Vacationers were looking forward to a luxurious Royal Caribbean cruise this past week, but the ship has pulled back into its Port Everglades, Florida harbor with more than 100 sickened passengers that have a severe stomach illness. ABC News reports that the illness has been diagnosed as norovirus. The Royal Caribbean vessel took an 11-night cruise and during that time 105 passengers and three crew members came down with the violent malady. The cruise says that there were 1,991 guests aboard the ship and 772 crew members. The ship returned when scheduled and the ill passengers took over-the-counter medications while aboard the ship. The Centers for Disease Control says that they do not yet have a record of the incident.
The cruise line says that they have high standards for health and safety on the ship and that during sailing they conducted multiple deep cleanings and sanitizing to minimize the amount of germs and prevent spreading the illness, As well, when the ship arrived back at its port, the crew conducted an extensive sanitization process and worked hard to make sure that the ship was perfectly clean and ready for new passengers that would board. The Vision of the Seas ship had gone to six destinations in the Caribbean on the cruise. Norovirus is an uncomfortable illness but not a deadly one.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, norovirus is extremely contagious and can be spread through contaminated food or water as well as through contact with a person who has the illness. In addition, those that touch surfaces that have been contaminated with norovirus germs. Typically, norovirus has the same symptoms as the stomach flue. Those who are ill with the virus have stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Illnesses naturally spread quickly on ships where people are crammed in close quarters. If you have been injured on a cruise ship or if you came down with an illness that resulted in hospitalization or another serious issue, then you may be able to see compensation depending on the circumstances. Talk to an Atlanta injury lawyer at today if you believe that you have a case and want a professional to assist you.