Balmoral Norovirus Numbers Rrise

Over a quarter of passengers on the Fred Olsen ship Balmoral have now been confirmed as having norovirus.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed that 252 of the 919 passengers on board the vessel have fallen ill with the bug, along with eight crew.

The majority of passengers on Balmoral, which is on a five-week Old England to New England cruise from the UK to the US, are British.

The ship docked in Portland, Maine, on Sunday and passengers with symptoms were quarantined in their cabins.

In a statement, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said: "Fred Olsen has been undertaking extensive sanitisation measures and cleaning of the ship, in accordance with its strict illness containment and prevention plan.

"Those guests who are affected are asked to remain in their rooms during this time - with complimentary room service and in-room entertainment.

"Fred Olsen is co-operating fully with all the necessary maritime agencies and authorities,‎ as Balmoral continues on her cruise, and will continue to make e‎very effort possible to ensure the safety and well-being of all its guests and crew on board, which is of paramount importance."

Personal injury lawyers Irwin Mitchell says it has been contacted by two passengers who travelled on the ship last month who suffered the symptoms of gastric illness.

Jennifer Mullins, an expert in Irwin Mitchell's International Personal Injury team said: "It's deeply concerning to see reports of this illness outbreak on-board the Balmoral cruise ship.

"We hope that reassurances are provided by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and that any measures required to try to prevent incidents like this in the future will be implemented immediately."