More Than 250 Cruise Ship Passengers Reportedly Sick With Suspected Norovirus

21.05.2024 - 18:35 / travelpulse.com / Laurie Baratti

Hundreds of vacationers sailing aboard a P&O Cruises ship have fallen ill with suspected norovirus. Suffering from what’s been referred to a “vomiting bug”, reports indicate that over 150 guests are currently in isolation on board the MV Ventura, which departed from Southampton, England on May 11 for a 14-night voyage around the Canary Islands, with stops in Spain and Portugal.

An unnamed source told Metro that, in the last four days alone, around 250 suspected cases of the illness have emerged, with passengers reportedly "throwing up in public spaces" throughout the ship. Another unidentified source revealed, "This is a serious outbreak. We don't know where it came from, it has been on board for a month, maybe 5-6 weeks now, and each cruise we think it has gone, but more and more people get sick."

While they did not delve into specifics, a P&O spokesperson did confirm to Business Insider that numerous passengers had reported "gastrointestinal symptoms" on board. They stated that, "upon embarkation, all guests were provided with an advisory notice with precautionary health measures for on board and on shore."

Regarding the current outbreak, P&O told the Mirror that it had activated a phased and prove approach that is “appropriate to the specific scenario”. A spokesperson said that the cruise line had "implemented proven and enhanced sanitisation protocols" and that a “further extended and enhanced sanitisation took place in Tenerife" while the ship was docked on Friday. 

Although norovirus has not been confirmed as the cause of the contagion, it is a likely culprit for the spread of such symptoms aboard cruise ships. Also called the “vomiting bug”, it’s a highly transmissible virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, which can spread through close contact with an infected person, touching your mouth after contact with contaminated surfaces or consuming contaminated food. 

In close quarters, like those aboard a cruise ship, norovirus can spread especially rapidly. It’s worth noting that the United Kingdom (UK) saw a spike in norovirus activity last month. "Between weeks 14 to 17 of 2024, the total number of norovirus laboratory reports was 75% higher than the 5-season average for the same 4-week period," according to UK government report.

So, the virus could readily have made its way on board the Ventura in recent weeks and the vessel’s ongoing outbreak is not an entirely isolated incident. As far back as February, more than 120 passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Victoria cruise ship experienced similar symptoms, the cause of which was later confirmed to be norovirus. And, in January, 100 passengers and crew likewise came down with norovirus on board a Celebrity Cruises ship as it sailed roundtrip from