More than 150 people get grim ‘vomiting bug’ on mega cruise ship in Caribbean
A norovirus outbreak swept through a mega cruise ship leaving more than 150 people stricken by the ‘vomiting bug’.
A total 104 passengers and 49 crew members became ill with norovirus on the Star Princess liner, which only debuted five months ago.
Guests were on a cruise holiday around Central America and the Caribbean when the vomiting and diarrhea took hold.
Staff on the 4,307-passenger vessel first reported the outbreak to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, March 11.
(Picture: Princess )
According to cruise ship tracking site CruiseMapper, the Star Princess returned to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday after a week at sea.
The voyage appears to be offered as either a one- or two-week itinerary, with some passengers boarding on March 7 and disembarking on March 14, while others remain on board for the second leg of a two-week stint.
The ship is currently en route to Princess Cays in the Bahamas.
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program said in a statement on Saturday it ‘is doing a field response to conduct an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak’.
Princess told USA TODAY that a ‘limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness’ during Star Princess’ March 7 voyage.
They said in a statement: ‘We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage.
‘We also separated anyone feeling unwell so they could rest comfortably in private – just an added precaution to help keep the rest of our guests and crew feeling their best.’
The Star Princess only embarked on its maiden voyage from Europe in October.
The vessel has a concert venue with a clear dome overhead, as well as 30 bars and restaurants.
What is norovirus?
Norovirus, also called the winter vomiting bug, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
Norovirus is highly contagious and symptoms can show within to 12 to 28 hours of the bug being contracted.
People usually feel better within one to three days, but can still spread the virus 48 hours after symptoms end.
Cruise ships are required to report all such outbreaks to the CDC, in a bid to monitor and stop the spread of infections when they visit ports.
Gastrointestinal outbreaks are relatively common on cruise ships, according to Michael Zimring, director of the Center for Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
The high density of people in a confined space, with hundreds of people touching the same railings and bathroom doors can promote spreading.
‘In close quarters it doesn’t get away, everything’s concentrated,’ Zimring told National Geographic.
The CDC has already logged two outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships this year.
The agency recorded 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships last year, most of which were caused by norovirus.
The virus also caused 15 of 18 outbreaks in 2024 and 13 of 14 in 2023.
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