured after furniture and plates were used as weapons.
“Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide, as family groups fought,” according to Gaisford.
Britannia left Bergen at 1430 on Thursday, the violence occurred 12 hours later after a black-tie evening. It followed an afternoon of ‘patriotic’ partying on deck, with large amounts of alcohol being consumed by many guests. pic.twitter.com/zQcEXGDJeg
— Richard Gaisford (@richardgaisford) July 27, 2019
Earlier that day, passengers took part in “patriotic partying on deck” with “large amounts of alcohol being consumed by many guests,” he said.
Following the fight, the ship’s buffet area was sealed off, according to Gaisford, with staff saying “they’d never experienced anything like it and those behind the violence were confined to a cabin for the last day of the cruise, waiting for police here in Southampton.”
Hampsire police confirmed to TheJournal.ie that “officers are investigating following reports of a public order incident on-board P&O’s Britannia,” according to a spokesperson.
“The incident happened during the early hours of Friday 26 July while the ship was en route to Southampton from Bergen,” they said.
“Six people – three men and three women – were assaulted. A number of injuries were suffered, including significant bruising and cuts.”
A 43-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of assault and are in police custody.
A spokesperson for P&O told TheJournal.ie: “Following an incident on board Britannia on Thursday evening we can confirm that all guests have now disembarked and the matter is now in the hands of the local police.”
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