The widow of a man who was killed by a huge wave hitting a cruise ship during a storm on 14 February has criticized the maintenance aboard the vessel.
The 22,000 tonne ship was heading to the Essex port of Tilbury at the end of its 42-night trip when Helen Swinstead's husband died as the windows of the Marco Polo vessel blew out and hit him on the head while he was dining in the restaurant.
Water crashed through the window and injured several of the 735 passengers, many of whom were British. Among the passengers injured was an elderly woman who had to be airlifted to hospital after the wave hit the boat.
Swinstead's widow praised the crew, but criticized the shipping company, saying that the ship was badly maintained and the operator should compensate people. She said that four of the windows blew and added that she had mentioned to her husband that there was a rusty puddle on the window sill. Swinstead is waiting to hear from the cruise company.
Operator Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) commented that the ship was fully compliant with strict maritime regulations. The safety and comfort of passengers is and will be number one priority and of significant importance to the company, said Christian Verhounig, chief executive of CMV. The Marco Polo undergoes stringent and thorough surveys, it is regularly inspected and an annual dry docking survey and certification were conducted recently, he noted.
Kate Huet Google+
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