Thomson cancels remainder of Majesty cruise
Thomson has been forced to cancel the last three days of a seven-night cruise on the Majesty following a tragic incident in La Palma in the Canary Islands on Sunday in which five crew members died.
The ship is still being held in La Palma by authorities investigating how a lifeboat fell from the deck into the sea, killing the five crew and injuring three others. No passengers were hurt.
Thomson said this afternoon: "We are continuing to work closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises and relevant authorities to determine exactly what happened.
"As investigations continue, and in the absence of a guaranteed departure time, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining three days of the current seven night cruise itinerary."
Customers will be offered a full refund of the cost of the cruise element of their holiday, said the operator.
"Travel plans have now been finalised and we will be repatriating customers today and tomorrow on specially arranged Thomson Airways flights," added the spokeswoman.
"We fully understand that this is disappointing news for our customers and we have despatched a specially trained team to assist with travel plans and provide support to those affected by the incident."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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