Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the water, another cruise line has turned back a ship after passengers and crew were stricken with gastrointestinal illness that caused vomiting and diarrhea.
Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess returned to Houston on Friday one day early from a seven-day tour of the Western Caribbean after at least 162 passengers and 11 crew members became ill, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Princess spokeswoman attributed the early return to a prediction for dense fog, though passengers disputed that in interviews with a Houston CNN affiliate. They said they were instructed to stay in their cabins while gloved crew members wiped down the ship's public areas with disinfectant.
The Caribbean Princess visited Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, but did not make a scheduled stop in Belize due to the early return. Princess offered passengers a 20-percent discount on a future trip, a night's lodging if they were to fly out of Houston and other minor expenses.
The ship has 1,149 crew members and can carry 3,104 passengers.
Earlier in the week, nearly 700 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea while the ship was on a Caribbean cruise, the highest number of sick passengers reported on a cruise ship in two decades. The Explorer of the Seas returned to New Jersey two days ahead of schedule.
The CDCP has confirmed the cause of the illness on board the Explorer of the Seas as norovirus, and officials in Houston are inspecting the Caribbean Princess, where the same virus is suspected of having sickened passengers. Norovirus can be transmitted person to person, from surfaces or via food and water, according to the CDCP. Because it's a virus, antibiotics are ineffective in treating it. Infected people usually recover in a few days, but in severe cases, typically affecting children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, it can cause serious illness, including death. The CDCP estimates that it sickens 19 million to 21 million people per year and kills 570 to 800 victims annually.
Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess returned to Houston on Friday, one day early from a seven-day tour of the Western Caribbean after at least 162 passengers and 11 crew members became ill, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A spokeswoman attributed the early return due to a prediction for dense fog, though passengers disputed that in interviews with the local CNN affiliate. They said they were instructed to stay in their cabins while gloved crew members wiped down the ship's public areas with disinfectant.
The ship visited Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, but did not make a scheduled stop in Belize due to the early return. Princess offered passengers a 20-percent discount on a future trip, a night's lodging if they flew out of Houston and a one-day per diem for food and other minor expenses.
The ship has 1,149 crew members and can carry 3,104 passengers.
Earlier in the week, nearly 700 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas experienced severe symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea while the ship was on a Caribbean cruise. That's the highest number of sick passengers reported on a cruise ship in two decades. The Explorer of the Seas returned back to New Jersey two days ahead of schedule.
The illness on board the Explorer of the Seas was confirmed as norovirus, while the same virus was suspected on the Caribbean Princess. Norovirus can be transmitted person to person, from surfaces or food and water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because it's a virus, antibiotics are ineffective in treating it. It usually passes in a few days, but in severe cases, usually affecting children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, it can cause serious illness, including death. The CDCP estimates that it sickens 19 million to 21 million people per year and kills 570 to 800 victims annually.
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