Nearly 2,000 Passengers Held At Sea Due To Norovirus Outbreak

(KMDL-FM) Almost 2,000 passengers and crew on a European itinerary have been sequestered at sea following a suspected viral outbreak aboard the vessel. The ship, which has now docked at the Port of Bordeaux in France, reports that 48 guests and one crew member have been confirmed ill.

READ MORE: Popular American Dish Will Not Be Served on Cruise Ships

If there is good news to report in the case of a contaminated ship, it would be that the virus of concern is not the hantavirus. That virus has been in the news over the past several days after another cruise ship was quarantined following an outbreak of that deadly virus.

Get our free mobile app

1,700 Passengers Could Have Been Exposed to Highly Contagious Virus

The virus that has raised concerns aboard the "Ambition", that's the name of the affected cruise ship, is the norovirus. While not pleasant, if you've had it, you know, it is not nearly as dangerous as the hantavirus.

For those who don't know, norovirus is what you and I would call the "stomach bug". Unfortunately, that's a common ailment on cruise ships since the virus can be spread quite easily in close quarters. That's why they want you to wash your hands all the time when you're on a cruise. Oh, and you should be washing your hands all the time on a cruise.

Cruise Line Reports Passenger Dies On Board - Was It Virus Related?

Based on reports from The Ambassador Cruise Line, the company that operates the Ambition, there has been one death reported on board. The deceased was a passenger who was 90 years old. Officials are still waiting for the final report to see if the virus was responsible.

Health officials in France were reviewing health records and sanitation records of the vessel, and once all of that has been sorted out, guests who are not ill will likely be allowed to disembark for shore excursions. As of early this morning, Louisiana time, it appears as though the ship was cleared. 

READ MORE: Here's Why Cruising in 2026 Is Suddenly More Expensive

Incidentally, this leads us to my cruise travel tip of the day: always buy travel insurance. Especially insurance that would cover any medical issues you might have.

Your home-based insurance might not work at sea. I can tell you from experience, a visit to the ship's doctor is not like they depicted it on the TV show The Love Boat. Just to be seen is expensive, and even a minor treatment, such as medication or a bandage, could run your bill into the hundreds of dollars.