Virus toll on cruise ship touring Highlands rises
Now 78 passengers hit by illness
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THE number of people suspected to be suffering from a winter vomiting bug onboard a cruise liner touring the Highlands and Islands increased to 78 yesterday.
Sick passengers on the Balmoral, owned by Fred Olsen Cruises, were confined to their cabins to prevent the spread of the virus.
They are thought to have contracted norovirus, the same illness which affected 500 people aboard a ship visiting the Highlands in July.
The Balmoral spent yesterday at anchor near Portree in Skye because of bad weather, but last night was bound for Tobermory, Mull.
The liner left Invergordon on Monday evening, when 18 passengers and two crew were reported ill. Highland Council environmental heal-th officers visited the boat at the Easter Ross port but she was cleared to depart.
The Balmoral, carrying 1,280 people and 516 crew, set out from Dover on Saturday night for a nine-night cruise around Britain and Ireland.
The voyage is due to visit Tobermory, Dublin, Falmouth and St Peter Port, Guernsey, before returning to Dover on Monday.
A spokeswoman said “a deep-cleaning exercise” would be carried out when the cruise ended. She said: “There has so far been 78 passengers affected, 72 are in isolation in their cabins to avoid further spread of the virus. Six passengers have now been released.
“It is believed the virus was introduced to the ship by a passenger who proved to be unwell shortly after departing from Dover.”
The spokeswoman added: “In accordance with guidelines set down by the Health Protection Agency, staff throughout Balmoral have stepped up their already fastidious hygiene and disinfecting regime.”
NHS Highland senior health protection nurse specialist Helen Tissington said: “There were 20 suspected norovirus cases on the cruise liner when it left Invergordon yesterday.
Terminated
“Colleagues from Highland Council's environmental health department visited the ship before it departed.
“We were satisfied that the ship had an appropriate management plan in place and all reasonable actions were being taken.”
In July, about 500 passengers on board the Marco Polo were struck down by norovirus when she was docked at Invergordon. The voyage was eventually terminated at the port and the ship returned to Tilbury, London.
