Cruise passengers moor next to burnt-out wreckage of Norman Atlantic

According to Mrs Doutré, rumours that there might still be bodies aboard the wreckage began to circulate among those supposed to be enjoying their cruise.

‘Everyone was out taking photos, and people were certainly shocked as to what they were looking at,’ added 53-year-old Mrs Doutré. 

‘It wasn’t the end to the cruise that anyone wanted or expected.’

Back in December 2014, a fire broke out on the car deck of the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic off the Greek island of Corfu.

Passengers, who were travelling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy, became trapped on the top decks as gales and choppy seas hampered evacuation efforts.

The ferry fire claimed at least 11 lives. Greece says as many as 19 people are still unaccounted for, while Italian authorities say that figure could be higher.

The Norman Atlantic remains in Bari port as investigations remain unconcluded

There are fears that some drivers were sleeping in their trucks when the blaze began or that illegal migrants could have stowed away inside vehicles.

Italian authorities say 477 people on the ferry were rescued. Nine bodies were recovered; two bodies were spotted in rough waters in the Mediterranean Sea but weren’t able to be recovered.

Mrs Doutré admits she is not a regular cruise traveller, but was attracted to this particular trip as it took in Dubrovnik and Venice.

Along with her husband, she had been in Venice around the time George Clooney married his wife Amal, and had been impressed by the capital of the Veneto region of Italy.

And 30 years ago, Mrs Doutré had visited Dubrovnik when it was still under communist rule, so was intrigued to see how much the Croatian city had changed.

‘The photos show how close we were to the wreck and it was a disturbing sight, added Mrs Doutré.

‘We only really decided on the cruise as it visited two places we really liked, but it won’t be something we will rush to do again.’ 

MailOnline Travel has contacted Thomson, and is awaiting a response. 

Althea Doutré was on the Thomson Celebration cruise ship that took in an ‘Adriatic Affair’ (file photo)

The fire on the Norman Atlantic broke out on the car deck, off the coast of Corfu

Estimates are that there are at least 11 people dead from the ferry fire, with another 19 unaccounted for

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