Passengers aboard the British cruise ship, The Ambition, which is currently docked in Bordeaux, France, were initially ordered to stay on board due to a gastrointestinal illness outbreak. However, authorities have since allowed asymptomatic passengers to disembark. This decision came late Wednesday, as concerns grew following the outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious stomach bug.
On Thursday, the British cruise operator, Ambassador Cruise Line, confirmed that 60 passengers and four crew members were dealing with the illness. The vessel, with over 1,700 passengers and crew aboard, had reached Bordeaux on Tuesday evening during its 14-night voyage from Belfast and Liverpool, with plans to stop in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast.
French authorities decreed that unaffected passengers could leave, and reports indicated that some were seen celebrating their freedom as they disembarked. Disembarkation of passengers was facilitated with shore excursions set to proceed as scheduled.
Despite the concerns, local health authorities assured that there were currently no serious illness reports among the affected passengers, who were receiving care from the ship’s medical team. Additionally, there was no connection found between this outbreak and a previous hantavirus incident on a Dutch ship, which has raised alarms throughout Europe.
Ambassador Cruise Line announced that The Ambition will remain in Bordeaux overnight before continuing its journey with a modified itinerary to avoid poor weather conditions in the Bay of Biscay, ensuring a safe travel environment for both passengers and crew.
As a historical note, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships the previous year, almost all linked to norovirus. A 92-year-old male passenger aboard The Ambition passed away on Sunday, but there were no indications that his death was related to the illness being experienced by others on the ship.
For further updates on this story, visit the related articles about the cruise industry and health protocols: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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