Paralympian 'shipbound' during nightmare cruise

A former Paralympian said she ended up being "shipbound" for 12 days during a dream cruise because she could not access a boat that took passengers ashore for port visits.

Wheelchair user Suzi Rockett, from Doncaster, booked the trip around South Africa with a friend through agents Cruise Kingdom.

The GB fencer told the provider about her accessibility needs before departing, but realised it was "impossible" for her to use the tender vessel once aboard the ship.

The BBC has contacted Cruise Kingdom for comment.

Ms Rockett boarded the ship in Cape Town, but said a hotel she had stayed in that was included in the price of the trip did not provide an accessible room for her. She could not use the toilet or shower safely.

For the first port call, she discovered that she would have to use 13 steps to get to the tender.

She said: "I'm really cross about it. I'm incandescent with rage, frankly."

She spoke to the mobility manager on the vessel, who said that the travel agent had not informed the crew that Ms Rockett was a wheelchair user.

Ms Rockett said she had travelled around the world to compete, including to the Paralympic Games in Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta, so was used to stating her needs before a trip. She had been on 20 previous cruises.

She added: "We were really gutted, really disappointed. I just didn't feel I had any power to make any difference at all, that's the most frustrating thing. Who do they think they are, you just don't treat people like that and I'm not going to be treated like that."

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