A cruise operator is currently facing demands for refunds and compensation following a widespread illness outbreak on board one of its vessels.
500+ passengers aboard P&O Cruises UK's ship Ventura were reportedly affected by a norovirus outbreak during a 2-week cruise around the Canary Islands that departed from Southampton (England) in May.
Legal representatives pursuing compensation on behalf of affected passengers suggest that the number of those impacted could be in the thousands across multiple cruises.
In response, P&O stated that it has established protocols to address health issues on its ships, asserting that less than 1% of passengers on the voyage had fallen ill.
However, a subsequent Freedom of Information request to the Southampton port health authority revealed that at the peak of the outbreak, 519 passengers - equating to 12.3% of those on board - were affected.
In a statement P&O said:
"We are aware that some guests unfortunately reported gastrointestinal symptoms, reflecting higher rates seen in England this summer.
"Gastrointestinal related illnesses are very common in England and Wales and predominantly spread by person-to-person transmission in environments such as hotels, schools and restaurants.
"We work with global, national and regional public health authorities on proven protocols across our ships in order to protect the health and wellbeing of all on board".
For more P&O Ventura incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.