A bingo fan, who saved £1,300 to take her husband on a cruise after his heart attack won a £1,400 per-night upgrade during a bingo game on the cruise!

Maureen Klopocinski, 54, from Daisyfield in Blackburn, was enjoying her first cruise with her husband Michael, 59, father Harry Kinney, 80 and niece Kate Grant, 36. They were on the Royal Caribbean-operated cruiser one-week holiday through Venice, Dubrovnik, Greece and Corfu which had cost £1,300. After Maureen, won the top prize on the on-board bingo game the family were upgraded to a £1,400 per-night Royal suite next door to the captain on the luxurious cruise ship. The room included a grand piano, two balconies, spa bath and even their own bar.


Maureen said she was so excited about the fact that the bathroom, complete with mirrored ceiling, came fitted with a telephone next to the toilet, she ‘screamed like a banshee’ when she realised she had won. Their original suite would have fitted entirely inside the bathroom of the Royal suite. The family had saved up for their first cruise after Michael had recently suffered a heart attack and were looking forward to the amazing holiday, however it turned into a holiday they could have only ever dreamed of.

The lucky bingo winner commented: “It was an incredible prize to win. I couldn’t believe it when they took us up to the suite. We had never even been on a cruise before and we ended up treated like royalty. The suite was unbelievable. Our original room didn’t even have a window and then we ended up staying next door to the captain.”

She added: “It really was an out of this world holiday and we were so pleased.

“On the first night we held a little party in the room for all of the friends we made on the trip and even hired a professional pianist to entertain us.

The only problem was when I put bubble bath in the spa bath, which I now know you shouldn’t do!”

The £15 bingo ticket was the purchase of a lifetime, but Maureen was not very optimisitc. She said: “It sounded like fun but I was up against hundreds of others. At the end they made everyone who was down to just one number stand up. There was a lot of us standing and I was just waiting for 37 to come up. When I did I went wild. They told me that porters would come to the room to help transfer us but I couldn’t wait. I raced to our room and took everything up myself. I was so excited!”

The Splendour of the Seas highlights:
Rock-climbing wall
Glass-walled dining rooms 
Themed bars and lounges
Casino RoyaleSM
Stunning Centrum, an open atrium featuring shopping and more
18-hole miniature golf course
Indoor/outdoor pool in a Solarium with a sliding roof
Outdoor pool
Four whirlpools
Adventure Ocean® youth facilities
Day Spa & Fitness Centre

Facts of the cruise ship:
Maiden Voyage: 31 March 1996
Guest Capacity: 2,076
Godmother: Lisa Wilhelmsen
Gross Tonnage: 70,000 tons
Length: 264 m (867 ft)
Beam: 32 m (105 ft)
Draft: 7.3 m (24 ft)
Cruising Speed: 24 knots (27.6 mph/44.4 kmph)