Lesley Lipscombe went on a cruise to Norway so he could fulfil a dream of seeing the northern lights.

Instead he was confined to a cabin for nearly five days vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea, headaches and stomach cramps which he puts down to two bouts of a norovirus infection.

Cleaners wore masks and were covered head to toe in protective clothing as they scrubbed the surroundings, while guests tried to relax in the spa and enjoy entertainment in the lounge.

Mr Lipscombe and his wife Rosemary paid £4,000 to travel aboard the cruise ship Boudicca which departed from Portsmouth on March 13.

The 61-year-old, who works at DS Smith Paper, Kemsley, said the liner was delayed for four hours before setting off so a deep clean could be carried out.

But four days in, an infection spread to him and other passengers and he had to be quarantined for two consecutive 48 hour periods in line with the ship doctor’s orders.

The Berridge Road, Sheerness, resident said: “Basically it is like being in a prison cell for five days.

“My main thing was to see the northern lights as I’m keen on astronomy - I have a large telescope at home.

“Luckily enough on the very last day I managed to see them but I missed the main show, which everyone said was spectacular.

“They spent three days there and I spent the whole time in my cabin.

"There are very strict procedures that need to be followed in order to prevent the spread of illness and to ensure ships undergo extensive deep cleaning once illness is reported” - lawyer Suki Chhokar

“In my room I had one window out over the sea, and the only thing I could watch on the TV were from the cameras of the evening show.”

His wife Rosemary, 66, was not infected and was kept apart from her husband.

Solicitors Irwin Mitchell are now investigating the cause of Mr Lipscombe’s illness.

The firm claims this is the fifth successive year it has taken on legal action from passengers who have suffered gastric illnesses on the Boudicca.

Suki Chhokar, a partner and lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “There are very strict procedures that need to be followed in order to prevent the spread of illness and to ensure ships undergo extensive deep cleaning once illness is reported.”

A spokesman from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines confirmed that “a number of guests” on board Mr Lipscombe’s cruise were affected by “gastro-enteritis-type symptoms”.

He said: “All guests are made aware of the importance of meticulous hygiene at all times.

“Guests are asked to complete a medical questionnaire before embarkation, and are reminded regularly to use the sanitising hand gel provided and to take the necessary precautions on board to minimise the infection.

“At Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew on board remains our priority at all times, and we believe that our systems for preventing the spread of illness on board our ships are amongst the best within the industry.”

He added specialist contractors carried out a 24 hour deep clean when the Boudicca arrived back in Portsmouth on March 27.

The company confirmed Irwin Mitchell have filed two court claims against it relating to outbreaks of similar gastric illness aboard Boudicca from 2009/10 and spring 2011.