Norovirus Breaks Out On Cruise

Cruises are supposed to be fancy and luxurious, or at the very least a way for people who are afraid of flying to take a decent vacation. But recent trips haven't been going well for all passengers, especially the 105 vacationers who were sickened by a norovirus outbreak on a Royal Caribbean cruise this week.

The 915-foot Vision of the Seas departed from Port Everglades, Fla., on February 25 for an 11-day tour including stops at Barbados, Grenada, and Aruba. According to The Inquisitr, the ship was carrying 772 crewmembers and 1,991 passengers.

Norovirus is the most common form of gastrointestinal illness. It typically spreads from person to person contact and sickens more than 300 million people every year. Its relative commonness doesn't make it much more pleasant, though, as common symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Second-tier symptoms include fever, weakness, and muscles aches.

In an attempt to take control of the spread of the illness, infected passengers were given nonprescription medication and the ship was cleaned more thoroughly than normal.

"At Royal Caribbean International we have high health standards for all our guests and crew," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "During the sailing, we conduct enhanced cleaning on board the ship, to help prevent the spread of the illness."

The cause of the outbreak has not been determined, but when the ship docked in Port Everglades on Friday it was given an intensive cleaning to prevent carrying the illness on its next cruise. The Vision of the Seas left on its next scheduled cruise on Friday afternoon.