Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition has been cleared by French health authorities and guests are permitted to debark and explore the historically-rich city of Bordeaux, but the ship will now be remaining in port longer than originally expected.

Ambition was supposed to depart at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 following an overnight stay in the port. While the ship did arrive on time early on Wednesday morning, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness onboard led French authorities to deny debarkation until health testing was complete.

Cruise Hive reported that the testing was finished and guests permitted to debark later in the day on Wednesday, following the loss of several hours of port visit time. This led to all of Wednesday’s tour opportunities being cancelled.

Now Ambition will remain overnight in Bordeaux until late Friday, but not entirely due to the illness outbreak.

“In the interests of guest comfort and crew wellbeing, Ambition will remain in Bordeaux overnight before continuing her sailing on a revised itinerary from tomorrow, Friday 15 May 2026,” the cruise line announced on Facebook.

“This will allow the ship to avoid forecast unsettled weather conditions in the Bay of Biscay this evening which would be less than ideal for guests and crew recovering from gastrointestinal illness while also providing valuable additional time for crew who have worked exceptionally hard in challenging circumstances over recent days.”

The Bay of Biscay is off the southwestern coast of France. As Ambition sails from Bordeaux to her next port, El Ferrol in northwestern Spain, she must completely cross the southern portion of the bay.

According to Windy.com, winds across the Bay of Biscay are forecast to be 25-30 miles per hour from the north-northwest at the time Ambition was to have been sailing toward El Ferrol on Thursday. By leaving on Friday instead, winds should slow to just 15-20 miles per hour, which will be a much smoother passage.

Time in El Ferrol Revised

The 48,200-gross-ton ship was originally planned to arrive in El Ferrol at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 and depart at 6 p.m.

On the revised schedule, the ship will now arrive at 10:30 a.m. and her visit has been extended until 8 p.m. to ensure all guests have a full day to enjoy the city and any tours or excursions planned.

At this time, there are no further changes to Ambition‘s itinerary. The ship departed Belfast on Friday, May 8 for the 14-night sailing. After El Ferrol, her remaining port visits are Gijon and Bilbao in Spain, followed by La Rochelle and Lorient in France, as she makes her way back to arrive in Belfast on Friday, May 22.

Illness Protocols Continue

Though Ambition is able to continue on her journey after the weather-related adjustment, the gastrointestinal illness outbreak remains onboard.

The Agence Regionale de Sante Nouvelle-Aquitaine has confirmed the outbreak as norovirus, but no serious cases have been reported.

Ambassador Cruise Line is continuing to provide free medical consultations onboard for any gastrointestinal illness symptoms and enhanced surface cleaning and other sanitation protocols remain in effect.

“Throughout this period, the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew has remained our highest priority,” the cruise line said. “We would like to thank guests and crew for their patience, understanding and cooperation while precautionary health and safety measures remain in place.”

Ambition can hold 1,248 guests at double occupancy, but no numbers have been confirmed about how many guests or crew members have reported illness symptoms.

Norovirus and other gastrointestinal illness outbreaks are common in many public places, including schools, restaurants, and yes, on cruise ships.

So far in 2026, four outbreaks have been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including most recently onboard Caribbean Princess with more than 100 guests and crew members exhibiting symptoms.

After a tense day of waiting in Bordeaux, France, Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition has finally been cleared by health authorities and the up to 1,727 passengers onboard can finally go ashore.

Earlier on May 13, Cruise Hive reported that the ship was held in port by local health authorities for testing in response to gastrointestinal illness onboard, which has been confirmed as norovirus. The number of cases has not been publicly disclosed.

By the night of May 13, the ship was formally cleared and passengers were given permission to disembark.

“Ambassador Cruise Line can confirm that the ship has been cleared, following laboratory analysis undertaken in Bordeaux, French health authorities have completed their review of the health situation onboard Ambition and confirmed that the gastrointestinal illness affecting a number of guests and crew is viral gastroenteritis (norovirus),” the cruise line shared in an update on social media.

“Ambition has now been released by the relevant French health authorities to continue normal operations. Guests are now able to disembark and all scheduled shore excursions will be operating as planned tomorrow,” the cruise line continued.

Understandably, all shore excursions were cancelled for May 13. But as this is an overnight visit, guests will get another change to partake in tours and/or explore on their own on Thursday, May 14. The ship won’t depart until 6 p.m. local time.

Given the fact that this is an overnight visit and the hold was released in less than a day, there will be no itinerary changes to the remainder of the 14-night itinerary.

The 48,200-gross ton vessel is still scheduled to visit Ferrol, Gijon, and Bilbao in Spain and La Rochelle and Lorient in France before disembarking on May 22, 2026, in Belfast, Ireland.

An additional 14-night itinerary, which embarked one day later, will disembark in Liverpool, England, the following day, May 23.

No Serious Cases Reported

The niche cruise brand also used this update as an opportunity to put a stop to panic within the cruise community and the rumors that have been fueling the fire.

First, the cruise line confirmed that a 92-year-old guest did pass away during the current sailing, but their death is not believed to be related to norovirus. The man reported no gastrointestinal symptoms.

“At this stage, no serious cases have been reported. We can confirm that a 92-year-old male guest on the sailing sadly passed away on 10 May 2026. The guest did not report GII illness symptoms,” Ambassador Cruise Line confirmed.

Most of the time, norovirus isn’t life threatening, though it can be for vulnerable populations such as the elderly or very young children. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people recover in one to three days.

Additionally, the illness plaguing Ambition is not connected to any other current or recent cruise ship outbreaks, including the norovirus outbreak onboard Caribbean Princess and the hantavirus crisis unfolding onboard MV Hondius.

These cruise ships were never even in the same place. Prior to arriving in Bordeaux, Ambition was in Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest, France.

Meanwhile, Caribbean Princess is operating in the Caribbean and MV Hondius was stranded off the coast of Cape Verde, Africa.

Increased Sanitation in Place Onboard

In order to mitigate further spread, Ambassador Cruise Line has implemented enhanced sanitation and cleaning measures onboard.

This includes isolating symptomatic guests, encouraging hand washing, increased sanitizing of public spaces and high-touch surfaces, and monitoring the well being of all guests and the approximately 670 crew members.

Guests are encouraged to report any symptoms they may be experiencing, and GI consultations in the onboard medical center are being offered free of charge.

“Throughout this period, the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew have remained our highest priority. Enhanced sanitation measures, medical monitoring and isolation procedures remain in place across the ship in accordance with EU SHIPSHAN public health protocols. Medical consultations relating to GII continue to be provided free of charge,” the cruise line stated.

Guests booked on Ambition’s upcoming sailings, which depart from Belfast and Liverpool on May 22 and 23, should look out for possible communication from the cruise line regarding possible changes to embarkation.

Sometimes, cruise lines will delay the arrival of new guests to allow for a more thorough cleaning of the ship and the cruise terminal when outbreaks occur.

Shore excursions can be a fantastic and convenient way to enjoy a port of call, whether guests prefer a highlights tour, deeper immersion into historical sites, adventure outings, or foodie explorations.

Unfortunately for guests onboard Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition, there will be no tours to explore Bordeaux, France, on Wednesday, May 13, due to a gastrointestinal outbreak on the ship.

The cancellation of all shore tours for the day is a precaution taken in accordance with local protocols as testing is conducted prior to debarkation clearance. Because the testing can take several hours, shore tours cannot be accommodated at this time.

“Ambassador Cruise Line can confirm that a number of guests and crew onboard Ambition have displayed or are displaying symptoms consistent with gastrointestinal illness,” the cruise line stated on Facebook. “As part of the vessel’s scheduled call into Bordeaux, we followed due protocol and advised the French health authorities of the situation.”

Ambition departed Belfast for the 14-night sailing on Friday, May 8, with additional guests boarding the ship the next day in Liverpool. Following a call to Brest, France on Monday, May 11, the call to Bordeaux was planned for Wednesday, May 13.

Once the 48,200-gross-ton ship arrived in Bordeaux in the early morning hours, a French specialist medical team boarded the vessel to review records and collect samples for testing. That testing, which is being conducted at the infectious diseases department of Bordeaux University Hospital approximately 12 miles from the cruise terminal, will take at least six hours to complete.

French health authorities, however, are clear that there is no connection between this outbreak and the recent hantavirus outbreak onboard MV Hondius.

“There is no reason to link this outbreak on board a cruise ship from Belfast and Liverpool with the hantavirus cases detected on the MV Hondius,” Agence Regionale de Sante Nouvelle-Aqutaine stated in a release.

Ambition is scheduled to remain in Bordeaux from just after 5 a.m. on Wednesday until 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14.

All guests and crew members will remain onboard the ship until the investigation and testing are complete. Because of the timing, all shore excursions scheduled for Bordeaux on Wednesday are cancelled and guests will receive full refunds for those tours.

Any tours that may be planned for Thursday should go ahead as scheduled, pending the outcome of the testing. Guests will also be permitted to debark the ship to explore Bordeaux on their own once medical authorities have cleared the vessel.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the medical team for their exceptional care, professionalism, and unwavering support during this time. Their swift response and continued commitment have been invaluable,” the cruise line noted.

How Many Cases Are Reported?

No details on the number of guests and crew members exhibiting symptoms of gastrointestinal illness have been confirmed, but Agence Regionale de Sante Nouvelle-Aquitaine notes that “up to fifty” passengers have reported symptoms.

Ambition can welcome 1,248 guests at double occupancy or up to 1,727 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. The ship is also home to approximately 670 international crew members.

Enhanced sanitation protocols are already in effect to minimize any further spread of the illness. Measures such as more frequent cleaning, crew-served dining rather than self-serve, and guidance for proper handwashing and hand sanitizer use are all being implemented.

Guests reporting symptoms are being checked by the medical team and isolated as appropriate. Those currently onboard the ship are full of praise for the professional and compassionate way the situation is being handled and there is no panic about possible contagion.

“We’ve been looked after really well, staff doing their very best, room service and plenty [of] water provided, non-stop cleaning. Just one of those things,” one guest said.

The exact type of illness has not yet been identified. According to FoodSafety.gov, norovirus, salmonella, and e. coli are just a few easily spread gastrointestinal bugs that can cause very similar symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea.

Cruise Hive frequently reports on such outbreaks, which can happen on any cruise line and ships of any size. Most recently, more than 100 guests and crew have been ill with norovirus on Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew remains our highest priority, and we are sincerely grateful for the patience, understanding and cooperation shown while these precautionary measures remain in place,” Ambassador Cruise Line commented.

The remainder of Ambition‘s itinerary includes several port visits in Spain and France before returning to Belfast on Friday, May 22. At this time, there is no confirmed change to the ship’s schedule.