Dad dies after catching norovirus on cruise ship holiday - with 100 more passengers ill
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A grieving wife says she "blames herself" after her husband of more than 50 years died of kidney failure after catching norovirus while on board a cruise ship. Alan Forster, 77, was enjoying a month-long P&O voyage aboard the Arcadia with his wife, Dianna, when he began suffering diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Mr Forster was confined to his cabin and was hospitalised once the ship reached Canada.
However, his condition deteriorated and he later died of kidney failure. A norovirus outbreak was later confirmed by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, with nearly 100 passengers affected by the illness. Dianna, 79, said: "I blame myself. If it wasn't for me, he'd still be here. It was me who wanted to go on the cruise.
"Alan was the most loving husband and dad. We were looking forward to many more years together but that's been taken away in the cruellest of ways. We couldn't wait to board the Arcadia and start our holiday. We'd been on 47 cruises before and had planned more for the future.
"It's less than two months since we lost him and every day since then has been filled with grief and pain. I still can't – and don't want to - accept my beloved husband is gone. "Alan was in good spirits and health before the cruise. Alan is not one to normally complain, so when he said he felt unwell I knew something was very wrong and it was more than just an upset stomach.
"There were announcements there was norovirus on the ship, so we suspected it must be that and he would get any medical help he needed. It took many long and traumatic days of being quarantined in our room for the nurses to come and see Alan, and even then they didn't do anything outside of lifting him back into bed.
