MIAMI (WSVN) - Dozens of people fell ill during a Royal Caribbean cruise that is scheduled to arrive in Miami this week, federal health officials said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 71 passengers and one crew member aboard the Serenade of the Seas came down with norovirus, experiencing symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.
The outbreak occurred during the ship’s current voyage, which began Sept. 19 in San Diego and is set to conclude Thursday in Miami, according to CruiseMapper.
The ship is currently carrying over 1,800 passengers and has been in service with the cruise line since 2003.
Florida International University Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Aileen Marty said this is a very common virus.
“It’s going to make you nauseous, it’s going to give you vomiting, give you diarrhea for a few days and in it of itself, is not that bad, but if you get dehydrated from losing all those fluids, it can very serious,” she said.
Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that can spread quickly in close contact environments like cruise ships.
“If the hygiene is not incredibly strict, it’s very easy that if one person brings this very contagious, hard-to-clean-off virus on board, that many people will get sick,” said Marty.
Royal Caribbean has implemented additional sanitation measures on board such as isolating sick passengers and crew members and increased cleaning. Cruise ships are required to report norovirus outbreaks under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
The CDC said it is monitoring the situation and that the cruise ship reported the outbreak on Sunday.
“The vast majority of times cruise ships are safe, but when you’re on a cruise ship, you should absolutely follow all their rules and regulations about hygiene,” said Marty.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the cruise line said:
“The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority. To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”
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