A significant gastrointestinal outbreak has affected passengers aboard a Fred Olsen cruise ship, coinciding with severe weather disruptions that forced the cancellation of a highly anticipated festival visit in the Shetland Islands.
Storm Forces Festival Cancellation
The Balmoral cruise ship, with a capacity for more than 1,200 passengers, had embarked from Southampton on a 10-night Norwegian fjords sailing. A scheduled call at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands on Tuesday, 27 January, was intended to allow passengers to attend the traditional Up-Helly-Aa fire festival, which marks the end of the Yule season.
However, forecasts of stormy weather led to the visit being cancelled in advance, as docking at Lerwick was deemed unsafe. A spokesperson for Fred Olsen Cruise Lines emphasised that while the decision was disappointing, safety remained the paramount concern.
Illness Outbreak Emerges
Around the same time as the weather-related disruption, passengers began reporting symptoms consistent with gastroenteritis, including diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, and fever. A passenger aboard the vessel informed The Shetland Times that approximately 200 individuals had fallen ill, with daily announcements confirming increasing cases of the illness.
Dr Kate Bunyan, director of health services at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, stated that a number of guests on the Balmoral had reported gastrointestinal symptoms during the 'Wintertime Landscapes of the Norwegian Fjords' cruise. Immediate measures were implemented to reduce transmission, and the medical team provided support to affected individuals.
Deep Clean and Continued Operations
Upon returning to Southampton, the Balmoral underwent a thorough deep clean of both the ship and the cruise terminal before departing for its next voyage. Dr Bunyan reiterated that the safety and wellbeing of guests and crew are the highest priority, with robust health and hygiene protocols always in place.
Following the cleaning process, the Balmoral set sail on a new 15-day cruise around Norway, scheduled to conclude on 14 February.
Context of Recent Cruise Illness Incidents
This incident follows a similar outbreak on a Holland America cruise ship in the southern Caribbean, where nearly 100 people fell ill with norovirus. Guests on the Rotterdam ship reported gastrointestinal symptoms during a round-trip from Fort Lauderdale that began on 28 December 2025.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of 2,593 passengers and 1,005 crew members onboard, 94 individuals reported illness during that voyage.
