Elderly British couple ‘seriously injured’ in attack on cruise ship

Stock photo, Thomson Celebration: Wiki Commons/Matteo Arrotta

An elderly British couple were attacked and seriously inured while enjoying a Thomson Cruise holiday in the Canary Islands.

The pair, from Teesside, were on the Thomson Celebration’s Colourful Coasts trip when the unprovoked assault was carried out by a fellow holidaymaker at the end of January.

The woman was left with serious spinal injuries while the husband suffered facial injuries.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police told Cruise Critic: “On 1 February, Cleveland Police received a report of a serious unprovoked assault on an elderly couple from the Cleveland force area … The man received serious facial injuries and the woman suffered spinal injuries requiring hospital treatment.

“We are liaising with the holiday company and enquiries to identify the suspect are ongoing.”

Speaking to the Middlesborough Gazette, a spokesman for holiday operator Thomson said the attacker left the cruise before it had finished.

She said: “Thomson Cruises is very sorry to hear of the injuries sustained by the couple on-board Thomson Celebration recently.

“The passenger in question disembarked from the ship following the incident, and did not complete the cruise.

“As this is now the subject of a police investigation it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.

“We would like to reassure our customers that their safety is of paramount importance and incidents such as this are extremely rare.”

The Colourful Coasts voyage starts at Santa Cruz in Tenerife before going on o Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz in La Palma, Funchal in Madeira, and then on to Agadir in Morocco.

Best spring cruise ideas for 2014

• Make for Amalfi

  Celebrate Spring with a luxurious holiday to the Amalfi Coast with free flights or get under the skin of the destinations with free shore excursions on board Azamara Club Cruises‘ Azamara Quest on a seven-night Corsica and Amalfi Coast fly/cruise from  £1,555 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom). Price includes flights from London or one of three free excursions at every port. Cruise departing from Civitavecchia (Rome) and calling at Porto-Vecchio (Corsica, France), Siracusa (Sicily, Italy), Giardini Naxos (Taormina Sicily, Italy) and Sorrento (Italy) overnight before returning to Civitavecchia for the flight home. The cruise also includes selected standard spirits, wines and international beers; complimentary bottled water; soft drinks; speciality teas and coffees; meals and room service; housekeeping and dining gratuities; a bespoke AzAmazing Evenings event; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on 30 April 2014 departure. Book before 31 January 2014 to take advantage of the Free Flights or Onshore on Us offer. 

• Treat the kids

  If you think cruises are just for couples then you are mistaken. Tots Too has selected three inspiring family-friendly cruise itineraries with Crystal Cruises. Itineraries include: London to Venice, Barcelona to Monte Carlo and a Singapore round trip voyage. Space dedicated to children is rare on luxury ships, yet Crystal has designed both of its ships to accommodate multiple generations. Think connecting staterooms, child-friendly cuisine, highly-acclaimed children’s programmes with activities for children ages 3-17, a Fantasia playroom and a video arcade for teens. All vessels offer in-stateroom babysitting with Tots Too providing five hours’ complimentary sitting on all bookings. Tots Too offers the London to Venice itinerary on Crystal Serenity  18th April – 17th May 2014, from £4700 for two adults and one child travelling free under the ‘kids sail free programme’. Price includes return flights and five hours complimentary babysitting on board, exclusive to Tots Too. 

   
  Tots Too offers the Barcelona to Monte Carlo itinerary on Crystal Serenity 13th -20th July, from £4,600 for two adults and one child travelling free under the ‘kids sail free programme’. Price includes flights and five hours complimentary babysitting onboard, exclusive to Tots Too. 
   
  Tots Too offers a round-trip Singapore itinerary on Crystal Symphony 12th-26th March 2014 from £10,700 for two adults and one child travelling free under the ‘kids sail free programme’. Price includes flights and a $250 on board credit per person, exclusive to Tots Too. 
   
  Prices are based on two full paying adults and one child up to 17 years sharing free. 

  To book, call Tots Too on 0207 284 3344 or visit www.totstoo.com

• Learn the history of the Panama Canal

  2014 marks the centenary of the Panama Canal and guests keen to learn and explore the history of the famous canal can do so with Azamara Club Cruises. Included in each Azamara Club Cruises sailing is an ‘Azamazing Evening’ designed to immerse guests in the customs and traditions of each destination, including a private performance at the National Theatre. Sail on the Azamara Quest on a 12-night Costa Rica to Miami fly/cruise from £2,349 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom).  Price includes return flights from London, transfers and a 12-night cruise departing from Caldera (Costa Rica) and visiting the Panama Canal, Puerta Limon (Costa Rica) New Orleans (Louisiana) and Key West (Florida); meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on 3 March 2014 UK departures.

• Get off the beaten track

  If you fancy embracing your adventurous side, Ben Fogle has teamed up with destination cruise line, Celebrity Cruises to plan an exclusive shore excursion programme. 

  Guests keen to get active and under the skin of the region can do so on Ben’s specifically tailored itineraries, designed to immerse guests in the regions culture, discover hidden gems and embrace their inner adventurous spirit.

  Join Celebrity Cruises’ (0845 456 0523, www.celebritycruises.co.uk) Celebrity Silhouette on a 12-night Easter Mediterranean and Greek Isles fly/cruise from £1,887 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom).  Price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and a 12-night cruise departing from Rome (Civitavecchia) and calling at destinations including Naples (Italy), Valletta (Malta) and Athens (Greece; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

   Price is based on 17 August 2014 UK departure.

• See Normandy 70 years on

  To mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, guests onboard Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey can visit pivotal battlegrounds and villages from the D-Day invasion. Marking the historic day in Cherbourg on 6 June 2014 guests can visit Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and other significant landmarks.

  Join Azamara Club Cruises  Azamara Journey on an 11-night Memories of WWII fly/cruise from £3,189 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom).  Price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and an 11-night cruise departing from Lisbon (Portugal) and calling at destinations including Cherbourg, Honfleur and Hamburg; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

  Price is based on 3 June 2014 UK departure.

• Go on a world cup cruise

  As the excitement builds for England’s World Cup fixtures in 2014, football enthusiasts looking to embrace the Brazilian spirit can sip cocktails on the Copacabana, samba the night away and explore the Brazilian rainforest with Royal Caribbean International. The action packed cruise line offers a number of itineraries that take in the varied landscapes and culture of South America’s biggest and most lively country.

  Join Royal Caribbean International’s (www.royalcaribbean.co.uk; 0844 493 2061) Splendour of the Seas on seven-night North East Brazil fly/cruise from £1,884 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom).  Price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and a seven-night cruise departing from Sau Paulo (Brazil) and calling at Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia, Ilheus and Buzios; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on 15 February 2014 UK departure.

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