Report by
Cunard Road, SO14 3QN England, United Kingdom
A norovirus outbreak has occurred on the P&O Iona cruise ship, affecting an undisclosed number of passengers. The ship, which recently returned to the UK from a Northern Europe cruise, has a capacity of 5,000 passengers.The P&O Iona set sail from Southampton on February 15 for a week-long cruise across Northern Europe. Passengers reported illness in various areas of the ship, including restaurants, decks, and outside their cabins. The ship was off the coast of Belgium when the outbreak began, with stops on the journey including Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Zeebrugge.
The outbreak was discovered when passengers began reporting symptoms of illness. A passenger from Birmingham noted that hygiene standards appeared to be lacking even before the outbreak, with lukewarm buffet food and overflowing bins in hand-washing areas. As the situation escalated, P&O increased cleaning measures, with staff stationed at food location entrances ensuring passengers sanitized their hands.
P&O Cruises has confirmed that some guests reported gastrointestinal symptoms but insisted that fewer than 1% of passengers were affected. The company maintains that it follows strict health protocols and has taken measures to tackle the outbreak.
52
Comments
Comment