Passengers disembark after sickness hits cruise ship

LONDON - Passengers on the cruise ship Sea Princess disembarked on Friday after their trip was cut short when 200 travellers fell ill with gastroenteritis.

The ship, operated by Princess Cruises which is owned by US giant Carnival, docked at its home port of Southampton, a day earlier than scheduled.

Company spokesman Peter Shanks said most passengers had recovered and only about eight were still ill. The ship, on a week-long cruise, missed out a visit to Lisbon to allow extra time for the vessel to be disinfected.

Shanks told the BBC the illness had not originated on board, but had been brought from onshore. Passengers have been offered a 30 per cent refund on the cost of the cruise and 150 pounds off any future trip.

Disembarking passengers said they were confined to their cabins in a bid to stop the spread of the infection which caused severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

The illness is thought to be the highly contagious norovirus which affected 600 passengers on board P&O's Aurora liner in 2003. P&O Cruises is the sister line of Princess Cruises.

- REUTERS