Cruise nightmare: Passengers struck with gastro return home
Hundreds of holidaymakers aboard a luxury cruise liner from Melbourne to New Zealand are relieved their trip has come to an end after the highly contagious norovirus swept through the ship.
Passengers on the Dawn Princess, which docked at Melbourne's Station Pier this morning, have been isolated in their cabins after falling ill with the stomach bug virus while on a 13-day tour around New Zealand's south island.
It is believed as many as half of the 1800 passengers were forced into quarantine after suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea as crews desperately tried to stop the gastro from spreading.
The ship operators ramped up their efforts to disinfect and sanitise the vessel, but passengers say there was only a handful of medical staff on board and they could not keep up with the outbreak.
Some passengers have criticised the ship's management, saying it should have recruited extra staff at the ports in New Zealand, but the Dawn Princess has defended its handling of the epidemic, insisting it was contained.
It claims all passengers were free of symptoms when they disembarked today, although many were wheelchair-bound and paramedics were called.
Health officials say norovirus is a common occurrence in areas where large groups of people gather and is very easily spread from person to person.
"Unfortunately cruise ships are a setting which is common for norovirus gastroenteritis, so it's concerning but not uncommon," said chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester.
Victoria news headlines - December 10
