200 passengers fall ill on cruise ship

More than 200 passengers fell ill with a viral infection on an American cruise ship that docked today in north-west Spain, officials said.

These passengers – mainly Britons – were isolated in their rooms aboard the Sea Princess, owned by Princess Cruises, as the ship anchored in the port of Vigo.

It has cancelled plans to visit Lisbon as the last leg of its cruise and was to leave later today for Southampton, where the cruise began on Saturday, Princess Cruises said in a statement.

The vessel arrived in Vigo from Le Havre, France.

The symptoms of the bug – believed to be one called Norovirus – are nausea and diarrhoea and tend to last 24-48 hours.

As of this afternoon only about 15 people were still ill, the company said.

Princess Cruises is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corporation.