It was supposed to be a luxurious Fiji getaway to celebrate her 40th birthday, but for an Invercargill woman, a cruise has left her scarred and disgusted after she was ravaged by bed bug bites.
Annalise Butson saved for a year for her and husband's trip on P&O's Pacific Explorer, setting off from Auckland on October 16.
"It was something we were looking forward to."
Little did the pair know but they were sharing a cabin with bed bugs.
Butson's husband had removed bugs from their cabin, but as they didn't have an internet package to check, didn't realise what they were until they were on dry land.
"We were completely naïve to what bed bugs were, we had never experienced them."
She first noticed a few bites on her fingers a couple of days before the end of the trip.
After disembarking it got worse, the final result painful welts up and down her body.
“It was horrific, it was extremely, extremely painful and so itchy. Like it almost puts you into a state, I was an absolute state.”
After they left the ship she complained to the cruise line, worried that the next person to get the room would suffer the same fate.
“I said my only concern is for them. I said because this isn’t enjoyable, and it wasn’t even at its worst at that stage."
In an email, Carnival Australia, which represents P&O Cruises, said it apologised and offered $800 to Butson, which she accepted.
A spokesperson told 1News there was no infestation, and that hygiene protocols for guest cabins included using medical-grade disinfectant.
"We thoroughly investigate any claims of bites from any pests, and are pleased to confirm there were no pests found onboard.
"Despite this, and the guest not raising this issue while enjoying eight nights on our cruise, we provided a significant refund as a gesture of good will."
Entomologist Ruud Klienpaste said bed bugs love to get blood from our bodies.
“That is their job. They need protein to lay their eggs. That’s their nuisance.”
He said there wasn’t a real solution to getting rid of them. “We really do not have a proper insecticide that we can use to stop them from biting us or from living in our house.”
Butson just wanted cruise lines to inform passengers of what to look out for and not just offer a "band aid" solution.
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