Widow whose husband died on cruise trip says company is still taunting her a month on

A widow whose husband died after embarking on a river cruise claims the company she'd booked through is still hounding her for a trip review.

Earlier this year, retired couple Barbara and Rick Smith of Versailles, Kentucky, headed out on their ‘dream vacation’ with American Cruise Lines.

The pair, who had been wed for 33 years, had booked an eight-day river cruise and boarded the boat in Idaho.

Unfortunately, their travels were cut short when former high school teacher Rick woke up in the middle of the first night unable to breathe.

After just 18 hours on the boat, he was rushed to a hospital in Washington.

Following his admittance, doctors informed Rick that he was suffering from a leaky heart valve.

Rick Smith woke up 'unable to breathe' whilst on a river cruise (Legacy.com/Blackburn & Ward Funeral Home)

After six days of confinement, Rick was deemed stable enough to fly to the University of Kentucky Hospital, according to Wyoming News Now.

While in Kentucky Hospital, he underwent open heart surgery but died 24 hours later on June 5.

Amid the tragic circumstances, Barbara claimed that she was trying to plead her situation with the cruise company as she and her husband didn’t have travel insurance.

“It was our dream vacation but it lasted 18 hours,” she told the outlet.

“I said my husband is in the hospital, his health is deteriorating." she continued to say.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get home. Please just consider us with compassion and sympathy and respond … but they didn’t.”

Barbara and Rick Smith had been married for 33 years. (WKYT)

Following Rick’s death, Barbara alleges that she is still receiving requests from American Cruise Lines to fill in questionnaires about their 18-hour trip.

“I’m still getting brochures in the mail from them for future trips,” she said.

“It’s like everything I wrote about Rick to them just went down some black hole. I can’t get mad at anyone because Rick died.”

Moreover, Barbara has expressed her disappointment with ‘the lack of empathy’ that the company has supposedly shown her and allegedly wants them to work with her regarding the situation.

UNILAD has contacted representatives of American Cruise Lines for comment.

Barbara expressed her disappointment for the 'lack of empathy' supposedly afforded to her (WKYT)

According to an obituary, Rick’s funeral was held last week at Historic St. Paul Catholic Church in Lexington.

It’s also said that as well as being a husband to Barbara, he was a father of two, a grandfather and a great-grandfather.

“My husband was absolutely the best. A sweet, kind, caring man,” Barbara added.

“People ask us how long we’ve been married. I say not long enough. It could have gone a lot longer.”