A Kent dad breathed a sigh of relief as his son returned home safe from a cruise in the Far East after the vessel and its passengers were barred entry from certain countries amid fears about the coronavirus.

Sean Dunne flew out to Singapore from Heathrow with his mum and her friend two weeks ago before setting sail on a huge ship, which planned to take in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam over the course of a fortnight.

The 19-year-old student and his tour party were told they were not allowed to enter certain areas as concerns grow over the spread of the deadly virus.

It was claimed around 100 Canadian tourists were forced off the boat at one stage through fear of contamination after they stopped off in Hong Kong, while another passenger was seen being taken away in an ambulance.

After being barred entry to Vietnam, one of the places on the ship's itinerary, the cruiseliner was then anchored off the coast.

Dad Scott, a 45-year-old lorry driver from Hoo, began to grow increasingly concerned for the welfare of his son, who lives in Wales,

"No one has got any answers, and I can't believe the government hasn't stepped in and said these kind of cruises can't go ahead," he said.

"As far as I know there has not been any contact from the authorities."

"No one has got any answers, and I can't believe the government hasn't stepped in..."

The cruise was eventually given safe passage to dock in the neighbouring Thai island of Koh Samui but this was not without further scrutiny of the passengers on board.

"The Thai authorities spent three hours debating whether to let them onto the island," he said.

His son was then transferred to the "safe haven" of Singapore where he and his party boarded a flight on Monday to Dubai, paid by his grandad, before changing onto a plane destined for London Stansted, arriving a day later.

The family will now seek to claim compensation for the trip which was booked last year.

Scott said: "I think they were in two minds about whether to go at all because of what's been going on, and since they've been out there, so much has changed."

"There is a private Facebook group set up by people from all over the world, all trying to put a claim in".

A spokesman for Norwegian Cruise Line said: "The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority.

"We have proactively implemented several preventative measures outlined below due to growing concerns regarding coronavirus infections in China.

"We will continue to consult with The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take appropriate additional action as needed.

“We apologise for the inconvenience to any guests affected by these measures put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all our guests and crew.”

The company has said any guest who holds a Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passport will not be allowed on the ships, regardless of residency.

It also added people who have visited those three areas within the 30 days of getting on the cruise will not be allowed on board.

Any guests who have been denied access will get a refund after providing proof of travel.

It continued, saying people who exhibit symptoms of the illness will be screened at the onboard medical centre and could be quarantined or taken off the ship.

There are no cases of the virus in Kent, although there have been a number of scares this month.

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