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UK cruise ship is held in Madeira UK cruise ship is held in Madeira
(about 13 hours later)
Efforts are under way to secure the release of a UK cruise ship that has been detained by police in Madeira. Efforts are under way to release a UK cruise ship that has been detained by police in Madeira.
The Van Gogh, which has about 460 passengers on board, was held on Tuesday shortly after it came into Funchal port in the Portuguese isles.The Van Gogh, which has about 460 passengers on board, was held on Tuesday shortly after it came into Funchal port in the Portuguese isles.
It is understood the ship has been held in connection with an alleged debt relating to the previous operator which went into administration. Administrators claim the ship's owners owe £2 million, after taking over the cruise at Christmas.
Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd said its lawyers were liaising with authorities. Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd said its lawyers were liaising with authorities. One passenger said she was "shocked".
The ship is on the final stage of a round-the-world cruise and had been due back in Falmouth on Saturday. The ship is on the final stage of a round-the-world cruise - stops included Egypt, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Tahiti and Cape Town - and had been due back in Falmouth on Saturday.
It set off on 4 January from Falmouth, after operator Travelscope went into administration. It set off on 4 January from Falmouth, after its previous operator Travelscope went into administration at Christmas.
Passenger petitionPassenger petition
A spokesman for Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd, which is based in Cheltenham and a subsidiary of the Dutch-owned Club Cruise, said they were working with their lawyers to get the ship released as quickly as possible. A spokesman for Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd, which is based in Cheltenham and a subsidiary of the Dutch-owned Club Cruise, said it was working with lawyers to get the ship released as quickly as possible.
Passengers have been told there will be another announcement on Thursday on the ship to inform them of the latest situation. Passengers said the cruise director had used a public address system to inform passengers that the ship was being held.
They have been told there will be another announcement on Thursday to inform them of the latest situation.
The passengers of this ship should not be made to suffer due to a dispute Gladys HobsonPassengerThe passengers of this ship should not be made to suffer due to a dispute Gladys HobsonPassenger
Mark Horwood, managing director of Van Gogh Cruise Line, said: "Unfortunately today there was a technicality in terms of a claim that was lodged yesterday, late in the day as the courts were closing in Madeira, and it's taken some time to unravel out. Mark Horwood, managing director of Van Gogh Cruise Line, said the administrators could have waited a few more days, when the ship would have returned to the UK.
"We're hopefully nearly there. Also the passengers themselves have put forward a petition which they've all signed this evening, which we're sending over to Abta (Association of British Travel Agents) to get them to support the release of the vessel." "We can't understand why the administrators placed this claim on the vessel in Madeira, rather than waiting for her to arrive in Falmouth - obviously when the passengers would have disembarked and the ship would have been empty," he told the BBC.
Gladys Hobson, 64, is on board the ship with her husband, Wallace. He said the administrators had been party to an arrangement which had also involved the travel association, Abta, which had allowed the cruise to go-ahead.
She said the cruise director used a public address system to inform passengers that the ship was being held. Passengers are free to leave the ship. "So they're fully aware of what the programme was - and the fact that she was due to arrive back in Falmouth this coming Saturday," he said.
Gladys Hobson, 64, from Tyneside, is on board the ship with her husband, Wallace.
"We were all shocked. Our first reaction was that it was an April Fools' joke. Then we realised it was serious," she said."We were all shocked. Our first reaction was that it was an April Fools' joke. Then we realised it was serious," she said.
Mrs Hobson, from Tyneside, said many of the passengers were elderly and many relied on supplies of medication and were concerned they could run out if the dispute continued for days. Mrs Hobson said many of the passengers were elderly and many relied on supplies of medication and were concerned they could run out if the dispute continued for days.
"The passengers of this ship should not be made to suffer due to a dispute. They shouldn't be involving passengers," said Mrs Hobson."The passengers of this ship should not be made to suffer due to a dispute. They shouldn't be involving passengers," said Mrs Hobson.
However, she added: "We're in a beautiful place. You couldn't be in a better place to be held ransom."However, she added: "We're in a beautiful place. You couldn't be in a better place to be held ransom."
'Dunkirk spirit''Dunkirk spirit'
This positive outlook was shared by another passenger, who did not want to be identified, who described the atmosphere on the ship as being akin to the "Dunkirk spirit". Another passenger, who did not want to be identified, described the atmosphere on the ship as being akin to the "Dunkirk spirit" - but said some people were keen to get home.
The passenger added: "Everybody's very happy with the situation and they're relying upon the ship to resolve the problem. One or two passengers would like to leave as soon as possible. The passenger said: "Everybody's very happy with the situation and they're relying upon the ship to resolve the problem. One or two passengers would like to leave as soon as possible.
"Some people have to be at work on Monday. Not everybody on board the ship's retired, so they want to get away from here and get back to work and at the moment they have no real indication of when we will leave and that's the problem.""Some people have to be at work on Monday. Not everybody on board the ship's retired, so they want to get away from here and get back to work and at the moment they have no real indication of when we will leave and that's the problem."
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said they were aware of the situation with the cruise ship and were monitoring it. Passengers are free to leave the ship.
However, she added that Van Gogh Cruise Lines Ltd were not bonded to Abta. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Abta said it was aware of the situation with the cruise ship and was monitoring it.
However, she added that Van Gogh Cruise Lines Ltd, which is a Dutch company, was not bonded to Abta.
The Madeira Islands are an autonomous region of Portugal.The Madeira Islands are an autonomous region of Portugal.


Are you on the cruise ship? Do you have friends or family on board? Send your comments using the post form below:Are you on the cruise ship? Do you have friends or family on board? Send your comments using the post form below:
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