Passengers onboard Celebrity Eclipse hit by norovirus

Celebrity Eclipse was delayed leaving Southampton yesterday due to an outbreak of norovirus

Celebrity Eclipse and Independence of the Seas were due to leave Southampton together yesterday for the very first time but due to an outbreak of norovirus onboard the Celebrity Eclipse during an 11 night Eastern Med cruise her departure was delayed.

Passengers disembarked the 122,000 ton vessel at the city's Ocean Terminal and reported seeing people in full de-contamination suits ready to disinfect the terminal and vessel.

The outbreak delayed passengers scheduled for the next cruise boarding by hours until everywhere had been fully washed down and sprayed.

A spokeswoman for Celebrity Cruises said “in an abundance of caution” it conducted “enhanced sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal to help prevent any illness from affecting the next sailing. The health and well-being of our guests is very important to us and we believe that these additional measures will further assist in ensuring that our guests enjoy a fun, relaxing and healthy experience,”

The spokeswoman appologised and thanked passengers for their patience whilst they dealt with the situation and also said a small number of passengers onboard the Celebrity Eclipse had fallen ill with gastrointestinal illness, but had responded well to over-the-counter medication administered onboard the ship.