Around 200 passengers on Fred Olsen’s The Balmoral cruise ship reported gastroenteritis symptoms during a voyage to Scotland, forcing the cancellation of a Shetland port visit and the famous Up-Helly-Aa festival stop
‘Hundreds’ of passengers aboard a UK cruise ship have been struck down by a severe stomach bug.
Fred Olsen’s The Balmoral was scheduled to arrive in Lerwick, Shetland, on Tuesday, January 27, but the visit was scrapped on Sunday following fierce weather that lashed the islands.
Meanwhile, guests aboard reported an outbreak of gastroenteritis – a highly infectious stomach illness that can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.
Some passengers were placed in isolation due to the outbreak, reports the Daily Record.
One passenger informed The Shetland Times that approximately 200 people aboard the vessel – which has capacity for more than 1,200 passengers – had become unwell.
Daily announcements allegedly cautioned that the ship was “experiencing increasing cases of people presenting with symptoms of gastroenteritis”.
However, some passengers claimed the reports had been blown out of proportion, insisting that most cases were merely seasickness from the turbulent crossing from Norway.
The axed Lerwick stop also meant some passengers missed the world-renowned Up-Helly-Aa fire festival, Shetland’s annual tribute to its Norse heritage, held every year on the last Tuesday of January.
Fred Olsen Cruises stated the forecast made docking dangerous.
A spokesperson told The Shetland Times: “While we understand the disappointment of missing the much-anticipated Up-Helly-Aa festival, the safety of our guests and crew must always remain our highest priority.”
The firm’s director of health services, Kate Bunyan, acknowledged that numerous passengers had experienced stomach-related illness.
She stated: “We have immediately implemented measures to help reduce transmission, and our medical team is on hand to provide support to anyone who should feel unwell during the cruise.
“Balmoral will be returning to Southampton tomorrow, where she will set sail a little later than planned to allow for a deep clean of the ship and cruise terminal. The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is our highest priority, and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has robust health, hygiene, and safety protocols in place at all times.”
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