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Poison bug in cruise liner
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by PANORAMA reporter
A cruise ship sailed into Gibraltar yesterday with food poisoning onboard.
The bug caused a stir with some tour guides and coach drivers, as the word got round of what some were saying was an outbreak of gastro-enteritis.
In fact, the coach staff were handed by the ship with a large bag each containing medicals because of the bug onboard.
What was described as a 'sanitization kit' was contained in a sanitary carry bag. Items included Virox liquid in properly labelled containers; Task mate disposable paper wipes; vomit bags and disposable latex hand gloves.
These measures are put in place in respect of shore personnel "during Code Yellow and Code Red", the instructions state.
As a result, a number of drivers/guides refused to work given the nature of the outbreak.
What is regarded as surprising is that passengers were allowed to come ashore, when in other ports it is sometimes the case that passengers are barred to avoid the spread of a bug onboard the ship.
Questioned by PANORAMA, ship agents Turner & Co confirmed that there had been "some food poisoning onboard, but contained, and confined to one part of the ship."
Calypso Tours, part of M.H. Bland, spoke of '2 or 3' employees refusing to work.
He added that one tour guide had his wife undergoing an operation and did not want to risk an infection.
Every now and then, even if there was only one case of flu etc, cruise liners will provide medical packs, he said.
The affected cruise liner was the 'Noordam' of Holland American line. It arrived at 9am and departed at 8pm. The passengers were Americans.
The ship can take 1,848 passengers. It arrived from Cartagena and left for Cadiz.
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