MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cunard boss to meet QM2 passengers

Disgruntled holidaymakers travelling on board the troubled Queen Mary 2 are meeting the boss of operator Cunard after the company revealed they would be receiving a full refund.

Cunard managing director Carol Marlow will greet passengers as they disembark in Rio after they won their battle of wills over compensation.

The liner has been at sea since leaving Florida on January 19 after dropping three scheduled ports of call following a propeller accident.

Previously Cunard had offered only a 50% refund on the costs of the voyage, not including air fares.

But on Thursday night a company spokesman announced it would be giving a full refund to all passengers disembarking the troubled vessel at Rio.

He said: "While we believe that our original offer would have been fair compensation, we have decided to make an additional gesture. "For those guests leaving the ship in Rio we will refund them the full fare paid for their cruise, including air fares."

The move came after passengers threatened to hold a protest "sit-in" when the luxury liner docked in the Brazilian port this morning.

They claim crew waited until they were already at sea before informing them that the ship would not be stopping at its scheduled destinations.

The Cunard spokesman said it had originally been hoped that passengers would find "plenty to enjoy" on board, even if the vessel did not stop as scheduled at the Caribbean islands of St Kitts and Barbados, and Salvador in Brazil.