French authorities confined the British cruise ship Ambition and its more than 1,700 occupants in Bordeaux on Wednesday after a gastrointestinal illness outbreak spread among passengers and crew, according to a joint statement from the prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the regional health agency. The suspension of disembarkation and restriction of port interactions came on the recommendation of the Agence Régionale de Santé Nouvelle-Aquitaine, following the ship captain’s alert to authorities the evening before.
Up to 50 passengers showed symptoms consistent with acute digestive infection, the statement said. Those affected were treated by the ship’s doctor and isolated in their cabins, and a medical team was dispatched to the vessel. Samples were sent to a Bordeaux hospital for analysis, with an update expected later Wednesday.
Ambassador Cruise Line, the British operator that targets passengers over 50, said 48 passengers and one crew member were displaying symptoms as of late Wednesday morning. The company noted that its data showed cases rose after passengers boarded in Liverpool on May 9. All shore excursions at the French port were canceled, and affected passengers were offered full refunds.
The cruise line also disclosed that a 92-year-old male passenger died on Sunday. The man had not reported symptoms consistent with the gastrointestinal illness, and his cause of death would be determined by a coroner, the company said.
French officials moved to dismiss any connection to a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, which last month prompted a multicountry response and resulted in the hospitalization of passengers in Britain, France, Spain and the United States. Three passengers died and there were nine confirmed cases, with another two suspected. “There is no reason to establish a link between this outbreak aboard a cruise ship from Belfast and Liverpool and the hantavirus cases detected aboard the MV Hondius,” the joint statement said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks outbreaks on voyages that call on U.S. and foreign ports, recorded 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships last year. Most were caused by norovirus, including a new strain. Last week, the CDC reported that a Caribbean Princess cruise ship with more than 3,100 passengers aboard experienced a norovirus outbreak during a voyage that ended Monday, sickening more than 140 passengers and 15 crew members.
The Ambition was midway through a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool that was due to take in ports in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast. It arrived in Bordeaux on Tuesday evening. Ambassador Cruise Line, founded in 2021, has not reported previous large-scale outbreaks.