A woman who booked a 50th birthday cruise for herself in 2018 has had it cancelled due to coronavirus.

Jane Richards and her husband Greg were due to go on a 21-day holiday with Princess Cruises around Asia, including visiting China, South Korea and Thailand.

“Gutted isn’t the word,” said Jane who lives in Park South.

“I booked this back in August 2018 to give me long enough to save up for it.

“It was on my bucket list as something I wanted to do for my 50th. I wanted to do something big.

“I just wanted to see those places that I didn’t ever think I would get a chance to see, she added.

“It really would have been a once in a lifetime holiday, and not something that we would be able to go back to and do again.”

The pair were due to fly to Shanghai on April 14 for two days before picking up the ship which would have finished in Singapore.

“I started to see what was going on with the virus in China in January, and then at the beginning of February they cancelled the cruise,” said Jane.

“Some people were flying out to their destination and then being told their cruise was cancelled when they got there.

"That would have upset me a lot more.

“It wasn’t a shock as I could see all the borders were closing and I was starting to worry that I would end on a ship in the middle of the sea not able to dock anywhere,” she added.

“But I will get there one day, I am determined.”

Jane has rebooked an alternative cruise for later in the year, which will visit New York, New England and Canada.

However she is not hopeful this will go ahead either.

“I can’t see the situation changing in six months time, but I do hope so,” said Jane.

Jane continued: “It meant so much to me. But now that it is cancelled I am relieved.”

She continued: “This year hasn’t been my year. I wasn’t meant to be 50!”