Four cruise ships were docked in Halifax on Monday but some passengers from one of the liners weren’t allowed to leave their boat.

The Aurora of P&O Cruises is taking extra precautions after a number of its passengers fell ill with a stomach virus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.

Eight passengers were asked to stay in their cabins while the ship docked in Saint John on the weekend. The ship left Saint John for Halifax Sunday.

Although the number of infected people is said to be declining, authorities in Halifax weren’t taking any chances.

Healthy passengers were allowed to leave the Aurora but ill passengers were asked to stay inside their cabins during their one-day stopover in Halifax.

“We are aware of levels of norovirus on one of the cruise ships that’s in port today,” says Lane Farguson of the Halifax Port Authority.

“The cruise line has asked us to bring in different cleaning staff just to make sure that all of the surfaces are extra clean today. We’ll have additional cleaning staff working on all of those surface areas people might touch their hands to.”

This isn’t the first time a cruise ship has docked in Halifax with several sick passengers aboard.

A gastrointestinal virus outbreak closed both The Bicycle Thief and Ristorante a Mano last summer after at least 26 staff and customers reported feeling ill.

The virus originated on a cruise ship, the Carnival Glory, which docked in Halifax with dozens of sick passengers onboard in August 2012.

“The health of your staff and of your customers and the health of your business, laying that on the line and having no control over it is scary stuff,” says Halifax restaurant owner Todd Abbass.

Doctors say people shouldn’t be too alarmed, although they should still take precautions.

“It’s very, very common. It’s kind of like the stomach version of the common cold,” says Dr. Richard Gould.

“It’s relatively easy to prevent, by washing your hands after using the toilet, washing surfaces that might be easily contaminated, like handrails and things like that.”

The Aurora left Halifax Monday evening.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Ritcey