A cruise ship launched by the Duchess of Cornwall less than a month ago has been hit by a potentially fatal stomach bug that left almost 80 passengers confined to their cabins.

Three weeks ago superstitious seafarers speculated that Cunard’s MS Queen Victoria, which cost £300 million, was cursed after the bottle of champagne used by the Duchess at the naming ceremony failed to smash against her bows.

Now, at least 78 passengers have been struck down by norovirus, more commonly known as the “winter sickness bug” that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

Three thousand passengers, including Sir Jackie Stewart, the former Formula One motor racing champion, paid up to £33,000 to go on the 16-night voyage. Yesterday the Queen Victoria, on only its second cruise, was moored at Lanzarote while 25 passengers suffering the virus were recovering in their cabins and crew members disinfected the vessel to prevent further spread of the infection.

Voyagers have been given antiseptic lotion for washing their hands and warned not to use the vessel’s public lavatories. It was reported that one female passenger who collapsed at her dining table was treated by paramedics wearing surgical masks before being taken to the ship’s medical centre in a wheelchair.

Norovirus is the most common cause of infectious gastroenteritis, and outbreaks are common on cruise ships. Although relatively mild, it is highly contagious and can prove fatal in the elderly. The Black Prince cruise ship, operated by Fred Olsen, suffered two outbreaks.

This latest epidemic will fuel the legend that says that when the bottle fails to smash during a naming ceremony, it is a sign that the vessel is cursed. Seven years ago the champagne bottle similarly failed to break for the Princess Royal as she christened the MV Aurora. The ship broke down 18 hours into her maiden voyage.

Cunard broke with tradition by inviting the Duchess, rather than the Queen, to launch the 90,000-tonne vessel before its first trip around northern Europe.

Passengers on board the five-star cruise ship paid between £2,000 and £33,000 each for the trip from Southampton to the Canary Islands. Eric Flounders, a company spokesman, confirmed that 78 of the 3,000 passengers and crew had been affected and that 25 of them were still suffering with the virus.

“As there were no such outbreaks on the ship’s previous voyage, we suspect that it was inadvertently brought on board by embarking guests on December 21,” he said.

“Those who have been infected have been confined to their rooms. to prevent a spread of the infection and we have ordered regular cleaning of handrails all over the ship. Antibacterial liquid is being provided and everybody is being urged to wash their hands regularly. We are very sorry if anybody’s cruise has been affected.”

Mr Flounders said that affected passengers would not be recompensed. “It is a very common virus and on a par with the common cold. It is not something for which we would compensate passengers,” he said.

Ill-starred voyages

— At the naming ceremony for P&O’s MV Aurora seven years ago, the champagne failed to shatter. The ship broke down on her maiden voyage and norovirus swept through her in 2003

— Norovirus on board the Van Gogh in June last year claimed the life of Pat Horn, 78, a former teacher, and led to the collapse of Travelscope, the cruise operator

— In January this year, 300 people on the QE2 were hit by the bug in the Atlantic. A month earlier, 400 caught it aboard Freedom of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, in Florida

Source: Times database

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