Virus causes cruise to return early
Friday, 02 Jun 2006 10:38
Sea Princess is the second cruise ship in a week affected by the norovirus
Passengers have disembarked a luxury cruise ship a day early after hundreds of people fell ill with a stomach virus.
Sea Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, returned to Southampton this morning to give crew time to disinfect the ship ahead of its next voyage.
The cruise line cancelled the ship's scheduled call at Lisbon and passengers have been offered compensation for the premature end to their week-long cruise.
More than 200 of the ship's 2,258 passengers fell ill with what is suspected to be the norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
"The number of passengers still symptomatic now stands at eight," Princess Cruises said in a statement.
"The illness is strongly suspsected to be norovirus, which is highly contagious and typically transmitted from person to person.
"Norovirus is currently circulating widely throughout the UK, Europe and North America and has affected a number of schools, hospitals, nursing homes and children's day care centres."
The cruise line has offered passengers a 30 per cent refund on the cost of the cruise and £150 off any future trip as compensation.
Sea Princess's next sailing will take place as scheduled on Saturday June 3rd at 17:00, following "a prolonged and intensive disinfection over the next 30 hours".
Earlier this week, an outbreak of the norovirus caused another cruise ship, MV Van Gogh, to return to Harwich on the second day of a week-long cruise after 100 people fell ill.