Viral gastroenteritis on board: disembarkation ban partially lifted for 1,700 passengers in Bordeaux

 514 crew members were also on board. The Ambassador Cruise Line ship, which departed from Shetland on 6 May, called at Belfast, Liverpool and Brest before Bordeaux, from where it was scheduled to return to Spain. At noon today, it was moored in the city centre, with no security measures ashore.

The possibility of food poisoning has not been ruled out and all links to the hantavirus have been denied

Among the passengers, mostly British and Irish, in addition to the ninety year old who died, around fifty showed gastrointestinal complaints and are being tested for the possible presence of norovirus, according to a health source who points out that 514 crew members were also on board.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus responsible for acute gastroenteritis ('stomach flu'), characterised by rapid vomiting and diarrhoea, with symptoms usually lasting 1-3 days. Contagion occurs through direct contact or contaminated surfaces, and outbreaks often occur indoors or on ships.  The incubation is short (12-24 hours), dehydration is the main risk, the virus resists on surfaces.

Episodes of norovirus have already been reported on board cruise ships, such as on the Rotterdam in early 2026. During a New Year's Eve cruise (28 December 2025 - 9 January 2026) in the Caribbean, Holland America Line's ship Rotterdam experienced an outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis. The outbreak affected a total of 94 people (85 passengers and 9 crew members) out of more than 3,500 people on board. The outbreak affected 94 people in total (85 passengers and 9 crew members)