Businesses received ‘no warning’ over cruise ship illness 

Dwarfing the Fair Isle ferry Good Shepherd was the cruise ship Costa Favolosa on Tuesday morning. Photo Ivan Reid 

Anger has been expressed over thousands of cruise passengers coming ashore following an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Thousands of passengers from cruise ship  Costa Favolosa has been spotted exploring the isles this week.

However, concerns were raised over a viral sickness bug breakout on the vessel – with reports of one passenger being “violently sick” during a bus tour.

Blyde Welcome’s Celia Smith said she had served many of the cruise ship’s passengers yesterday, but had “absolutely no warning” about the breakout and only learned of the situation through an off-duty tour guide.

“We could’ve been better prepared, we could’ve had more sanitiser and some businesses had face masks.

“The front part of our shop is really quite small and it was really busy and quite cramped. We were all in close proximity so we’re worried somebody might catch it – then you’ll see the ripple effect through the community.” 

NHS Shetland said the Health Protection and Environmental Health Teams had not been advised of any public health issues relating to the visiting cruise ship prior to its arrival.

However, it later became aware that a “small number” of passengers had symptoms of gastroenteritis which was being “appropriately managed” by the medical team on the vessel.