How A Luxury Cruise Turned Into Horror, Thanks To Indian Firm's Staff

A dream cruise in Australia fell to pieces for a group of passengers last month after their ship was "taken over" by more than a thousand men from an Indian tobacco company, who proceeded to enjoy wild parties with Playboy bunnies and crate-loads of food.

Some 1,300 workers of the tobacco company joined the cruise on the Voyager of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, just before the ship left Sydney. And went on to "take over" the luxury cruise.

It rapidly went downhill for the rest of the passengers, according to Australian website 9News. So bad in fact, that Royal Caribbean International had to hand out apologies and refunds to "distraught passengers", the site said.

The men, described to be on a "wild work bender", allegedly overran pool decks, bars and other sections of the cruise ship. They constituted over a third of the ship's 3,000-odd passengers.

There was no escaping them. Families were forced to take refuge in their rooms as the stag party reportedly enjoyed burlesque dance performances by women dressed as Playboy bunnies, according to the site.

The men were accused in passenger accounts of filming young girls on their mobile phones.

According to 9News, the ship's giant outdoor screens, meant to play movies for the passengers, featured videos from the tobacco company.

"During (Voyager of the Seas') three-night sailing on September 6th, a group onboard caused complaints to some of our guests. We were quickly made aware and provided them with a satisfactory solution," the site quoted the managing director of Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand, Susan Bonner, as saying.