Our dream cruise was like being on a floating WETHERSPOONS with drunk passengers throwing up & kids left coated in soot
Iain and Sally Wright, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, said the dream holiday turned into chaos after the ship's funnels left their two young kids covered in "black soot".
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The couple boarded the MSC Cruises Virtuosa with their two children and mother-in-law on July 12 for a two-week trip across Spain.
They thought the ship - hailed as "family-friendly" - would be perfect for their 11-year-old son Jack and eight-year-old daughter Molly.
But shortly after boarding, Iain, 41, claims the drunkenness of passengers was "insane".
Iain said: "But the level of drunkenness was insane. It was worse than a Wetherspoons. It would take you half an hour to get a drink. It was just horrendous.
"It felt like an 18-30s club at times. If you were by the pool, you'd just hear constant swearing and people getting louder through the day.
"We just thought 'what have we spent our money on?' It became like Fawlty Towers."
On one occasion, Iain says a drunk guest threw up next to the family's table while they were playing Scrabble.
After complaining to MSC staff, he said it took an hour for them to mop up the "smelly" mess.
Things took a turn for the worse when kids Jack and Molly went on the top deck to see if the water slides were open.
They returned "covered in black soot" that had spouted from the ship's funnels, Iain said.
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The furious dad said: "Jack's skin was covered in black stuff, Molly's swimming costume was stained all over her and it was on her arms.
"We went down to guest services and told them our kids have been covered in the black soot from the engine I think and she said 'yeah that happens sometimes when we pull away from a port'.
"She said we can make a claim about the damaged costume.
"While we were there, there were other people complaining to say they'd been covered in the black soot too."
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Iain went on to explain that Molly started itching and broke out in hives two days later.
A doctor told them that she had suffered an allergic reaction from the fumes.
The little girl was given hydrocortisone cream to treat the itching.
Iain said: "We get accidents happen but customer services just didn't care. They acted like we were the problem for wasting their time. Their only intention was to disprove your complaint."
Iain claims the family were even offered a £9 ticket for a premium show on-board the cruise after raising their complaints.
The family said they spent the rest of the trip inside their cabin due to the "awful" atmosphere on board the ship.
MSC Cruises said they "regretted" that the family's experience did not meet expectations, adding that they would be reaching out to ensure their "concerns are properly reviewed and addressed".
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