Imogen Jamesand
Claire Quinn
Reuters
Some passengers have disembarked from a cruise ship after being held in France following a norovirus outbreak.
More than 1,000 passengers on the Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, were held in Bordeaux after 49 people fell ill from gastrointestinal sickness.
French authorities said passengers showing no symptoms are allowed to leave the ship, with the company adding normal operations would continue including shore excursions.
Isolation guidelines will continue for those affected, “along with reinforced preventative measures and hygiene protocols on board”, French authorities added.
In an update on Wednesday evening, health authorities in Bordeaux said results of samples taken confirm an outbreak of norovirus, which is transmitted from person to person or through the environment. No serious cases have been reported.
“Ambition has now been released by the relevant French health authorities to continue normal operations,” the Essex-based cruise line said.
Enhanced sanitation measures, medical monitoring and isolation procedures remain in place across the ship, it said.
The statement confirmed that a 92-year-old man had passed away on board on Sunday, but he did not report any related symptoms and his cause of death is unknown.
Commenting on a separate incident, French authorities said a person was admitted to the Bordeaux University Hospital for unrelated symptoms after a fall and their condition is stable.
Norovirus, also knows as viral gastroenteritis, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Patients usually recover in around two days, the National Health Service says.
There were 1,187 guests and 514 crew members onboard the ship, according to its operator.
The cruise ship set sail from Belfast on 8 May, before heading to Liverpool the next day.
Ambassador said there was a reported increase in cases after guests boarded in Liverpool.
Carol Landa-Vance is from County Antrim and is on the ship with her husband.
“We’ve had the good news tonight that the French government have tested and it’s a norovirus, that’s definite, and we’re free to move about the ship tomorrow, and we’re free to get off the ship tomorrow,” she told the BBC.
She told the BBC she noticed on Sunday that “we were not allowed to help ourselves at the self service buffet.
“Condiments were removed and knives and forks were wrapped up and handed to us. The pools were closed and the jacuzzi was also closed.”
She said that someone was sick on the bus in front of her, and another was sick on the deck.
David Munster, from Dundonald in County Down, is on board with his wife. He said that after departing Liverpool they were informed that a number of passengers had “become ill”.
He said passengers were free to use the facilities that were open, but the people who were ill were isolating in their cabins.
Munster had not witnessed people being ill but had seen the “clean-up of people being sick” and said staff had been “very hardworking”.
David Munster
Measures introduced since the initial reports of illness included increased cleaning and disinfection in public areas, as well as ongoing guidance to guests about hand hygiene and reporting symptoms to the onboard medical team.
As part of a scheduled stop at Bordeaux in southwest France, the operator said it had advised French health authorities of the situation.
The regional health agency for Nouvelle-Aquitaine had earlier said a medical team had been dispatched on board to assess the situation, and take samples.
It added that passenger disembarkations had been suspended “as a precautionary measure due to the contagiousness of gastroenteritis-type illnesses” while tests were being processed.
