A cruise passenger from Nottingham has been handed a four-figure payout after a worker returned to his room after delivering a pizza - and repeatedly asked him if he was "sure" he wasn't gay. Lewis Meehan, 27, says he was propositioned after he dialled room service aboard the Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship, in the early hours of January 23.
The nightclub manager says a staff member delivered his food but then returned, saying he needed payment. Footage shows what followed - with the waiter repeatedly asking Lewis if he is "sure" he is straight after entering his room.
Mr Meehan made a complaint soon after, and it is claimed that the man was removed from the ship at the next stop on the Caribbean trip. And Carnival UK, which owns P&O Cruises, has since made a payout to Mr Meehan, understood to be in the thousands. He said: "It was just so unexpected - it totally ruined our holiday. My sister was really scared by it."
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The Nottingham Forest fan said he returned to his cabin after celebrating a win and called room service to order a pepperoni pizza. He then answered the door in his boxers when the food arrived - and was left bemused when the steward allegedly told him he had a nice body.
He claims the staff member then phoned his room to say he would need to come back to take payment, which he thought odd. He then decided to set up his phone to film just before the man arrived - and caught the ordeal on camera. Although the footage only shows the ceiling, the waiter can be heard asking Mr Meehan if he can come in - before enquiring about his sexuality.
He replies that he is straight, to which the staff member repeatedly asks if he’s "sure". Mr Meehan said: "I was bigger than him and felt OK handling the situation, but I worried about it happening to someone more vulnerable. He could escalate and something much worse could happen.
"You get contact in my job and I’m used to that, but this affected me. From the end of Covid restrictions last June to now, I’ve worked 70 to 80 hour weeks - I just needed a break. They are expensive holidays and you just don’t expect that."
Mr Meehan claims a company spokesman apologised after he complained and he was told that the waiter was kept in his cabin after the incident. The member of staff then left the ship a day later when the ship docked, Mr Meehan alleges. A spokesperson for Carnival UK said: "We take any allegation of improper behaviour extremely seriously and we are conducting a thorough investigation."
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