British passengers on a luxury Caribbean-New York cruise have been forced to spend the trip isolating in their cabins after a Covid outbreak.
Holidaymakers forked out thousands for the 22-day trip on board the Cunard-owned Queen Mary 2 cruise liner but one said they felt "like lepers".
The voyage launched from Southampton on December 13 but on crossing the Atlantic on the first leg it is reported a number of passengers and crew members began testing positive before arriving in NYC.
Only negative passengers could disembark for the three-day stopover.
The ship is then understood to have been turned away entirely from its next two scheduled destinations in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, and Basseterre in St Kitts, because of the infections.
Have you been affected by the Queen Mary 2 outbreak? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk.
By the time QM2 reached Barbados - where docking was permitted - most passengers were not able to disembark and were allegedly forced to spend days in their cabins without leaving, it is claimed.
The luxury vessel remained in port for three days, missing three further stops at Roseau in Dominica, Philipsburg in the Dutch Antilles and a second stay in New York.
It is now heading directly back to Southampton and is due to arrive this weekend.
The positive cases among staff also meant conditions quickly deteriorated and new crew had to be brought on-board for the return to the UK, it is reported.
Passengers were allegedly fed cold meals off paper plates instead of the luxury food they paid for.
Christine Martine, 66, from Angmering, West Sussex, and husband Richard, 70, both tested positive on December 28.
They had paid nearly £10,000 for the holiday and despite having very mild to no symptoms have spent the trip locked away in their room.
Christine told MailOnline : "It's been pretty miserable. We do have a balcony for fresh air but nowhere at all to exercise.
"It's hard to know exactly how many people have tested positive as they haven't told us but friends who are still allowed to use the dining rooms tell us they are ghostly.
"The captain regularly speaks on the tannoy to passengers but never makes any reference to us - the positive passengers - not even a Happy New Year. We feel like lepers."
She claimed they are served "stone cold" food on paper plates.
The pair are triple jabbed and said with the vaccinations "doing their intended jobs" and keeping them from getting seriously ill, it is frustrating to have to be cooped up for so long.
A statement from Cunard said: "Cunard/P&O Cruises has an approved framework of enhanced protocols in place to protect the health and wellbeing of guests, crew and the communities we visit and best manage against Covid-19.
"This framework includes a requirement for all guests, as well as all crew to be fully vaccinated, as well as testing before boarding our ships and testing on board as required by certain ports of call.
"Similar to the protocols for all international travel, should a guest test positive for Covid-19 whilst on board, they and their close contacts will isolate for their and other guests’ well-being.
"All guests in isolation can request room service, from the full dining room and in-stateroom menus, at any time and have the support of ship’s crew throughout.
"Our on board medical teams will then work local port authority / Port Health requirements to determine whether the guests should remain on board for their period of isolation or disembark.
"In situations where guests are required to disembark the ship, we will secure the most appropriate accommodation to continue the period of isolation.
"In most instances, these will be pre-determined hotels which have been identified as ones able to accommodate positive cases of Covid-19.
"Any guests that do find themselves in these circumstances have ongoing and direct support from our dedicated support team."
