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"Passengers aboard the norovirus-affected cruise ship Ambition began disembarking in Bordeaux on Thursday after French authorities lifted restrictions for travellers showing no symptoms following a 48-hour hold at port. More than 1,700 passengers and crew members on the Ambition had been temporarily confined after around 80 people reported gastrointestinal symptoms. Footage shows passengers waving as the vessel docked in Bordeaux, before disembarking with some belongings. "I don't think anybody is worried about it," one passenger said. "The people who have actually contracted the virus are probably going to have it for a couple of days, so it's going to be uncomfortable for a couple of days. But other than that, everything's good." Passenger Ken said the outbreak had been handled professionally by the crew and onboard medical teams. "I feel very sorry for the people who've been affected by it," he said. "But the whole situation has been managed very, very well. The medical staff here are excellent." "People are isolating in their own cabins, so it's not affecting anyone else," he shared. French health authorities confirmed on Wednesday evening that laboratory samples identified norovirus as the source of the outbreak, stressing that no serious cases had been reported. The Essex-based Ambassador Cruise Line later announced that the ship had been cleared by French authorities to resume ‘normal operations'. The company reportedly said enhanced sanitation, isolation procedures and medical monitoring would remain in place onboard. The cruise line also confirmed that a 92-year-old passenger died onboard on Sunday, reportedly due to a heart attack unrelated to the gastrointestinal outbreak. Authorities also stressed there was 'no reason' to connect the incident to a separate hantavirus outbreak reported on another cruise ship earlier this month. Norovirus, commonly known as viral gastroenteritis, typically causes vomiting and diarrhoea, with most patients recovering within two days."
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