A VALE pensioner's Mediterranean cruise almost ended in disaster when the liner he was travelling on was in collision with an oil tanker.

Bill Taylor, aged 84 from Evesham was on board the Van Gogh as it set sail from Gibraltar in dense fog on September 26. The ship was carrying almost 500 passengers, all British, when the collision with an 80,000 tonne Greek oil tanker occurred at around 12.45pm.

Mr Taylor said: "We were down at lunch, we all had our soup on the table and suddenly everything went flying. The impact was so severe - there was a terrific crash, the whole ship shook and plates went flying everywhere.

"We heard the captain saying close all the watertight doors and we wondered if we were going to sink. The crew told us we were safe so people just sat down and finished their lunch, demonstrating the typical British reserve."

The incident caused severe damage to the ship's bow above the water line and threatened to develop into a major oil spillage.

The tanker was carrying 139,000 tons of crude oil and its double hull was almost the only barrier preventing a serious environmental disaster.

The passengers were halfway through an eight-day cruise, which included calls at Cadiz and Lisbon. The cruise liner was towed back to port for major repairs following the incident and the rest of the trip was cancelled. Passengers were stranded in Gibraltar until arrangements could be made for them to return home.

Mr Taylor said: "I was disappointed the cruise did not continue but the crew did try their best for us. The whole thing was a bit of a shock and we were damn lucky no one was seriously hurt."

Tim Knight, spokesman for cruise tour operator Travelscope said: "We organised a number of free excursions for the passengers to Malaga and Tangier. I am pleased to say the response we have had was very positive. People were happy with the alternative arrangements we organised for them."