French authorities have confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew on the Ambition cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after a 90-year-old passenger died and about 50 people showed symptoms of stomach issues. The ship, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, arrived in Bordeaux on Tuesday (May 13) after stops in Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest.
Initial tests ruled out norovirus, but secondary tests are ongoing, and food poisoning has not been excluded. The ship was scheduled to depart for Spain but remains under quarantine pending further medical analysis.
Passengers are isolated in their cabins, and enhanced sanitation protocols have been implemented. The cruise line confirmed the death of the elderly passenger but stated there was no link to the hantavirus outbreak on another ship, the MV Hondius. Samples are being analyzed by the Bordeaux University Hospital.
The ship departed from the Shetland Islands on May 6, with 1,233 passengers (mostly from the UK and Ireland) and 514 crew members (mostly from India). The outbreak peaked while the ship was docked in Brest, and the deceased passenger died before reaching Bordeaux.
Ambassador Cruise Line stated it takes illnesses onboard seriously and has implemented increased cleaning and hygiene measures. Medical staff are attending to affected passengers, and all shore excursions have been canceled.
French health officials emphasized there is no connection to the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, which has been linked to three deaths. The cause of the passenger's death remains under investigation.