Nearly 70 passengers aboard a Royal Caribbean ship are recovering after falling ill with what’s believed to be a stomach virus.
"The ship, the "Majesty of the Seas," returned to port in Miami after a sickening four-day voyage to the Bahamas and Key West." (Via WNBC)
The Miami Heraldreports Royal Caribbean said in a statement, “66 guests and two crew members aboard Majesty of the Seas suffered gastrointestinal illness believed to be norovirus. That’s roughly 2.5 percent of the 2,581 passengers.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, norovirus is incredibly contagious. A person can become infected from contaminated food, water, surfaces or even by coming into contact with someone who has it.
It’s unclear where the virus originated, though the Daily Mail reports sick passengers responded well to over-the-counter medication.
And despite the outbreak, WSVN reports the ship is ready to set sail again.
"The cruise line said quote 'We conducted an extensive and thorough sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal, to help prevent any illness from affecting the next sail (sic).'"
It’s the latest such incident in the cruise line industry. Last May, a fire broke out on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and in February, the engine room caught fire aboard a Carnival Triumph cruise liner. (Via ABC, New York Daily News)
That's the same cruise line that left passengers stranded for five days without working toilets last year. (Via Time)
The ship left Miami port with another boatload of passengers yesterday afternoon.
