In the past four months, they also sent countless emails and made several attempts to talk directly with a Royal Caribbean representative or the ship's doctor about the situation - to no avail. The only correspondence they received from Royal Caribbean was in response to a recent tweet by Professor Yerbury, and it gave no indication that he would be denied access to the cruise. Justin Yerbury at the University of Wollongong in 2015, the year before he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Credit:Paul Jones So when their party of nine - including two carers - turned up for the cruise on Sunday afternoon, they were shocked at the decision to turn him away. "This was an opportunity for my family and extended family to make memories and have some quality time together, which is very special for all of us," Professor Yerbury said on Monday.

Justin Yerbury with his wife Rachel in 2008. Credit:Hank van Stuivenberg "We may not have many other opportunities. I was looking forward the most to being with family and going on a trip together like we used to always do." Mrs Yerbury said her daughters - Talia, 23 and Maddison, 20 - had been especially looking forward to spending time with their father. "While Justin has been very stable and well for the past 12 months, we really don't know how much longer he'll live," she said. "So after months of planning and weeks of packing, to get to check-in only to be referred to the doctor and told he wouldn't be allowed to board was just devastating."

Mrs Yerbury said despite booking a disability room and filling in the special needs form, the female doctor said she also needed a medical clearance from Professor Yerbury's specialist. "We got Justin's neurologist on the phone, and he spoke to the doctor and told her that Justin was stable and fine to travel, but she didn't listen," she said. Dr Roger Parrish presenting Professor Justin Yerbury with a $7000 cheque for MND research. Credit:Adam McLean "The doctor also said the two carers we had with us weren't nurses - but one of them told her he had 25 years experience and could care for Justin in the dark, which he actually does. "She said the ship wasn't equipped to look after Justin in the event of an emergency - but surely there should be a plan in place for medical emergencies for any passenger?"

As well as the cost of the cruise - around $12,000 for the group - the Yerburys have had to fork out $4000 to courier Professor Yerbury's equipment to Sydney, $2500 for travel insurance as well as other expenses. On Monday, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman said the company would refund the cruise fares for Professor Yerbury and his travelling companions. "Regrettably, a male guest was unable to take his planned seven-night cruise to the South Pacific onboard Explorer of the Seas, which departed Sydney on Sunday," the spokeswoman said. "Upon presenting to the terminal for boarding, a decision was taken by the ship’s doctor to deny boarding on the grounds that the ship would be unable to provide the level of care required in the event of an emergency at sea." Late on Monday the company issued a further statement, stating it would also reimburse the couple for "all out-of-pocket expenses".

'There's things that money can't reimburse' However, Mrs Yerbury, the emotional cost of the incident continued to take its toll. "There's things that money can't reimburse," she said. "It's so hard for Justin already to do the daily things everyone takes for granted. And it's hard too for him to get respect and be treated as a person. And he didn't get the respect he deserved here. He felt invisible." Professor Yerbury said he felt discriminated against because of his condition. "They were rude, they didn’t even speak to me or make eye contact. They didn’t treat me as a person," he said.

"They made all sorts of excuses why we couldn’t go. They spoke to my specialist but still refused me access." Professor Yerbury said Royal Caribbean needed to review their processes, adding a specific consultant to work with special needs passengers would be helpful. They were rude, they didn’t even speak to me or make eye contact. They spoke to my specialist but still refused me access. Professor Justin Yerbury "They need to be respectful and flexible. They should be upfront if they can’t cater for people, not wait four months and tell you as you are leaving," he said. "They need to take responsibility when their systems fail." In the later statement, the Royal Caribbean apologised for the incident, which it committed to reviewing. "Royal Caribbean International is conducting a review into its booking procedures in the case of Professor Yerbury," the statement said.

"Our processes of communicating Professor Yerbury’s medical condition to our on-board staff let down Professor Yerbury and his family and friends. "Royal Caribbean takes this issue very seriously and we apologise unreservedly for the distress, disappointment and inconvenience that this has caused." Tireless campaigner Professor Yerbury works at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute to uncover the cause - and ultimately cure - for MND. MND is the name given to a group of diseases in which the nerve cells - neurones - controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow; undergo degeneration and die.

He has a genetic form of MND and has lost his mother, sister and other family members to the disease. With the ventilation he had been using was failing, he underwent a tracheostomy and laryngectomy in January 2018 so he could continue his vital research. Illawarra Mercury