P&O cruises: More than 70 passengers on board Arcadia month-long cruise from Southampton port fall ill with sickness and diarrhoea

The outbreak has occurred on the 1,959-passenger Arcadia during its current sailing from the UK to the US and Canada. Some 65 passengers and 10 crew members have reported symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness including vomiting and diarrhoea, according to the US health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It added that the cause is unknown. A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “Upon embarkation all guests were provided with an advisory notice with precautionary health measures for on board and on shore, as is standard procedure across our fleet. (Following reports of guests with gastrointestinal symptoms,) P&O Cruises swiftly implemented approved, proven and enhanced sanitisation protocols to uphold the wellbeing of everyone onboard.”

It is understood CDC officials boarded the ship while it was docked in New York from 18 to 20 September but no sick passengers disembarked and the cruise was not delayed. The Arcadia ship left Southampton on 3 September and is currently sailing from Portland to Saint John in Canada. It is due to arrive back in Southampton on 3 October.

The CDC has logged nine incidents of norovirus on cruise ships so far this year which involve enough people for it to be classed as an outbreak. The illness on the Arcadia ship is yet to be confirmed as norovirus.

According to the CDC, P&O Cruises and the ship’s crew initiated enhanced sanitation, onboard announcements where passengers and crew were informed about the outbreak, good hygiene practices, and specimen collection: Stool samples from affected individuals were collected to help in identifying the cause of the illness.