So, this is legit my worst nightmare.
You might have heard that norovirus has been on the rise lately, causing many to battle gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Getting the stomach bug while in the comfort of your own home is bad enough, but contracting it on a cruise ship? Absolutely not.
Unfortunately, this was the case for nearly 90 passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. In fact, the outbreak was so bad that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a press release about it.
Over 90 Passengers and Crew Members Fall Ill Due to Suspected Norovirus Outbreak
According to the CDC, Royal Caribbean International and its crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens for testing, isolated ill passengers and crew members, and consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) about procedures and reporting ill cases. Additionally, the VSP has been remotely monitoring the outbreak and the cruise’s response to it.
The CDC also reported that 2,164 passengers and 910 crew members were aboard the ship, with 89 passengers and two crew members being ill.
“Reporting gastrointestinal illness is important. When passengers and crew tell the medical center onboard about their symptoms, it helps GI illness outbreaks get detected quickly,” the press release stated. “This allows steps to be taken to limit the spread of illness.”
“In this outbreak, samples are pending confirmatory testing,” the CDC wrote.
The cruise—which set sell from Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 1—is expected to return tomorrow.
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