A furious P&O Ferries passenger said he and his wife have been left "abandoned" after the shock sacking of more than 800 staff, which made global headlines this week.
The cruise line firm cancelled all services for the next few days, and have replaced all former staff with agency workers.
A statement on firm's website says the decision was based on making "swift and significant" changes, leaving former staff devastated at the company they have accused of "scheming behind closed doors".
Scottish couple Gavin and Jackie Shaw had a P&O ferry booked from Larne in Northern Ireland at 4pm on Friday but were left stranded after the firm's mass sackings.
Mr Shaw told Sky News that he and his wife had been left "a wee bit high and dry" and "abandoned" and had been forced to re-book another ferry with rival firm Stena Line, at a cost of £174.
He claimed that he had been told by P&O Ferries that his ticket would be honoured but said 'this turned out not to be true'.
P&O Ferries said it had made the move to plug a £100million year on year black hole in its finances.
The company said the sacked staff would be given "enhanced" severance packages and said the move was a 'necessary decision' to protect its remaining 2,200 staff.
The firm's statement said: "We have made a £100m loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent DP World.
"This is not sustainable. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now.
"Without these changes, there is no future for P&O Ferries."
However, speaking this afternoon, passenger Mr Shaw spoke of his anger.
Speaking from Port Rush, in Northern Ireland, he said: "We have heard nothing from P&O at all, no communications from them.
"We are left a wee bit high and dry. Fortunately we have managed to book a later ferry tonight with Stena Line.
"P&O were trying to say that all their tickets would be honoured by Stena Line. I am afraid this turned out not to be true.
"Stena Line don't know anything of this so-called arrangement. We have had to rebook with Stena Line at a cost of £174, which is unfortunate."
Mr Shaw said he had been trying to contact P&O "frequently" and "all morning" but was not able to speak to any member of staff.
"I couldn’t get through to anybody, everything was engaged. It was just ringing out, hopeless. We were just abandoned. All the passengers were just abandoned," he added.
"We have been reading stuff online that this has happened to everybody who has tried to board a P&O ferry. They have just been left high and dry.
"We were lucky that we were able to not rebook but it is bad enough for us but 800 people have just lost their jobs which is even worse."
Mr Shaw added: 'We will certainly be trying to get the money from P&O.
"What our chances are I wouldn’t like to say. I would imagine its customer services if you can call it that will be pretty much swamped at the moment with people like ourselves.
"We are not optimistic that we will see our money, to be perfectly honest with you."
Several workers slammed the ferry firm for "scheming behind closed doors before stabbing us all in the back".
Today, employment lawyers warned the dismissals may well be illegal.
Union bosses later slammed the firm and said it was "a scandal" that British workers had been betrayed when UK taxpayers were made to foot the bill for the company's costs during the pandemic.
Pictures emerged online showing the captain of The Pride of Hull, understood to be Eugene Favier, sealing his crew inside and addressing defiant workers who refused to leave the holdout ship.
