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Virus ruins luxury P & O cruise
A debilitating virus has swept through the passengers on the Pacific Sun, forcing many to abandon their holiday.
P&O Cruises’ Australian flagship, Pacific Sun, left Sydney on May 30 for a 10-day cruise up the Queensland coast to Port Douglas and Willis Island in the Coral Sea before returning via Brisbane.
P&O confirmed yesterday that shortly after leaving Sydney some of its 1650 passengers began falling ill, suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea.
It is believed the virus was spread by a person who boarded in Sydney.
More than 60 passengers have been confirmed as having been stricken by norovirus.
A P&O spokesman said norovirus was highly contagious and easily transmitted from person to person, especially if meticulous attention was not paid to personal hygiene.
“P&O Cruises is collaborating with the Queensland and New South Wales public health departments and has initiated an extensive sanitation program on board to interrupt the spread of the virus,” he said.
The spokesman said sanitation efforts on board Pacific Sun were intensified to minimise transmission of the virus after the onset of the gastrointestinal illness.
“A comprehensive ongoing disinfection protocol developed in conjunction with several international public health authorities has been implemented,” he said.
“As a result, we have seen a decline in the number of passengers who have reported with symptoms of the virus.
“Passengers who have been unwell have been treated at no cost and have been asked to comply with the ship’s doctor’s instructions.
“This includes a brief isolation in their cabin until they are non-contagious.”
Graham Muldoon
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