More than 1,700 passengers and crew were stuck on the Ambition cruise ship after it left LiverpoolFiona Leishman Content Editor and Jonathan Blackburn Investigations and campaigns reporter
13:42, 16 May 2026Updated 13:42, 16 May 2026
Cruise ship MS Ambition on it’s visit to Liverpool(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Passengers on a cruise ship struck by an outbreak of the vomiting bug norovirus have described the horrific scenes aboard, with holidaymakers throwing up in communal areas. Over 1,700 are aboard the Ambition liner, which docked at Liverpool Cruise Terminal, close to the Pier Head, to pick up passengers before heading towards the Bordeaux coast, where 49 were taken ill following an outbreak of the extremely infectious vomiting bug norovirus.
The vessel, run by Ambassador Cruise Line, departed from the Shetland Islands on May 6, making stops in Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest in France.
The ship failed to continue its journey to Spain after arriving in Bordeaux, due to the outbreak. Passengers recounted the distressing incidents they’ve observed, with one woman reporting she witnessed someone being sick on the deck and another on a bus.
David Munster, from Dundonald, County Down is travelling aboard the vessel with his wife. He said that, following the ship’s departure from Liverpool, passengers were informed that a number of those on board had “become ill”. He explained that affected passengers were self-isolating in their cabins while others remained free to make use of the available facilities, reports the Mirror.
He added that while he hadn’t personally witnessed anyone being unwell, he had observed the “clean-up of people being sick”, and praised the crew for being “very hardworking.”
Cruise ship MS Ambition berthed at Liverpool’s Cruise Liner Terminal(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Carol Landa-Vance, from County Antrim, is travelling on the vessel with her husband. She spoke to the BBC on Wednesday following French authorities’ announcement that symptom-free passengers were permitted to disembark, with Ambassador confirming that standard operations, including shore excursions, would resume.
Carol said: “We’ve had the good news tonight that the French government have tested and it’s a norovirus, that’s definite, and we’re free to move about the ship tomorrow, and we’re free to get off the ship tomorrow.”
She added: “We were not allowed to help ourselves at the self-service buffet. Condiments were removed and knives and forks were wrapped up and handed to us. The pools were closed and the jacuzzi was also closed.”
She said that someone was sick on the bus in front of her, and another was sick on the deck.
Ambassador Cruise Line officially confirmed the outbreak in a statement released through their social media channels on Wednesday (May 13), saying that they “take any illnesses onboard our ships extremely seriously.”
The Essex-headquartered cruise operator continued: “Enhanced sanitation and prevention protocols were immediately implemented across the ship in line with established public health procedures following the initial reports of illness. The comprehensive health and safety measures introduced onboard include increased cleaning and disinfection measures in public areas, assisted service in selected dining venues and ongoing guidance to guests regarding hand hygiene.”
Yet the firm’s social media post was inundated with replies from passengers complaining about fellow travellers’ hygiene standards, with one guest saying: “Some passengers need a lesson in hygiene. One lady coughing in the dining room with no hand over her mouth. Disgusting.”
“The crew try their best to keep the ships public areas clean… some of the passengers on the other hand just don’t seem to care,” another wrote. Meanwhile, other commenters commended the ship’s staff, with one stating: “We’ve been looked after really well, staff doing their very best, room service and plenty [of] water provided, non-stop cleaning.”
The cruise operator’s statement also acknowledged that a 92-year-old British gentleman had died aboard the vessel on Sunday, though clarified he had not reported any norovirus-related symptoms and his cause of death remains undetermined.
According to local reports, the passenger suffered cardiac arrest. During the planned stop at Bordeaux, the cruise operator confirmed it had notified French health officials of the circumstances.
At 2am on Wednesday, medical personnel from the university hospital were helicoptered to the ship at the harbour entrance to examine patient documentation with crew members, while a second team came aboard at 5am to gather samples for testing. The cruise line stated: “Ambition has now been released by the relevant French authorities to continue normal operations.”