Cruise terminal in Turks & Caicos shut down after stomach bug outbreak

Tourist chiefs in the Turks & Caicos have shut down the cruise terminal on Grand Turk after a stomach bug outbreak.

Cruise lines started cancelling port calls to Grand Turk on 11 March when passengers suffered from symptoms of gastroenteritis after visiting the Grand Turk Cruise Centre in the British Caribbean territory.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the tourist board director, Ralph Higgs, said local authorities were looking into the problem, and that the 18-acre cruise centre - which includes a shopping centre, a swimming pool and a host of restaurants - would be reopened as soon as possible.

Vance Gulliksen, a spokesman for Carnival, the Florida-based company that opened the terminal in 2006, said the company was "investigating whether there may be a link with consumption of food and beverages while guests were ashore in Grand Turk", reports the Express.

He added that Carnival and other cruise lines cancelled port calls to Grand Turk to be cautious and were monitoring the situation while authorities try to determine the cause of the illness.

Cruise lines were rerouting their ships or extending their stays in ports in Puerto Rico, Bahamas and other nearby destinations.

A spokesman for the cruise centre, Buck Banks, said experts working with local health officials had been examining and testing food and water at the cruise terminal over the last two weeks.

He added: "Multiple measures are currently being taken to ensure the quality of all food, water and sanitation systems going forward."

Related articles

Family holiday ruined by cruise liner hit by illness for fifth year in row

Teen's cruise nightmare after mystery bug led to septicaemia

Escape the British freeze and discover these Caribbean delights:

%VIRTUAL-Gallery-140792%

New to cruising? Check out these top cruise destinations for 2013:

%VIRTUAL-Gallery-175499%