169 struck down by norovirus on Fred Olsen cruise
An outbreak of norovirus has caused 163 passengers and six crew to become ill on board Fred Olsen’s cruise ship Balmoral.
Just over 900 passengers are on the 34-night ‘Old England to New England’ cruise, the majority of them British.
Following urgent tests, results proved positive for norovirus and US health inspectors boarded the ship when it arrived in Baltimore at the weekend.
The cruise line said crew have stepped up cleaning and disinfecting, have been collecting stool specimens from sick passengers and are making daily reports of the symptoms suffered.
In a statement, Fred Olsen said six guests remain in isolation.
All guests who are ill have been asked to remain in their rooms, with complimentary room service and in-room entertainment.
"Fred Olsen is co-operating fully with all the necessary maritime agencies and authorities, as Balmoral continues on her cruise, and will continue to make every effort possible to ensure the safety and well-being of all its guests and crew on board, which is of paramount importance," said the statement.
"Fred Olsen’s cruise ships meet, at all times, the highest safety, hygiene and health standards, and comply fully with the strict requirements and inspections of their Flag State, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and other relevant authorities."
It said following inspections, it got the go-ahead for Balmoral to continue on its planned schedule and the ship is due to arrive in New York this morning.
Meanwhile, 131 passengers and 14 crew have become ill with vomiting and diarrhea on board Disney Cruise Line’s ship Disney Wonder.
Health inspectors boarded the ship on Sunday when it docked in Miami, the final port of a four-night cruise. There were 3,671 passengers and crew on board.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cause of the illness remains unknown.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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