Port issues legal threat over failure to report cruise bug

Published on Wednesday 8 July 2009 21:56

THE master and operators of a cruise liner hit by a vomiting bug while berthed in the Highlands could face legal action after failing to report on-board illness before it set sail.

Transocean Tours of Bergen cut short a ten-day voyage around Britain after 380 passengers and crew were suspected of having norovirus, or winter vomiting bug. The ship sailed from Tilbury, London, on Saturday and arrived in Invergordon on Monday. It was due to visit Kirkwall, Stornoway, Tobermory, Dublin and the Scilly Isles and Guernsey, but the voyage was abandoned due to the outbreak.

The ship is due to return to Tilbury today. Operators have laid on a chartered 700-seat train from Inverness. However, many passengers have signed a petition demanding they return by sea and not rail.

When the ship returns south it faces action by the London Port Health Authority, which says it was not informed of an outbreak of a gasto-intestinal illness prior to the ship arriving in Tilbury on 4 July. Transocean Tours has said "a very small number" of people suffered symptoms of gastro- enteritis during a cruise to Iceland and that port authorities gave the ship a clean bill of health when it docked in Tilbury.

But yesterday London Port Health Authority said it has since been told 31 passengers and two crew members were ill prior to the ship calling at Tilbury. The first symptoms are said to have occurred on the 23 June, with more passengers becoming ill in July.

The authority said masters of ships are required to notify any cases of suspect infectious disease at least four hours, but not more than 12 hours, before arriving in port.

A Transocean spokeswoman said it was aware of the authority's stance, but had no comment at present.