SOUTHAMPTON'S luxury super-liner Oceana is at the centre of a Norwalk virus scare with more than 100 passengers and crew taken ill.

The virus, which causes sickness and diarrhoea, is currently plaguing passenger ships in America with many vessels cutting short voyages or being forced to cancel cruises altogether.

P&O Cruises' 77,499-ton Oceana is thought to be the latest ship to be hit by the Norwalk virus although this has not been confirmed as tests are still being carried out on the vessel.

Oceana would be the second Southampton ship to have been hit by the illness in recent weeks. Last month a small number of passengers became unwell during a Caribbean cruise on the 63,524-ton Arcadia.

Oceana only joined the P&O Cruises' Southampton fleet at the beginning of November and is undertaking a winter season in the Caribbean before arriving for the first time in the port next May.

According to the American government's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 114 of the 1,859 passengers and three of the 868 crew on board have reported to the ship's hospital with gastrointestinal illness.

A spokesman said: "Most of the ill passengers were said to be on one chartered flight originating in Manchester.''

A spokesman for P&O Cruises said: "A complete sanitisation programme to eradicate the virus is being carried out in all public areas, the galleys and lavatories on the ship.''

Oceana has just left the island of Aruba and is continuing on her voyage but tomorrow a team of experts from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is due to inspect the ship and talk to affected passengers and crew when the vessel docks at Barbados.

The gastrointestinal outbreak began soon after Oceana left Fort Lauderdale in Florida on a 14-night voyage a week ago.

"The Norwalk virus is not spread through water or air conditioning but from person to person,'' said the P&O Cruises' spokesman.

"A passenger would have brought the virus on board with them when they joined the ship.''