Spain closes border over bug ship

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3235999.stm

Spain closes border over bug ship

Spain has closed its border with Gibraltar because a virus-hit British
cruise ship has docked at the colony.
The Aurora arrived in Gibraltar at 0645 GMT on Monday and healthy
passengers have been allowed to disembark.

But the Spanish government has decided to take no risks and closed its
borders, provoking anger from Gibraltar residents and politicians.

On Friday, the passengers were prevented from leaving the ship in
Greece because of fears about their health.

There had been only seven new outbreaks of the Norwalk or Noro virus
onboard by Sunday afternoon, the Gibraltarian government said.

A Gibraltan public health official went on board to give approval for
healthy people among the 1,800 passengers and 840 crew to go on land.

"As a precaution passengers who have suffered or shown symptoms of the
virus at any time after midnight last Thursday will not be allowed to come
ashore," the government said.

Yes, and has created a another row between the British & Spanish governments
over the rock (Gibraltar) which has got caught in between.

Glad to see the passengers affected by the Norovirus is less than a dozen
now.


"fishman" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3235999.stm

Spain closes border over bug ship

Spain has closed its border with Gibraltar because a virus-hit
British
cruise ship has docked at the colony.
The Aurora arrived in Gibraltar at 0645 GMT on Monday and healthy
passengers have been allowed to disembark.

But the Spanish government has decided to take no risks and closed
its
borders, provoking anger from Gibraltar residents and politicians.

On Friday, the passengers were prevented from leaving the ship in
Greece because of fears about their health.

There had been only seven new outbreaks of the Norwalk or Noro virus
onboard by Sunday afternoon, the Gibraltarian government said.

A Gibraltan public health official went on board to give approval
for
healthy people among the 1,800 passengers and 840 crew to go on land.

"As a precaution passengers who have suffered or shown symptoms of
the
virus at any time after midnight last Thursday will not be allowed to come
ashore," the government said.

http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2130338

Cruise Ship Docks after 'Holiday from Hell'

By Pat Hurst, PA News

British passengers aboard a bug-hit luxury liner spoke today of their
“holiday from hell” and described the ship as a “prison boat”.

The passengers were allowed off the P&O cruise ship Aurora in Gibraltar
this morning after being refused permission to dock in Greece.

More than 500 of the 1,800 British passengers have been hit by the
virulent norovirus which causes nausea, chronic diarrhoea and vomiting.

Paul Brammer, 34, was on the cruise with his wife Nicky, 32, and their
two teenage children.

Mr Brammer, a forestry contractor from Southampton, said: “The last few
days have been like a holiday from hell. It’s been like living in a
hospital environment.

“We thought it would be a holiday of a lifetime but it’s not like that
at all. We can taste chemicals on our tongues all the time, it’s coming
through the air conditioning because they’re cleaning everywhere on the
ship.

“They have obviously got a big problem. More and more people have
complained.”

Mr Brammer said only his daughter had been ill but he took his son to a
ship’s doctor after he had breathed in some of the chemicals being used
to sanitise the ship.

“The doctor said to me ’You look like the sort of bloke that would write
letters.’ I was infuriated. I asked what was in the chemicals and he
told me to look it up on the Internet.

“I think I’m entitled to know what we are breathing in. We picked the
label off one container to find out what the chemicals were and ship
staff came round. There was a massive hoo-ha.”

Mr Brammer, who spent £4,000 on the cruise and £6,000 while on board,
added: “I don’t know if I can be bothered with the hassle of asking for
a refund.”

Ronald Martin, 40, with his wife Doreen and their two children Lynsey,
25, and Rebecca, 11, were equally angry.

Mr Martin, originally from Ayr but now living in Snaith, Yorkshire,
said: “The kids have not seen land since the 28th. They were confined to
a cabin with no windows for three to four days with vomiting and
diarrhoea. We were not allowed to leave the cabin.”

Mrs Martin added: “They were sanitising the ship wearing suits and they
looked like the blokes from ET, which was frightening for the kids.

“It makes you wonder why they are wearing the suits. We’ve not been ill
but it was bad for the people who were. When we went to dinner the ship
was like the Marie Celeste.

“Now they have taken our passports off us so we can’t go home. They
should have turned us straight back to the UK when they realised the
scale of the problem.”

Michelle Seaborn, 35, a star of TV’s Wife Swap, was on the cruise with
husband Barry, 43, and described the ship as “terrifying”.

Ms Seaborn, from Southport, Merseyside, said: “They should have turned
the ship around and sailed back to the UK.

“It’s been like a mortuary on board. Everybody is sick and we’re not
allowed to go in public areas. Coming back from a day trip to Dubrovnik,
people were vomiting on the coach.

“It’s horrendous. They are walking around in white suits like
Ghostbusters spraying everything with chemicals. P&O should have been
honest from the start.”

Her husband, wearing a Rochdale FC football top, added: “It’s like
Strangeways, like a prison, locked in a cabin with no food or water. I
feel like David Blaine.”


Bon Voyage,

Rick