PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – More than 100 passengers are sick with Norovirus aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, which is scheduled to dock at Port Canaveral on Monday, May 11. News 6 investigative reporter Pavlina Osta spoke with a passenger on board who says the outbreak has not stopped everyone from enjoying their trip.
“You’re having fun with other people, just be careful. Anytime a group gets together, there could be something that happens,” said Donna Leonte, Princess Cruise passenger.
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Outbreak hits during 13-day Caribbean voyage
The Caribbean Princess departed Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on April 28 on a 13-day voyage. The ship made stops in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, and Bonaire before the Norovirus outbreak infected 102 passengers and 13 crew members. The CDC confirmed the outbreak.
Leonte said ship staff kept guests informed throughout.
“They’ve said it’s been sanitized, that they’ve been cleaning everything. They let us know if there’s any more people that have contracted it,” Leonte said.
What passengers are experiencing
The CDC says the most common symptoms reported in this outbreak are diarrhea and vomiting. Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread quickly in close quarters.
Infected passengers were asked to stay in their rooms and quarantine. Leonte said those passengers “are being checked on by medical staff every day.”
According to the CDC, Princess Cruises and ship crew took the following actions after the outbreak began:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures per their outbreak prevention and response plan
- Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing
- Isolated ill passengers and crew
- Consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on sanitation procedures and reporting
“Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades. We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage. Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage,”
Negin Kamali, Princess Cruises
This outbreak is separate from the MV Hondius cruise ship incident, where three people have died from hantavirus — a virus primarily transmitted to humans from rodents.