Norovirus Outbreak In Cruise Ship Gets 'Hundreds' Of Passengers Sick

The cruise ship, Norwegian Joy was reportedly struck by an outbreak of Norovirus that made hundreds of people sick. The ship had set off on a 16-day cruise from Florida.

Norovirus causes persistent vomiting and diarrhea. According to reports, many people on the Norwegian Joy were examined by paramedics when it docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, per Mirror.

Peter Krajewski, who had been on board, tweeted: “Our ship had been dealing with a Norovirus outbreak the last couple days, but none of the passengers suspected that it was as bad as it was. Hundreds of people were acutely ill on the ship.”

According to cruise news, crews helped passengers to secure medical help off the ship when it docked. But the exact number of infected persons is unknown.

Built-in 2017 Norwegian Joy has a guest capacity of 3,804 passengers.

According to Fox News, a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Lines said: “During Norwegian Joy’s Panama Canal sailing, a few guests onboard experienced a stomach-related illness. To mitigate any impact of this rare occurrence, we implemented stringent sanitation procedures. As always, we will continue to monitor this situation.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department in a statement said the LAFD personnel continue to examine “several persons who have been ill aboard the currently docked cruise ship.” It said no patient is displaying life-threatening symptoms.

According to the CDC, Norovirus is a tiny germ that spreads easily causing vomiting and diarrhea. The number of virus particles that fit on the head of a pin is enough to infect 1,000 people.

Norovirus mainly spreads from the poop or vomit of affected persons whose fluids splatter in all directions. To protect people from infection, it is advised to use disposable plastic gloves and face masks. Also, wiping up vomit and poop with paper towels and destroying them is important.

Celebrity Cruises’ Black Friday deal

Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises announced a Black Friday deal for UK customers. The offer can be booked for eight days from Nov. 25 for selected UK sailings.

Cruisers booking between 25 November – 2 December 2019 will be able to enjoy the cruise deal. Accordingly, passengers traveling with the cruise line can save a whopping 200 pounds ($257).

The savings will be applicable across Celebrity’s entire fleet sailing from Southampton in 2020. The deal will also cover the Celebrity Apex cruise ship – the brand new Edge-class ship launching next March.

Celebrity Apex boasts many innovative features including spaces designed by famous interior designers such as Tom Wright and Kelly Hoppen.