A Perth man was kicked off his P&O cruise ship after he flicked a cigarette overboard.

Mark O’Keefe, 57 and his wife Debra were on a 10-day cruise when he was severely reprimanded after a P&O security guard saw him flick a cigarette overboard.

His daughter, Courtney O’Keefe told WAtoday that her sick father had to make his own way home from Bali.

“He had maybe two drags because the weather was horrendous – he butted it out, and without thinking, he flicked it,” she said.

Mr O’Keefe apologised and was told if he returned to his cabin, he would face no consequences. However, the following day, Courtney received a call from her mother saying that Mr O’Keefe had been removed from the ship.

“The captain said ‘you’re off’ – no letting my dad apologise, no option of cutting him off at the bar, no giving him a fine. Nothing.”

Her mother was unable to leave with him, as they had saved their money for the trip to Bali and couldn’t afford two tickets home.

“My dad is 58 in a few weeks – he’s ex-army, SAS, with cancer and cholesterol problems – and my mum handles all his medication,” she told WAtoday.

Ms O’Keefe took to social media to express her outrage at her father’s treatment by P&O.

A spokesman for P&O told WAtoday he could not comment on this specific incident due to privacy concerns, but said it would not be surprising for a passenger to be removed for flicking a cigarette overboard.

Passengers were given an “explicit warning” not to dispose cigarettes over the side of the ship, he said.

“A lighted cigarette can be drawn into the ship posing a serious risk to the ship and the safety of passengers and crew.”

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