France allows asymptomatic passengers off new cruise ship
BORDEAUX– Passengers not affected by an outbreak on a British cruise ship were allowed to get off the ship in Bordeaux, while authorities confirmed the cause of the outbreak was norovirus, a nasty stomach illness that spreads easily.
French authorities had initially ordered more than 1,700 passengers and crew members of the Ambition cruise ship to stay on board, but then decided Wednesday evening to let those not affected disembark. One passenger was seen raising his arms in triumph as he left the ship.
It was not immediately clear how many left the ship.
French authorities said there was no link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch ship that put European health authorities on alert in recent weeks.
The Ambition was midway through a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool, with planned stops in northern Spain and along the Atlantic coast of France, when it was hit by the outbreak. He arrived in Bordeaux on Tuesday evening, according to operator Ambassador Cruise Line. It was not immediately clear if and when he would resume his trip.
Samples analyzed at Bordeaux University Hospital confirmed a norovirus epidemic. Local authorities said that at this stage no serious cases had been reported and that sick passengers were being treated on board by the ship’s medical team.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks outbreaks on voyages calling at U.S. and foreign ports, recorded 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships last year. Most were caused by norovirus, including a new strain.
Ambassador Cruise Line, a UK operator catering to passengers over 50, was founded in 2021.
