Brexit has already changed politics in the UK, but can it really be changing the cruise industry as well?
Saga Cruises, the travel company for the over-50s, hit the headlines when it sent out brochures appearing to publicise a voyage “exclusively for Brits”.
University professor Anthony Bale revealed to The Guardian his mother was “outraged” after being sent the magazine and questioned its legality.
Ruth Bale, 75, a retired probation officer, told the newspaper: “I think it’s a very sad reflection that it’s seen as a marketing point, that you’d want to go on a cruise exclusively composed of one nationality.
“It’s terrible that it’s regarded as an acceptable thing to say. It’s different from the way things were.”
Saga said: "This is not a Saga brochure."
The company added that its partner cruise.co.uk was "extremely sorry for any offence the inaccuracy in their leaflet may have caused".
It said: "Saga cruises all depart from the UK but we welcome anybody, of any nationality, over the age of 50 on our cruises."
****
Marine accident investigators come across some pretty mindless behaviour leading to accidents. These usually involve naps and booze.
But a historical case raked over in the Australian media featured a possible excuse TradeWinds has never seen before.
The Advertiser said Captain JC McFarlane was considered a capable and careful commander of the SS Pareora.
But the newspaper speculated that during the ship's final fatal voyage in September 2019, he was suffering from a toothache and self-medicated with alcohol.
The vessel hit rocks off Althorpe Islands and McFarlane died together with 10 of his crew.
George Bauer, the third engineer, said at the time that the master may have taken a riskier course, ignoring that set by his chief officer.