Passengers aboard a cruise ship bound for Fremantle say more than 100 people were struck down by a particularly violent bout of gastroenteritis.

The Sea Princess, a 15-deck ship operated by Princess Cruises, left Fremantle for Singapore on August 18 and is due back on Saturday.

It missed several stops because of a mechanical issue but passengers have been compensated for the changes.

But the norovirus outbreak on the ship led one passenger to call it “the cruise from hell”.

Another passenger, Burswood real estate agent Jim Edwards, 56, became ill about a week into the cruise and said it was the worst bout of gastroenteritis he had ever had.

He said at least 200 of the ship’s 2000 passengers had contracted the bug – double Princess Cruises’ estimate of 100.

“I couldn’t believe how strong it was,” he said.

“I’m only in my 50s but it took everything out of me and that’s why I was worried about the older people. It was knocking them down like flies.”

A Princess Cruises spokesman said more stringent sanitation procedures were implemented after the first few complaints.