France confines 1,700 on cruise ship after 90-year-old dies

French authorities locked down a British cruise ship in Bordeaux after a 90-year-old passenger died and about 50 people suffered stomach illnesses, with initial tests ruling out norovirus

ATT Desk Report ATT Desk Report
May 14, 2026 - 18:21 Updated: May 14, 2026 - 18:22
0
France confines 1,700 on cruise ship after 90-year-old dies
Passers-by walk past the Bahamas-registered cruise ship Ambition after passengers were confined following the outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness onboard, at the Bordeaux port in Bordeaux, southwestern France on May 13, 2026. Photo: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

The French authorities on Wednesday imposed a lockdown on a British cruise ship, carrying over 17,000 passengers, including 514 Indian crew members, docked in Bordeaux after a 90-year-old died, reports News18.

According to AFP, dozens suffered from upset stomachs aboard the Ambition, most of whose 1,233 passengers are from Britain or Ireland, which arrived in the western port of Bordeaux on Tuesday.

While rejecting any links with hantavirus, the health officials said a 90-year-old passenger on the cruise, run by the Ambassador Cruise Line company, died and about 50 people have shown symptoms of stomach issues.

AFP quoted them saying that the initial tests ruled out an outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious form of gastroenteritis which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, but secondary tests were still underway.

The ship has left the Shetland Islands north of Scotland on May 6, stopped in Belfast in Northern Ireland and Liverpool in England before reaching Bordeaux, from where it was scheduled to depart for Spain.