A FAMILY told today how their dream holiday on a cruise liner turned into a nightmare.

Chris and April Weir, from Bromley Cross, spent around £10,000 on the cruise around the Bahamas for themselves and their three children Rachel, aged 13, Lucy, aged 10, and James, aged eight.

But their holiday soon turned sour when they all went down with gastroenteritis.

Young James was so ill he had to be admitted to hospital in America.

Mr and Mrs Weir, of Rodmell Close, organised the week-long cruise to celebrate two birthdays.

Also travelling were Chris's mother, Mavis, who was celebrating her 70th birthday, and the Weir's niece Vicky Jones, aged 20.

The family flew to Orlando, where they met up with Mr Weir's brother Stephen and his wife, who live in America.Stephen was celebrating his 50th birthday.

Mrs Weir said that the day they got on board the boat, called The Carnival Glory, the crew were handing out letters warning of the precautions that should be taken to avoid contracting the norovirus which leads to gastroenteritis.

The family say they soon started to suffer from the stomach bug.

Mrs Weir said: "It was supposed to be a dream holiday. My brother-in-law was ill and went down to the sick bay.

"The doctor on board said he had to be put in isolation in his room and put on a drip because he had lost so much fluid. Then my brother-in-law's wife went down with it, then my husband."

On the final day of the cruise, young James fell ill and crew members advised the family to take him to the nearest hospital. "We had to get a taxi to the hospital in Cape Canaveral when we got off the ship because he was so ill. He spent two days in hospital.

"There was not a night when we all got down to dinner together because somebody was always ill," Mrs Weir said.

After the cruise, the family spent the second week of their holiday in Disneyland.

But the family found it difficult to enjoy the week. Mrs Weir said the family did not blame the ship or crew, but they would not go on a cruise again in a hurry.

A spokesman for Carnival Cruises in America, which runs the Carnival Glory, said they had not received a complaint from the family.

He said: "Carnival provides guests a letter during embarkation that contains a variety of information on norovirus, its symptoms and tips for avoiding transmission."

He added: "On the Carnival Glory's February 5-12, 2005, cruise, we did not have a norovirus outbreak and I am not privy to the specifics of what may have been ailing the Weirs and their family.

"However, please keep in mind that norovirus is a very common virus in North America, second only to the common cold."