France confines more than 1,700 on British cruise ship in Bordeaux after gastroenteritis outbreak

A man walks on a deck of the British cruise ship the Ambition after 1,700 passengers and crew were ordered to remain on board after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, in the port of Bordeaux, France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Kevin Starrs via AP) 2026-05-13T14:30:10Z PARIS (AP) — Over 1,700 passengers and crew on a British cruise ship were ordered to remain on board after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, French authorities said Wednesday. They dismissed any link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on another vessel that has put European health authorities on alert. The Ambition was midway through a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool that was due to take in ports in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast. It reached Bordeaux on Tuesday evening, according to the operator, Ambassador Cruise Line. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships visiting U.S. ports in 2025, the highest annual total in more than a decade. Most were caused by norovirus , including a new strain driving the recent surge. The prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and Gironde department, Étienne Guyot, suspended disembarkation from the Ambition and restricted the vessel’s interactions with the port of Bordeaux. He acted on the recommendation of the regional health agency, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="126504" data-entity-type="organization">Agence Régionale de Santé Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the joint statement said. Up to 50 passengers showed symptoms consistent with acute digestive infection after the ship’s captain alerted French authorities on Tuesday evening, the statement said. Those affected were treated by the ship’s doctor and isolated in their cabins. (