A BRIT couple fled a cruise ship after racking up a four-figure bill in less than two days, The Sun can reveal.
Police said the Brits were arrested on suspicion of fraud at Ibiza Airport after “pushing their way” off the ship when it docked on the holiday island.
GettyA British couple was arrested at Ibiza Airport after allegedly fleeing a cruise without paying a £2.700 bill[/caption]
AlamyThe bill reportedly came from alcohol, casino and internet expenses[/caption]
It emerged today the pair were aboard the Costa Toscana, a Costa Cruises vessel, when they abandoned ship.
The ship was making its second stop after leaving the French port of Marseille two days earlier.
And sources said the Brits were at the boarding gate of a Ryanair flight to London Stansted when they were taken into custody.
The suspects, a man aged 23 and a woman aged 18, had built up a €3,196 (£2,685) tab, which included a bar bill as well as Internet expenses and extras in the ship’s casino.
The Costa Toscana, which then left Ibiza for Palermo in Sicily without them, docked in Marseille on Monday morning at the end of its seven-day Mediterranean tour.
It is not clear whether the two Brits are still held in Ibiza.
A spokesperson for Costa Cruises, an Italian-owned cruise line whose parent organisation is Carnival Cruise Line, confirmed the arrests but said: “For privacy reasons, we do not delve into matters concerning individual guests.
“However, any irregularities are promptly reported to the competent authorities, who have the responsibility to intervene directly to take the necessary measures.”
A spokesperson for the National Police in Ibiza, which made the detentions, said on Friday: “Spanish National Police officers arrested a man aged 23 and a woman aged 18 who are both British as the suspected authors of a crime of fraud for refusing to pay several consumptions during their stay on board a cruiser liner.
“The couple tried to leave the cruise liner in a hurry with their luggage, declining to pay the cost of expenditure linked to their holiday, around 3pm on May 21.
“The bill for various items, linked to their room, came to €3,196 (£2,685).
“Police called to the scene interviewed crew members who told them the alleged offenders had tried to push their way off the ship in their attempts to abandon the vessel.
“The couple were tracked down in the island airport after detectives launched an operation to find them.
“They were held at 6pm on May 21 as they tried to leave Ibiza.”
One source told The Sun: “They were stopped and taken into custody as they tried to board a Ryanair flight to Stansted.
“It was pretty obvious they had decided to bring their holidays to an early end when they cleared their cabin and left the ship with all their luggage.
“They stood out like a sore thumb from all the other holidaymakers who were just getting off the cruise liner for a day trip to Ibiza with small bags.”
Another said: “They were less than 48 hours into their trip when they abandoned the cruise.
“It was only on its second stop when they disappeared
“They missed out on Palermo, Rome and the Italian Riviera.”
It is not yet known what happened at their court appearance.
GettyThe couple was arrested while trying to board a Ryanair flight to London Stansted[/caption]