Norovirus outbreak sickens 277 on Oasis of the Seas

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Norovirus outbreak sickens 277 on Oasis of the Seas

January 10, 2019

MIAMI (AP) — Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is returning to a Florida port a day early and giving passengers full refunds of their fare after 277 guests and crew members were hit with an outbreak of Norovirus as it sailed to Jamaica.

Cruise line spokesman Owen Torres told The Associated Press “we think the right thing to do is get everyone home early rather than have guests worry about their health.”

He says the ship will return to Port Canaveral on Saturday. It sailed from there Sunday on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

Passengers took to social media on Wednesday, tweeting they were forced to stay onboard after docking in Falmouth, Jamaica, for what was supposed to be a day of excursions.

Torres says returning a day early gives the cruise line “more time to completely clean and sanitize the ship” before it sails again.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/6963ef1485ac42dc8ff7d6b737e85869

[LisaM]

1. I've had norovirus, and therefore I have no desire to ever go on a cruise.

Mine was not from a cruise, but it's not an experience I ever want to repeat, and it seems to strike cruise lines more than other places.

[apcalc]

2. Why I don't cruise.

[FirstLight]

3. why is it so common on Cruises?

I don't get it

[csziggy]

4. The Royal Caribbean cruise I took in October was insistent on sanitizer

There were stations all over the ship and as we went into each meal there was someone with a big jug of the stuff which they squirted on everyone's hands.

They also provided lots of information on how to prevent such diseases. We had no problem on the Brilliance of the Seas.

I hope this will not dominate the headlines over the next year. In July my husband and I are taking a Cunard cruise to Britain and a Royal Caribbean one back in October.