A norovirus outbreak on a Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship has forced the cruise line to cancel an upcoming cruise after hundreds of passengers have been affected by the illness.
The June 20, 2015 sailing on the Balmoral, a three night cruise to Belgium and France has been canceled due to a norovirus outbreak on the ship. The ship is currently on an 11 night cruise through Scandinavia that left Southampton, England on June 9. Guests who were scheduled to be on the three night cruise will receive a full refund or cruise transfer options. One option is for a two week cruise for an extra $300 USD. Passengers who choose the full refund will also receive a voucher for 25% off a future cruise.
Passengers who have caught the norovirus have been confined to their staterooms for a minimum of two days. The ship will undergo an extensive cleaning when the vessel returns back to port. The following cruise that is scheduled to depart on June 23 remains on schedule.
The Balmoral is a 43,000 gross ton ship that can carry 1,400 passengers in over 700 staterooms. The ship was built in 1978 and rebuilt in 2007.
Photo Credit: “Balmoral” by LesMeloures – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
