Yet another cruise ship trip was cut early due to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.
The Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess had to turn back to Houston on Thursday, more than 24 hours before it was supposed to. The ship turned back after a suspected norovirus outbreak. More than 160 of 3,104 passengers on the ship became sick with a gastrointestinal illness that has caused severe diarrhea and vomiting, USA Today reports.
This is the second incident in a week. Earlier this week, more than 600 out of 3,071 people fell ill on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. The Royal Caribbean ship was forced to return to its home port in Bayonne, N.J. two days ahead of schedule.
Princess' decision to return the ship early will give the company enough time to thoroughly clean the ship before its next sailing. However the company claims the ship returned early because of a thick fog forecast over the weekend that could cause the Houston port to close.
"We are mindful of our passengers' safety and comfort, as well as the disruption the port's closing will have on their onward travel plans," Princess said according to USA Today.
The Caribbean Princess was on a Caribbean trip, just like Explorer of the Seas. The ship left the port on Jan. 25 and wasn't set to return until Saturday.
Princess says the CDC will board the ship to monitor the sanitization process. It is scheduled to sail again on Saturday. Passengers who were on the cruise that ended early will receive 20 percent of their fare as a future cruise credit and money to cover the costs of meals for the cruise ending early.
Norovirus is a common illness in the U.S. It breaks out in places where a large amount of people gather. The peak of the norovirus season is in January, although outbreaks occur from November to March. The illness comes on suddenly and can last as many as three days. Most people can recover without treatment but some may require extra liquid due to dehydration.
Explorer of the Seas had one of the largest norovirus outbreaks for a cruise ship, but overall, there has been a drop in the number of incidents lately. According to the CDC, there were nine outbreaks in 2013. There were 16 in 2012 and more than 30 in 2006.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
