Marco Polo Norovirus update

In a surprise move, Transocean, which chartered the Marco Polo, has said that the ship will sail home today and that travellers on board have two choices: to sail back on the Marco Polo or to travel by train and coach from Invergorden, where the ship is docked, to York and on to Peterborough and then London by train and coach. It appears that a petition launched by passengers on the cruise has resulted in the dual offer – until they took their complaint to the local BBC radio and news station, they were only being offered train travel. The man who died has been named as Roy Sillett and it appears that underlying issues, including a heart condition, were the actual cause of his death.

In another development, it seems that legal action may be taken against Transocean by the London Port Authority whose health officials were not notified of the outbreak of illness on the ship that had occurred when it put into port at Tilbury, and which could, if notified, have prevented the norovirus spreading to the several hundred passengers and crew who are currently receiving treatment.

Marco Polo courtesy of Bilge