'Booze cruise' louts slammed (From Barry And District News)

'Booze cruise' louts slammed

A VALE OF GLAMORGAN dad and his young son, who witnessed a drunken ship brawl, has slammed the 'booze cruise' culture.

James Watkins contacted the News after reading of an incident just days after his own experience.

Seven men jumped from the Balmoral in their underpants and were rounded up by police. They were given a warning and eventually eliminated from an alleged assault inquiry.

Mr Watkins, 37, who lives in the Vale of Glamorgan, took his five-year-old son, five-year-old nephew and stepmother for a day out on the ship earlier this month.

The ship sailed from Porthcawl at 10am and started its journey back from Ilfracombe at 6pm, by which time some passengers had been drinking for eight hours.

Mr Watkins is married and said: "We saw a bare knuckle fight on the boat. It scared my son but my nephew was on the quayside at the time.

"There was lots of anti-social behaviour and also vomiting and swearing.

"Don't get me wrong, I have a few pints down the pub now and again. It was the first time we went on the boat trip which was great, we have no problem with the actual trip.

"I was talking to a few of the lads before the fight and they were saying how they had been on the booze all day."

The Balmoral's operators said they were cracking down on troublemakers and they assured travellers that for the rest of the season there would be security guards on the sailings from Porthcawl.

Marketing manager for the company, Julie Hogan said: "The bar staff are instructed not to serve people who are intoxicated. Security guards will also be checking that passengers coming from Ilfracombe are fit to travel."