Passengers on a cruise ship hit by a norovirus outbreak have now been permitted to leave.
All 1,700 people aboard the Ambition were kept from getting off the vessel for over 24 hours after it arrived in Bordeaux, France, on Tuesday (May 12), following reports of a vomiting bug spreading onboard and the death of one passenger.
The death involved a 92-year-old British man who suffered a heart attack. Health officials said his passing did not appear to be connected to the norovirus situation.
Authorities said people without symptoms were allowed to disembark from Wednesday afternoon (May 13). Those who became ill were instructed to stay onboard and isolate, and it has not been confirmed when they will be cleared to leave.
Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that commonly leads to vomiting and diarrhoea. Other symptoms can include muscle aches, stomach cramps, and a mild fever.
The Ambition departed Belfast on May 8 and stopped in Liverpool the next day as part of a 14-night itinerary to France and Spain. After additional passengers boarded in Liverpool, cases of gastroenteritis were reported.
Roughly 50 passengers are believed to have been affected, according to The New York Times.
Despite the number of people unwell, there have reportedly been no “serious cases.”
Ambassador Cruise Line said in a statement when news broke of the outbreak: “We would like to reassure guests that we take any illnesses aboard our fleet extremely seriously.
“Enhanced sanitation and prevention protocols were immediately implemented across the ship in line with established public health procedures following the initial reports of illness.”
The statement added: “The comprehensive health and safety measures introduced include increased cleaning and disinfection measures in public areas, assisted service in selected dining venues and ongoing guidance to guests regarding hand hygiene, including regular hand washing, use of hand sanitisers and the prompt reporting of any symptoms to the onboard medical team.”
Passenger Seos Guilidhe, 52, from Belfast, told AFP he was ‘playing bingo’ while people were kept onboard, saying ‘it is not as bad as it was during Covid’.
He also said people were ‘going about as normal’.
Separately, a spokesperson for the company said the incident was not connected to the hantavirus outbreak reported on the MV Hondius, amid wider worries about the possibility of another pandemic.
Three deaths were reported on the Dutch cruise ship, and several others have since shown symptoms linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus.
Officials suspect the first case—often referred to as ‘patient zero’—may have been infected before boarding.