Cunard Queen Victoria threatened by Norovirus

Hot on the heels of the outbreak on Fred Olsen’s Balmoral, Cunard Cruise Lines is facing a difficult problem today.

Queen Victoria is due to dock on New York, but it’s feared that the passengers on board could be trapped on the ship if the port authorities decide that the norovirus on board has reached epidemic proportions – meaning that 15% of those on board (both passengers and crew) are affected by the virus. At present there are thirty people confined to their cabins, and no news about how many crew may be suffering the ‘winter vomiting bug’. The ship is being cleaned in an attempt to protect the 2,000 remaining passengers, with particular attention being paid to the dining rooms, where the virus is often transmitted and public areas such as lift buttons and handrails that many people touch in the course of the day.

Worse than the cancelled port call are the implications for the rest of the cruise, which should continue for another two weeks travelling through the Caribbean. If the virus does extend its grip, the whole trip could be cancelled.

New York's Economic Development Corporation is watching the situation carefully, for fear that the virus may transmit from the ship, if it is allowed to dock, to other ships and crew travelling through the dock area who will, in turn, pass it on to many other vessels. Cunard Line has put out a statement saying, 'We can confirm that there have been a small number of reported cases of viral gastroenteritis among the passengers and crew on board Queen Victoria during her current transatlantic crossing to New York …The clinical symptoms are consistent with Norovirus … and this has been confirmed by sample analysis.'