News / Norovirus outbreak suspected on cruise ship week after Lerwick visit
Different passengers thought to have been onboard ship when outbreak started
A CRUISE ship which visited Lerwick last week is on lockdown after a death onboard from suspected norovirus.
More than 1,700 passengers and crew have been confined to the Ambassador Cruise Line ship Ambition in France following a suspected outbreak of norovirus on board.
The ship visited Lerwick on Wednesday 6 May, before sailing on to Belfast.
However, her visit to Lerwick came at the end of a two week “Springtime Fjordland” cruise.
Passengers then joined the ship in Belfast and Liverpool over the weekend for a two week cruise around France and Spain.
One passenger in their nineties has died and around another 50 people have shown symptoms of norovirus, according to news reports.
Norovirus is a form of gastroenteritis, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea and is highly contagious.
Ambition has been locked down in the port of Bordeaux for the time being.
Around 1,220 passengers were thought to be onboard when she arrived in Shetland last week.
The 216-metre vessel is due to return to Shetland on Wednesday 17 June, and then again on 19 August.
NHS Shetland, Lerwick Port Authority and Ambassador Cruise Lines have been approached for comment.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
