World's Largest Cruise Ship
Norovirus Sickens Over 400
Freedom Of The Seas - December 03, 2006
It said 338 of the ship's 3,823 passengers reported and 46 of its 1,402 crew reported what was believed to be a norovirus.
The ship returned to Miami on Sunday after completing a seven-day cruise to Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Haiti.
Royal Caribbean said those affected were treated with an over-the-counter medication and responded well.
Freedom of the Seas made its debut in May. By September it was racking up unacceptable sanitation practices, that could contribute to a Norovirus epidemic onboard.
To understand how Norovirus may have infected so many passengers and crew members, it is good to look at past sanitation violations. See the Sanitation report dated September 10, 2006 HERE
UPDATE December 11, 2006
Rushing to get back out to see with a full boat of dollar wielding passengers, the vessel put out to see after what the cruise line called a thorough cleaning.
When it pulled back into port, another 100 people were infected with the Norovirus.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boarded the vessel on the return trip to "supervise" the sanitation process, making it clear that the second wave of infections were probably due to the crew not properly sanitizing the ship the first time around. The CDC lowered the boom on the ship, giving it a "no-sail" advisory ensuring profits would not prevail over public safety, this time.
Freedom Of The Seas left December 12, 2006 on a shortened cruise of only five days duration.
Event Date: December 03, 2006
Bruise: Norovirus
Bruise Location: Caribbean
Details:
Nearly 400 passengers and crew were sickened by a common stomach virus on a Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, the company said.
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