90-Second Read: France confines over 1,700 passengers on cruise ship over gastroenteritis

In a statement on Wednesday, the regional health authority said there was no indication the apparent stomach flu outbreak was linked to a Hantavirus cluster reported on the luxury ship MV Hondius, which had travelled between Argentina and the Canary Islands. Ambassador Cruise Line, a no-fly British operator targeting passengers above the age of 50, was founded in 2021 by Christian Verhounig, the former chief executive of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which went into administration in 2020. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported four outbreaks on cruise ships so far this year, including cases linked to E coli and the norovirus.

The British ship docked in the southwestern French city of Bordeaux reports 49 suspected cases. The company said 48 passengers and one crew member were displaying gastrointestinal symptoms as of Wednesday morning. Ambassador said its data showed cases had risen after passengers boarded in Liverpool on Saturday.

All shore excursions at Bordeaux were cancelled and affected passengers offered full refunds, the company said. One 92-year-old British passenger had died on board of cardiac arrest on Monday during a stop in Brest, Brittany, in northwestern France. The vessel, the Ambition, was carrying mostly British or Irish nationals and one French person and had travelled from Belfast and Liverpool before arriving in southwestern France on Tuesday evening.