As has been widely reported, P&O Cruises disembarked a Today Tonight film crew from Pacific Star in Vila on Sunday, October 29 2006.
The Today Tonight crew was filming our passengers with secret cameras. We view this as a gross invasion of our passengers’ privacy. It detracted from our passengers’ ability to enjoy their holiday and the TV crew continued to film, despite direct requests from the ship’s Captain to stop. Footage from our CCTV coverage, which we now have throughout our ships, shows passengers applauding the Captain’s announcement that the TV crew had been put off the ship.
P&O Cruises understands the public interest in our cruise holidays, and what we are doing to enhance passenger welfare and prevent excessive behaviour by a small minority of our passengers. We consider reasonable requests by media who identify themselves and seek permission from our shore side administration and also from our passengers to film or conduct interviews onboard. We do not accept the use of secret cameras, misrepresentations, unfounded allegations and the selective tactics employed by Today Tonight provide a fair representation of our cruises or our passengers and we will always act to protect the privacy of the families who holiday with us.
A 14-year-old girl travelling with the TV crew was identified to the Captain as the niece of the principal of the group, Mr Colin Chapman. Today Tonight alleges the 14-year-old was served alcohol in the ship’s nightclub. We are very concerned about this allegation. On Thursday October 26, our security and bar staff intervened to stop Mr Chapman from providing the young girl with an alcoholic drink, which he had purchased in one of the ship’s lounges. Mr Chapman’s conduct was the subject of an official warning from the Captain the next morning. At that meeting Mr Chapman apologised to the Captain for what he said was a misunderstanding.
We take our responsibilities on responsible service of alcohol, including the prohibition on service of alcohol to minors, very seriously. On boarding, passengers under 18 years of age are issued with a coloured identity swipe card which identifies the card holder as being under 18 and electronically blocks any attempt to buy alcoholic drinks. The electronic bar records for the cruise establish the 14-year-old did not buy any alcoholic drinks at any time.
Furthermore, on the first night of the cruise, in response to inquiries from the 14-year-old as to what activities she could participate in, she was twice advised by a security officer that she could not access the nightclub because she was under-age. This occurred in the company of Mr Chapman on one occasion. The 14-year-old was also refused entry to the nightclub on the same night when she attempted to enter with Mr Chapman.
Neither Mr Chapman nor the other members of the film crew brought any of these allegations to the attention of the Captain or Staff Captain even though they met formally with them on two occasions.