The cruise ship, Crown Princess will end its current cruise two days early due to the large number of gastrointestinal illness cases for the second week in a row. The 3,080-passenger ship will return to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday instead of Saturday. There it will undergo two days of sanitization in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was reported that 114 passengers and 59 crew members were diagnosed with a gastrointestinal virus believed to be norovirus. Those passengers affected will receive full refunds, flights home and coverage of change fees for airlines. They will also receive hotel accommodations if necessary and a 25% credit for a future cruise.
Last weeks cruise totaled 364 passengers and 30 crew members infected with norovirus. The ship underwent rigorous sanitation procedures under the supervision of the CDC, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
Norovirus is the second most common illness next to the common cold, and is highly contagious, spreading easily in confined spaces such as hospitals, hotels, dormitories and cruise ships. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.
-Marion Ambrose
10 Ways to Stay Healthy on a Cruise (CRUISE CRITIC) http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?id=1061)
Wash your hands. The number-one way to avoid getting Norovirus or other illnesses on a cruise is to thoroughly wash your hands -- more than you ordinarily would -- before and after you eat, after you use the restroom, when returning to the cruise ship after a day in port and every time you touch a stranger or an oft-touched item like a stairway railing or a slot machine. In this way, you'll kill any germs before they can infect you. In addition to ramping up hand-washing, also take advantage of the hand sanitizers strategically placed around cruise ships in the dining areas, by the gangway and even in various lounges and public spaces. But note that using a hand sanitizer is not a replacement for basic hand-washing.
