On April 5, French authorities temporarily prevented 1,233 passengers and 514 crew members from leaving the UK-operated cruise ship Ambition, docked at the port of Bordeaux in southwestern France, after nearly 50 suspected cases of gastroenteritis were reported on board.
The Ambition is carrying mostly British and Irish citizens, along with one French national. The vessel sailed from Belfast and Liverpool before arriving in Bordeaux on the evening of April 4.
In a statement on April 5, the regional health authority said there was no indication that the gastroenteritis outbreak was linked to a cluster of hantavirus cases reported on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which traveled from Argentina to the Canary Islands.
Officials said the restriction on disembarkation was a precautionary measure while medical tests were being conducted.
Cruise operator Ambassador Cruise Line said it had immediately implemented enhanced sanitation and preventive measures on board. The company reported that as of the morning of April 5, 48 passengers and one crew member were showing gastrointestinal symptoms.
Ambassador said its data indicated that case numbers rose after passengers boarded in Liverpool on Saturday. All shore excursions in Bordeaux were canceled, and affected passengers will receive full refunds.
“When permitted, passengers will be allowed to leave the ship,” the company said in a Facebook post.
Ambassador Cruise Line is a no-fly cruise company targeting passengers aged over 50. It was founded in 2021 by Christian Verhounig, former CEO of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which ceased operations in 2020.
A 92-year-old British passenger died of cardiac arrest on Monday during a stop in Brest, Brittany, northwestern France. The Gironde department said the death was not related to the gastroenteritis outbreak at this time.
Gastrointestinal illnesses are relatively common on cruise ships because viruses can spread quickly in confined spaces. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported four outbreaks on cruise ships so far this year, including cases linked to E. coli and norovirus.
Gastroenteritis, often called stomach flu, typically causes vomiting and diarrhea. Although highly contagious, it is usually not severe, though it can occasionally lead to complications such as dehydration. Health officials emphasized that the illness is markedly different from hantavirus, which has a much higher fatality rate but rarely spreads between people and typically requires close contact for transmission.
