By . Travelmail Reporter . A couple who claim they were ‘treated like dogs’ and locked in their cabin for 48 hours after falling ill with a vomiting bug on a cruise have received £1,000 in compensation. Shaun and Elizabeth Shields, of Braunstone, Leicester, said they were not allowed to leave their room as staff attempted to tackle an outbreak of norovirus on the ship, Island Escape. The couple, who had paid £1,300 for the luxury cruise, were among nearly 200 passengers who were struck down by norovirus. 'Locked on board': Shaun and Elizabeth Shields claim they were treated 'like dogs' on the Island Escape . Four days into the cruise around the Canary Islands, in January 2010, Shaun, 56, caught the bug, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. He said staff locked him and his wife Elizabeth, 52, in their cabin for two days, in an attempt to prevent the illness spreading. Elizabeth, who didn't have the bug, was not allowed out for a cigarette and they claimed the only food they were given was four cream crackers and cheese. Shaun said: ‘We were treated like dogs. My wife wasn't even ill but we were both locked in our cabin. ‘We were told it was so we didn't spread the disease. Shaun said the couple's room cards - which allowed them to exit their cabin and access public areas of the ship - were disconnected. Compensation: Shaun Shields has been awarded a £1,300 payout after he fell ill on board a luxury cruise . Shaun said: ‘My wife wasn't even allowed to go up to the top deck for a cigarette. When we asked staff, they told her to smoke in the toilet.’ After two days, when Shaun was better, he and his wife were finally allowed out of their cabin, but when they went up to the top deck, ‘there were people being sick everywhere’. Shaun said: ‘It was really bad. All of the staff were wearing masks and gloves, while people were throwing up everywhere and children were crying. About 100 people were ill.’ Shaun said when the ship docked at one of the islands, passengers were sent to hotels while staff ‘deep-cleaned’ the vessel. He said the £1,300 cruise was ‘the worst holiday we have been on’. The couple took legal action and have received a payout of just over £1,000 from cruise operator TUI in an out-of-court settlement. About 200 passengers have claimed compensation for cruises on the Island Escape between December 2009 and June 2010 that were ruined by outbreaks of norovirus. TUI has agreed to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for the claimants, but does not admit liability. Law company Irwin Mitchell, who represented the passengers, said the illness suffered during the cruise made the trip ‘extremely unpleasant’. TUI UK Limited, who Shaun booked the cruise with, declined to comment.
Shaun Shields said staff didn't allow him and his wife to leave their room .
He was one of nearly 200 passengers who contracted norovirus .
Said dream break was 'the worst holiday' he'd ever been on .
Claims people were 'throwing up everywhere' on board Island Escape .
By . Travelmail Reporter . A couple who claim they were ‘treated like dogs’ and locked in their cabin for 48 hours after falling ill with a vomiting bug on a cruise have received £1,000 in compensation. Shaun and Elizabeth Shields, of Braunstone, Leicester, said they were not allowed to leave their room as staff attempted to tackle an outbreak of norovirus on the ship, Island Escape. The couple, who had paid £1,300 for the luxury cruise, were among nearly 200 passengers who were struck down by norovirus. 'Locked on board': Shaun and Elizabeth Shields claim they were treated 'like dogs' on the Island Escape . Four days into the cruise around the Canary Islands, in January 2010, Shaun, 56, caught the bug, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. He said staff locked him and his wife Elizabeth, 52, in their cabin for two days, in an attempt to prevent the illness spreading. Elizabeth, who didn't have the bug, was not allowed out for a cigarette and they claimed the only food they were given was four cream crackers and cheese. Shaun said: ‘We were treated like dogs. My wife wasn't even ill but we were both locked in our cabin. ‘We were told it was so we didn't spread the disease. Shaun said the couple's room cards - which allowed them to exit their cabin and access public areas of the ship - were disconnected. Compensation: Shaun Shields has been awarded a £1,300 payout after he fell ill on board a luxury cruise . Shaun said: ‘My wife wasn't even allowed to go up to the top deck for a cigarette. When we asked staff, they told her to smoke in the toilet.’ After two days, when Shaun was better, he and his wife were finally allowed out of their cabin, but when they went up to the top deck, ‘there were people being sick everywhere’. Shaun said: ‘It was really bad. All of the staff were wearing masks and gloves, while people were throwing up everywhere and children were crying. About 100 people were ill.’ Shaun said when the ship docked at one of the islands, passengers were sent to hotels while staff ‘deep-cleaned’ the vessel. He said the £1,300 cruise was ‘the worst holiday we have been on’. The couple took legal action and have received a payout of just over £1,000 from cruise operator TUI in an out-of-court settlement. About 200 passengers have claimed compensation for cruises on the Island Escape between December 2009 and June 2010 that were ruined by outbreaks of norovirus. TUI has agreed to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for the claimants, but does not admit liability. Law company Irwin Mitchell, who represented the passengers, said the illness suffered during the cruise made the trip ‘extremely unpleasant’. TUI UK Limited, who Shaun booked the cruise with, declined to comment.
compensation. Shaun and Elizabeth Shields, of to leave their room as staff attempted to tackle luxury cruise, were among nearly 200 passengers were treated 'like dogs' on the Island Escape . He said staff locked him and his wife Elizabeth, throwing up everywhere and children were crying. the vessel. He said the £1,300 cruise was ‘the worst holiday we have been on’. The couple took