'Mass brawl' breaks out on P&O cruise ship Britannia due to clown fancy dress

[muriel_volestrangler]

Plates and furniture were reportedly used as weapons after a mass brawl broke out on a British cruise ship.

Six people were hurt as P&O's Britannia sailed to Southampton after a week-long trip to Norway's fjords, police said.

Good Morning Britain journalist Richard Gaisford, who was on board, said he had been told the incident was sparked by a passenger taking offence at another holidaymaker dressed as a clown.
...
He said one witness "explained to staff that things kicked off when another passenger appeared dressed as a clown. This upset one of their party because they'd specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. It led to a violent confrontation."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49137520

It makes me proud to be British ... what better, on a cruise on a ship named for a patriotic symbol, than to get drunk at a black-tie event and start a brawl because a fellow passenger appeared in fancy dress? This truly is the Spirit of Brexit. Maybe they should rename the ship that.

The 2 arrested are from Essex. And yes, Essex has a good claim to be the Florida of England.

[Aristus]

1. I read the article.

And I’m still not sure how a clown costume counts as fancy dress...

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. You think it was in honour of the new British PM, perhaps? (nt)

[tonedevil]

5. Both of my daughters have...

spent some time in England and have told me that a Fancy Dress Party is what we would call a Costume Party. Both daughters have gone to at least one. It may have started an argument on the cruise because it is considered vulgar, but that's just my second-hand observation.

[MaryMagdaline]

2. Whew. Florida Man absent on this trip

Nice assist, Essex.

[NBachers]

4. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around why it happened. I'll just file it under "Booze & Jerks."

But the clown thing is kind of an outlier.

[tonedevil]

6. No reason Essex take a back seat...

due to seniority wouldn't Florida be the Essex of the US?

[murielm99]

7. What happened to

Keep Calm and Carry On?

[marble falls]

8. That wasn't a clown outfit, he was cosplaying Boris.

[murielm99]

9. Good one!