France Bars 1,700 Cruise Passengers From Leaving Ship After Dozens Get Sick

"French authorities have ordered more than 1,700 passengers and crew members to stay aboard a cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after dozens on board became ill, health officials said. Around 50 people have so far been sickened with symptoms consistent with an acute gastrointestinal infection on the ship, an Ambassador Cruise Line vessel named Ambition, officials said."

"There was no evidence to suggest any link to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship that anchored off the Canary Islands in Spain on Sunday, French health officials said. Still, the ship's passengers and crew have been marooned on the ship in Bordeaux since arriving on Wednesday morning, and it was unclear when the ship would be allowed to continue on its journey (it was scheduled to travel to Santander, Spain, for its next stop)."

"We would like to reassure guests that we take any illnesses aboard our fleet extremely seriously, Ambassador Cruise Line said in a statement. The wave of sickness on the Ambition which was on a two-week expedition with stops in England, France and Spain began shortly after it departed Belfast on May 8. On the second day of its voyage, after a stop in Liverpool to pick up more passengers, the ship's medical staff recorded an increase in people with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, the cruise line said."

French health officials ordered more than 1,700 passengers and crew members to stay aboard a cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after dozens became ill. About 50 people reported symptoms consistent with an acute gastrointestinal infection on the Ambassador Cruise Line vessel Ambition. Officials reported no evidence linking the illness to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, which anchored off the Canary Islands. Passengers and crew have remained on the ship since it arrived Wednesday morning, and it was unclear when the vessel would be allowed to continue to its next stop in Santander, Spain. The cruise line said it takes illnesses aboard its fleet seriously and reported that symptoms began shortly after departure from Belfast on May 8, with an increase recorded after a Liverpool stop to pick up passengers.

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