Norovirus Outbreak On Cruise Sickens Over 175 Passengers
Bad press continues to plague Celebrity Cruises, as the popular cruise line recently suffered its third norovirus outbreak this year. This time, 177 people got sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency conducted an investigation into the incident through its Vessel Sanitation Program, which inspects cruise ships, monitors illness, trains crew, and provides public health information.
The outbreak occurred on the Celebrity Summit during a 10-day sailing to Bermuda from May 15 to 25. Of the 2,144 passengers on board, 152 became ill with the norovirus—also known as a stomach bug—along with 25 crew members. Those who became ill reported symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and headache.
In response to the outbreak, Celebrity Cruises told the CDC that the crew took a number of actions, such as increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan, notifying guests of the situation, and encouraging illness reporting and hygiene. Stool samples from gastrointestinal illness cases were likewise collected and sent to the CDC laboratory for testing.
Celebrity Cruises previously saw two outbreaks—both occurring back in March—on two of its other cruise ships. The Celebrity Equinox reported 122 cases among its 2,579 passengers, as well as 14 crew members; while the Celebrity Constellation saw 87 cases out of its 2,062 passengers, with nine crew members falling ill.
Last month, the Washington Post reported on an uptick in stomach viruses on cruise ships, as passengers are finally feeling comfortable cruising again in the wake of the pandemic. At the time of the reporting, there had been 12 outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea that had been made public on cruise ships visiting U.S. ports.
"Norovirus can be especially challenging to control on cruise ships because of the close living quarters, shared dining areas, and rapid turnover of passengers,” the CDC told the Post. "When the ship docks, norovirus can be brought on board in contaminated food or water or by passengers who were infected while ashore.”
In response, Celebrity Cruises issued a statement, stressing that the health and safety of guests is a top priority.
"To maintain the highest levels of health onboard our ships, we implement rigorous safety and cleaning procedures, many far exceeding public health guidelines," the statement read. "Combined, these efforts allow us to maintain some of the lowest levels of community spread."