The cruise ship Ambition is due to stop in A Coruna on Saturday after being isolated over an outbreak of norovirus that left dozens of passengers and crew with gastroenteritis symptoms.
Spanish health officials will inspect the vessel when it arrives to decide whether passengers can disembark. The ship is carrying 1,670 people and is scheduled to berth at the city’s cruise terminal at 09:30, then sail to Gijon at 20:00.
Authorities say there are now 30 active cases of common gastroenteritis among the roughly 1,700 people on board. French officials had earlier reported about 80 people with symptoms.
The latest stop is not one that was originally planned. Local, regional and national authorities held a coordination meeting on Friday afternoon to prepare for the ships arrival and to organise port operations and public health checks.
The meeting brought together the Port Authority of A Coruna, the city council, the Galician regional government, maritime authorities, state security forces, the ships agent and the cruise terminal operator.
Officials said Spanish maritime authorities and the Port Authority had authorised the ships entry into Spanish waters because it meets the required conditions. Once it docks, Sanidad Exterior inspectors will board to carry out a routine inspection and assess the situation before deciding on shore leave.
The vessel arrived in A Coruna after a previous port call in Bordeaux, where passengers were eventually allowed ashore without incident. That earlier decision appears to have helped shape the response in Spain, where authorities have moved to review the case carefully but say there is no reason for alarm.
The government delegation said in a statement that the situation is being monitored closely and that all measures are being applied to protect passengers, port staff and the wider public.
Norovirus is highly contagious and often spreads quickly in enclosed settings such as cruise ships. Symptoms usually include vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain, and outbreaks can prompt isolation measures while health teams assess the scale of infection.
Cruise operators and port authorities have faced growing pressure in recent years to respond quickly to onboard illness, especially when ships call unexpectedly or when large groups of passengers may need screening before going ashore.
In this case, the decision on whether passengers can disembark will rest with Spain’s health inspectors after their routine review. The outcome will determine whether the ship can proceed with its scheduled visit to A Coruna before continuing north to Gijon later the same day.
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