Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Hit with Norovirus, 108 Ill

A Royal Caribbean International cruise ship returned to Port Everglades in South Florida Friday after completing an 11-day trip during which 105 out of 1991 passengers and 3 out of 772 crew members aboard fell ill.

The ship, Vision of the Seas, was hit by norovirus during its trip. The outbreak of the virus was announced shortly after the cruise departed. Those experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms were given over-the-counter medication, and passengers responded to the treatment that was administered onboard the ship. These passengers were also quarantined.

David Peikin, director of public affairs for the trade group, was quoted as saying in Bloomberg that historic occurrences of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships are low.

"At Royal Caribbean International we have high health standards for all our guests and crew," the company said in a press statement. "During the sailing, we conduct enhanced cleaning onboard the ship, to help prevent the spread of the illness."

Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weakness. The disease lasts for a few days but without proper medication and hydration, the symptoms can prolong.  

According to the passengers, the crew members were trying to sanitize every inch of the ship but the virus was very contagious.

A similar incident occurred in December 2012, where 194 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the luxury cruise ship Queen Mary 2 were found to have been hit by norovirus, causing diarrhea and vomiting.

On Feb. 25, Vision of Seas departed from Port Everglades, visiting places such as Barbados and Grenada. The ship departed from Port Everglades March 8 for another scheduled cruise.