Bloody Cruise Ship Fight Caused By 'Clown'? Police Debunks 'Fancy Dress' Story

A British cruise ship was rocked by violence on board Friday morning. The mass restaurant brawl in the name of a clown’s entry into an exclusive party injured many passengers.

But the presence of any “fancy dress” passenger was denied by the cruise ship company.

This piece of cruise news suggested that injured were treated while some passengers were confined to their cabins for the rest of the journey.

The cruise ship Britannia was owned by P&O. It was on its journey to Norway's Fjords from southeast England city Southampton when the violence broke out, reported ITV.

ITV's Good Morning Britain correspondent Richard Gaisford was present on the ship. He sent out Tweets that updated on the mass brawl and violence that stemmed from heavy amounts of alcohol consumed during the patriotic party held in the afternoon.

“Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide as family groups fought,” Gaisford added.

Clown gate-crashed into the black-tie party

Reports said the violence followed a passenger’s entry into a black-tie party “dressed as a clown” on the 16th-floor restaurant.

The ship had 13 restaurants. But the cruise liner denied the presence of any clown on board.

Gaisford was present when the fight broke out on the 16th-floor’s restaurant. He said the buffet area was immediately sealed off as medical teams rushed to help the injured.

“There was blood everywhere,” Gaisford wrote about the strange incident. In the fight, passengers used furniture and plates as missiles to attack each other.

A statement by cruise liner P&O Cruises said: “Following an incident onboard Britannia on Thursday evening we can confirm that all guests disembarked yesterday and the matter is now in the hands of the local police."

A spokesman also added that the cruise line has zero-tolerance for disruptive behavior.

Britannia left Bergen at 1430 on Thursday, and violence erupted 12 hours after a black-tie evening. During the afternoon ‘patriotic’ party liberal consumption of alcohol by guests was reported.

The staff of the cruise ship also attested that the violence was unprecedented.

Around 2 am announcements were made calling for staff and paramedics to deal with the incident and injured.

Police said three men and women were assaulted during the fight and many suffered cuts and bruises.

Hampshire Police said on Sunday that a man (43) and woman (41) were booked on suspicion of assault. Investigations are ongoing.

“If anyone has any information, including phone footage of the incident, they should call Hampshire Constabulary on 101 quoting 44190262605,” requested the police.

As for dress codes on cruise trips, it varies with cruise lines. Princess cruise mandates formal and smart-casual nights. Among the formal attire, it suggests tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men and gowns, elegant pantsuits for women.

Pants and open-neck shirts are smart-casual attire for men while skirts slacks and sweaters are suggested for women.

In the dining rooms, shorts, pool wear and baseball caps are not allowed. Shoes must be worn at all times. Jeans are fine as long as they are not frayed and without holes.

According to the details of cruise deals each passenger must have cost around $1,300 for the week-long trip.