NEWS: CDC Reports New Norovirus Outbreak on Popular Cruise Line

Cruising can be one of the best ways to see and do it all for vacations but definitely not while you’re sick.

I’m an avid cruiser who’s cruised on multiple cruise lines. While the prospect of new ships and destinations to visit is an exciting notion, it’s not lost on me that increasing my cruising opens me up to the possibility of new people on board and potential illnesses. That’s why we’re making you aware of a recent outbreak reported on a popular cruise line that’s still under investigation.

The Center for Disease Control has reported an outbreak on board a popular cruise line.

The CDC recently issued a public notice of a recent surge of illness that plagued Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas on a sailing earlier this month. In the outbreak notice, the CDC notes a widespread illness onboard the Navigator of the Seas was reported on July 11th. This was actually the last day of the sailing that initially set sail on July 4th through the week.

While the cause of the illness remains unknown, 134 passengers on board, which equals 3.4% of the total sailing guests and 7 of the 1,266 crew members reported feeling ill. Symptoms reported of this outbreak included diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps leading the CDC to classify this reported sickness as a gastrointestinal illness outbreak. It’s also important to note that cases reported are totals for the entire voyage. It does not mean all people are sick at the same time, such as when they arrive or leave a port or ship.

In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean International and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

• Royal Caribbean noted increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan
• Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing
• Isolated ill passengers and crew
• Consulted with VSP (Vessel Sanitization Program) about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases
• VSP remotely monitored the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures.

Anytime someone falls ill with a gastrointestinal sickness, these cases are required to be reported to the CDC. Gastrointestinal, or GI, illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis or AGE. Reporting gastrointestinal illness is important as it could lead to relief sooner for everyone on board the ship, with fewer falling ill while sailing. VSP and the CDC continue to urge passengers and crew to go immediately to the medical center onboard at the first onset of symptoms, so any outbreaks of GI can be detected quickly. From there, medical staff onboard are able to monitor and evaluate symptoms to see if they meet the definition for AGE, which is:

• Three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or what is more than normal for that person OR
• Vomiting along with one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever

While not specifically named in this case, Norovirus is often a cause of GI  outbreaks on cruise ships. However, that’s often hard to know right away when beginning an investigation into the cause of an outbreak. Finding the causative agent can take time, and when an outbreak occurs, people whose symptoms meet the case definition for AGE are asked to provide stool or vomit samples for further investigation that will lead to tracking down the causative agent. Currently, samples collected from affected passengers during this voyage are still being tested.

The CDC also stresses it’s important to keep in mind there are proactive steps you can take while on board your cruise to set you up for your best defenses against falling ill. First, Report your illness if you’re sick — even if that’s before you set sail. If you’re not feeling well, ask your doctor if they think it is safe for you to continue with your sailing or ask your cruise line if there are alternative cruising options. If you notice you’re feeling sick during your cruise, go immediately to the medical center on board. Wash your hands often to avoid exposing yourself and others to anything that may cause illnesses and spread germs. Take care of yourself by getting enough rest and drinking plenty of water. And, if you see someone get sick (vomiting or diarrhea), leave the area and be sure to report it right away to cruise staff if they’re not already aware.

While this is a scary situation to find yourself in, it’s comforting to know there are proactive approaches you can take in advance to keep yourself and your loved ones as healthy as possible while cruising.

We’re always talking about the latest travel news and more, so be sure to stay tuned with us right here at AllEars.

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Have you ever fallen ill while cruising? Tell us all about your experience in the comments below!

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