Cruising for a bruising: the holiday ad that's sailed into trouble

Tourism bosses in Brighton have hit out at a cruise line over what they say is misleading advertising. Mediterranean Shipping Cruises, Italy's largest privately owned operator, is claiming in its advertising that five days in the Sussex city costs as much as a week's cruise on the Med. "What's it to be?", reads the headline of the ad. "Five days in Brighton or a seven-night Mediterranean cruise."

The ad, in a new magazine called Cruise Traveller, asserts that finding full-board hotel accommodation in the UK for less than £100 per person is rare, saying that you would be "lucky" to find it.

But one call to the five-star Grand Hotel reveals that a five-night stay, including dinner, bed and breakfast, costs £445. Holidaymakers could then eat lunch every day at the Victoria Lounge restaurant, serving sandwiches, salads and hot food, for much less than £10.

The ad was slammed by Amanda Shepherd, the head of tourism for Brighton. "Knocking your competitors is a pretty naff form of advertising," she told The Independent. The cruise line defended the ad as "a general statement".When The Independent called the company anonymously to book a £499 cruise on the Rhapsody from Venice, as depicted in the ad, we were told it was "no longer available". The cheapest seven-night cruise now on offer is £1,097, from Genoa.

Cathy Neal