'Curse of Camilla' cruise ship struck by winter vomiting bug

Not only was the Queen Victoria the first such vessel to be named by a non monarch - the Duchess of Cornwall - but the champagne bounced off the bow during the ceremony.

Three weeks later, the "Curse of Camilla" seems to have stuck as the luxury liner has been hit by a highly-contagious stomach flu bug.

Nearly 80 passengers on the £300million ship have become victims of the virus, which causes severe vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea.

Jean Trainor, 49, from Blackburn, described seeing one of those suffering from Norovirus, the "winter sickness bug", collapse as she ate in one of the ship's restaurants. She said: 'Paramedics wearing masks rushed to the scene.

"The woman was taken away in a wheelchair, the table was covered up and the area was immediately sealed off.

"It was like a police crime scene. Everyone I've spoken to is p***** off, including the crew, because they're having to put up with all the guests moaning."

Historically the "Cunard Queens" have been named by a monarch.

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But the Queen Victoria was launched earlier this month by Camilla, in a ceremony which saw the champagne bottle fail to smash against the bow of the 90,000-ton ship - which is regarded in maritime circles as bad luck.

The five- star liner's 3,000 passengers - who include former Formula 1 motor racing champion Sir Jackie Stewart - paid between £1,100 and £24,400 each for the 'Festive Celebration' cruise to the Canary Islands, only the ship's second voyage.

Yesterday, as the liner docked at Las Palmas in the Canaries, 24 passengers and one crew member were still suffering from the virus.

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In total 78 on board have been hit by the bug. Cunard said the virus was probably brought on board by passengers when they began the 16-night cruise at Southampton on December 21.

A spokesman said: "Those who have been infected have been confined to their rooms until they are better to prevent a spread of the infection."

Almost two million people in Britain have been struck down by the Norovirus this year - more than double the number of cases last year, according to official estimates.

Just under a year ago more than 300 passengers and crew on the QE2 were struck by the bug on a cruise to New York.