Grieving family blames mother’s P&O cruise ship death on gastro

THE Australian family of a woman who died on a P&O cruise ship want answers after claiming her death was caused by a virus she may have contracted on board.

A Sydney family wants answers after a woman died P&O’s The Pacific Jewel. Picture: Supplied

A SYDNEY family wants to turn the spotlight on the dangers of gastroenteritis outbreaks on cruise ships after their elderly mother died on The Pacific Jewel.

Margaret Carlson, 79, suffered gastroenteritis along with other family members a few days after setting sail from Sydney last Tuesday, and died on Saturday as the ship docked off Cairns.

Her family is claiming her death was caused by a virus she may have contracted on board

Daughter Vanessa D’Souza said she felt personally responsible because she had booked the trip for her mother without being fully aware of the risks.

“I know these damn ships can be carriers of disease and now it’s hit home how vulnerable she was,” said Ms D’Souza.

“My first priority was to let people know, because I thought you would not want to send your mother or grandmother on that (ship).”

Cruise ship victim Margaret Carlson with her daughter Vanessa D'Souza. Picture: Supplied

Ms Carlson had some underlying medical conditions including osteoporosis and hypertension but Ms D’Souza said she was very good with her medications.

“There should be no reason why this would happen,” she said.

Ms D’Souza’s sister and nephew were also on the ship and suffered from the gastro outbreak as well.

“None of them were sick before they went on the ship, and it was several days in when it struck,” she said.
“When they saw the ship’s nurse, they were accused of bringing it on to the ship.”

During the cruise, the family’s and others cabins were “locked down” at one point without explanation.

“They were just told it was for further cleaning,” Ms D’Souza said.

“I just don’t want Mum’s death to be in vain. I’m hoping I might be able to prevent this happening to someone else’s mother.”

Grand ... P&O’s Pacific Jewel in Sydney Harbour. Picture: John Grainger.

But a P&O spokeswoman denied there was any gastro outbreak on the Pacific Jewel and said they were not in a position to release details of Ms Carlson’s death.

She said the cabin lockdown occurred when a helicopter was organised to airlift a passenger who had suffered a suspected heart attack to hospital.

“For safety reasons, it is standard procedure to clear passenger cabins and public rooms in the designated area of the ship both before and during the airlift,” said the spokeswoman.

“In a separate incident, a crew member with suspected appendicitis was disembarked from the ship by boat in Brisbane on Wednesday last week.”

Illnesses like norovirus can be easily spread among people on cruise ships through touching lift buttons, hand rails, chairs and doorways.

The cruise industry goes to great lengths to prevent outbreaks, providing hand sanitiser throughout ships and educational material about the importance of handwashing and hygiene.

Ms D’Souza said her mother would undergo a post-mortem in Cairns hospital to determine her cause of death before her body was returned home to Sydney.