HOLIDAY booze cruises promise a carefree escape with sun, sea and endless partying – but beneath the decks and pounding music lies a darker reality.
For Nakita Colville, a pirate-themed boat trip in Turkey turned to tragedy when her father, Peter, suddenly died while swimming – but instead of rushing back to shore, staff told his shell-shocked daughter, “he’s dead, he’s gone”, covered his body with a towel, and told guests they would go ahead with a planned foam party.
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In her first exclusive interview since her father’s heartbreaking death just nine weeks ago, on July 27, she told The Sun how “unbothered and clueless” staff on board just stood there watching as her dad died in front of his children and grandchildren.
She also warned that this wouldn’t be the last tragedy at sea onboard unregulated party boats with shoddy safety standards.
She tells The Sun: “I don’t think people are aware of how dangerous it can be until something like this happens to your family.
“Unless things change, I don’t think this will be the last death.”
Despite thousands of tourists signing up for boat parties and trips every year, what was once a thrill-filled novelty is now a high-risk activity, where the line between fun and danger is perilously thin.
And the risks are compounded once you step outside UK waters, where regulations can be patchy and enforcement inconsistent – and lax safety measures, unlimited drink offers, and drugs circulating on board create a perfect storm.
On one booze-filled stag-do party cruise in Lisbon, laddish “banter” led to the tragic death of city worker Nishanthan Gnanathas.
Thrown from a yacht into the River Tagus in November 2019, Nish – best man and beloved friend – hit his head on a balustrade before crashing into the icy water.
The coroner’s conclusion was stark – what happened was “horseplay that went tragically wrong”.
Dr Fiona Wilcox recorded a conclusion of misadventure, saying: “This was an absolutely tragic accident that could not have been reasonably anticipated.”
Maritime police chief Malaquais Dominguez said “it was a stupid joke between friends”.
“He was pushed and he went overboard. He disappeared in the water. I have no doubt they will live with this terrible moment for the rest of their lives,” Dominguez said.
The story echoes the growing unease around stag and party-boat culture abroad – where cheap alcohol, bravado, and ritualised pranks can lead to tragedy.
In Amsterdam, Neil Stewart’s fiancée arranged a surprise weekend in the Dutch capital – and told her it was “the happiest time of his life”.
But by the end of a night on a party boat, Stewart was dead, swallowed by the inky waters of the Noordzeekanaal after what witnesses believe began as a prank on board.
The Newcastle coroner’s inquest heard Stewart had taken cocaine and cannabis before boarding the boat for the Bounce Til I Die event.
Post-mortem tests later confirmed both in his system, along with traces of cannabis from a “space cake” eaten earlier in a café.
A witness said she saw Stewart “deliberately jump” from the smoking deck and initially thought it was “a silly prank” – especially as he seemed to be laughing in the water before he drowned, and Stewart’s body was recovered two weeks later.
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‘Pirate ship’ tragedy
On July 27, grandfather Peter Colville, 60, from Woking, died on board a pirate-themed boat trip in Alanya, Turkey.
Daughter Nakita, 27, told how her father and nine other family members, including children, had boarded the boat.
The “luxury pirate ship” promised entertainment, DJs and a foam party, along with two swim stops for guests to go snorkelling.
The family paid over £200 for tickets to board the “luxurious six-deck yacht” – called Legend Big Kral – at an excursion centre.
Everyone was enjoying the music, blue seas and stunning views of the Mediterranean as the boat, carrying some 600 passengers according to Nakita, set sail.
Unless things change, I don’t think this will be the last death
Nakita Colville
Nakita, an admin assistant, said: “My dad is very safety-conscious, and I remember as we walked onto the boat, he said it was strange they didn’t seem to tick off names, hand out wristbands or get waivers signed.
“At that point, we just brushed it off – we never could have known what was to come.”
The first swim stop came and went, with most of Nakita’s family getting into the water, including property maintenance boss Peter – who was an avid snorkeller.
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Nakita recalled feeling strange that only the children were given life jackets.
So, being a weaker swimmer, when the second swim stop came at Cleopatra Beach, she opted not to go back in.
But confident swimmer Peter, and Nakita’s brother-in-law, Ben Diamond, 35, were keen to get back in the water again.
The pair were happy snorkelling together one minute – and the next, Nakita heard screams of panic.
She says: “I looked into the water and saw my dad’s face, floating, and people scrambling to get him out of the water.
“My sister and I ran down – and she screamed, ‘Oh my God, he is going purple’.”
Nakita said guests dragged Peter, a dad-of-seven and grandfather-of-six, onto the deck, and one began administering CPR.
As Nakita’s family – along with countless other guests – crowded around, “screaming and horrified”, she claims “unbothered and clueless” staff on board “just stood there watching”.
She alleged staff on board repeated, “he’s dead, he’s gone” before a member of the team suggested covering Peter’s body with a towel – before the coastguard even arrived.
Nakita says: “There didn’t seem to be any system in place to deal with an emergency situation. There didn’t seem to be a plan.
“He was laid on the deck – and then nothing. No proper procedure, no clearing the deck of onlookers, no immediate CPR. They stood there with their arms crossed, clueless.
“Some seemed like they weren’t bothered, some of the younger staff members looked like they felt bad that they didn’t know what to do.
“It didn’t feel like they were adequately first-aid trained. It was the guests giving my dad CPR.”
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She claims she asked staff if the boat carried a defibrillator and was told by a crew member that they didn’t have one as they “couldn’t keep it charged”.
She said: “I found that strange, as they had electricity for the DJ decks and foam machines.”
According to UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency advice, all ships should undertake a risk assessment, but “as a general guide, vessels in regular operation carrying in excess of 100 persons” should carry a defib.
But many holiday booze cruises operate in foreign ports with looser safety standards, overcrowded decks, and minimal oversight.
Life jackets may be scarce, crew training is often insufficient, and emergency procedures can be a little more than a box-ticking exercise.
Nakita said the event was so traumatising that her mother and Peter’s wife, Rosalind Colville, 53, collapsed from shock.
And Nakita says it was also guests on board helping Rosalind by bringing her water and getting her a chair – rather than staff.
I was told the remaining guests were told ‘sorry for the delay’ and they carried on with the party. Apparently it was disturbing – nobody else on board even wanted to party after what they had just witnessed
Nakita Colville
Nakita says: “My sister and I were just holding my dad’s hand, screaming.
“As far as we knew, or he knew, he was healthy – we have no idea what happened.
“He was smart – if he had been, or felt, unwell, he wouldn’t have got in the water.
“They had covered him with a towel before the coastguard even arrived.”
When they did finally arrive 40 minutes later, Peter was taken to hospital.
The family were asked whether they wished to remain on the boat for the rest of the trip, or get off and go to hospital with him.
The family – including two of his grandchildren – were taken off the boat, and at the hospital Peter was confirmed dead.
Nakita says she learned from other guests at their hotel, who were also on board the boat, that after her family left, the party continued.
The law… and how to stay safe
DAVID McFarlane (Master Mariner), from Maritime Risk and Safety Consultants Ltd in the UK, said crew members on party boats should be adequately trained to deal with emergencies – including saving persons from the water and giving first aid to casualties.
He told The Sun: “With regards to drinking alcohol, there are no distinct rules concerning passengers although crews will be subject to the local law and generally many shipping companies do not allow alcohol to be consumed at all by the crew, but it is up to individual companies to make that decision and on how to implement it.
“All would appear to involve quite heavy drinking by passengers and this is also evident when looking at some adverts on the likes of Facebook.
“It is difficult to see how this practice can be changed; the passenger may see drinking as part of the party experience and the company will no doubt be looking at the profits being made at the bar.
“However, the dangers associated with drinking alcohol cannot be overstated.
“While the sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are much warmer than around our coastline, alcohol reduces the blood sugar levels and this can impair the response to cold with a person losing body heat faster than normal.
“But large amounts of alcohol (and drug consumption) will also impair the individual’s mental faculties that will have to be relied on when getting into difficulty in the water.
“The effects will also impair people’s perception of risk and safety and not worry about leaping into the water or the risk of drowning.
“No one wants to stop people enjoying themselves but there definitely does have to be an element of control.
“This is a very difficult equation to balance for an operator of these vessels. There is profit versus safety.
“But also, the risk of legal action against a company (or individual within that company) when something goes wrong.”
She claims she learned the crew even hosted a foam party for the remaining traumatised passengers.
She said: “I was told the remaining guests were told ‘sorry for the delay’ and they carried on with the party.
“Apparently, it was disturbing – nobody else on board even wanted to party after what they had just witnessed.”
Nakita had to break the news by phone to her four brothers and their families back home.
Postmortems were conducted in Turkey and back in the UK when his body was brought home.
Nakita said neither could find a cause of death, so investigations are ongoing as the family tries to grieve the loss of their beloved father and grandfather.
One Tripadvisor review from the day of the tragedy read: “The way it was handled by the crew was nothing short of horrifying.
“It is unsafe, unprofessional, and the crew is neither trained nor emotionally capable of handling emergencies – or tragedies.”
There didn’t seem to be any system in place to deal with an emergency situation. There didn’t seem to be a plan
Nakita Colville
But Nakita fears tourists don’t realise the risks associated with excursions like this one.
She says: “With these trips, even if safety measures are in place, there are always risks.
“Thinking back, I don’t think there were enough crew members for the number of people on the boat, and to be able to watch all the people swimming in the water.
“We can’t say it was the company’s fault that he died, but maybe he could have been saved.”
Legend Big Kral did not respond to a request for a comment, but a representative did contact Nakita directly after her original story was shared.
They claimed that all ten staff members were first aid trained.
Nakita says the representative also claimed that Peter passed of a heart attack – a fact which has not been confirmed yet by two post-mortems. Coroners say it is still being investigated.
For many Brits, holiday booze cruises start as a fantasy: sun, cheap drinks and a chance to let loose, far away from the office or family life.
But increasingly, these trips are leaving more than just a hangover in their wake.
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