BORDEAUX, France: French authorities temporarily prevented more than 1,200 passengers and over 500 crew members from leaving a British cruise ship docked in the southwestern city of Bordeaux after dozens of gastroenteritis cases were reported on board, health officials said on Wednesday.
The vessel, the Ambition, was carrying mostly British and Irish nationals along with one French passenger.
The ship had travelled from Belfast and Liverpool before arriving in Bordeaux on Tuesday evening.
In a statement, regional health authorities said 1,233 passengers and 514 crew members had initially been restricted from disembarking as a precaution while medical tests were conducted.
Officials stressed there was no indication the apparent outbreak of stomach flu was linked to the recent hantavirus cluster reported aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which had travelled between Argentina and Spain’s Canary Islands.
Cruise operator Ambassador Cruise Line said enhanced sanitation and disease prevention measures had been implemented immediately after the illnesses were detected.
The company said 48 passengers and one crew member were displaying gastrointestinal symptoms as of Wednesday morning.
According to Ambassador Cruise Line, data indicated that the number of cases increased after passengers boarded the vessel in Liverpool on Saturday.
All planned shore excursions in Bordeaux were cancelled and affected passengers were offered full refunds, the company said.
“Once clearance is granted, guests will be permitted to disembark,” the operator said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Ambassador Cruise Line, founded in 2021, is a British no-fly cruise operator primarily targeting passengers aged over 50.
The company was established by Christian Verhounig, former chief executive of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which collapsed in 2020.
French authorities also confirmed that a 92-year-old British passenger died of cardiac arrest aboard the vessel on Monday during a stop in Brest, Brittany.
The Gironde prefecture said there was no indication at this stage linking the death to the gastrointestinal outbreak.
Health officials noted that gastrointestinal illnesses, including gastroenteritis, are relatively common on cruise ships because viruses can spread rapidly in enclosed environments.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported four outbreaks aboard cruise ships so far this year, including incidents linked to E coli and norovirus.
Gastroenteritis, often referred to as stomach flu, typically causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
While highly contagious, it is generally not considered serious, although severe dehydration can occur in vulnerable individuals.
