Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International

Ship: Jewel of the Seas

Illness: Undetermined gastrointestinal illness

Voyage Dates: Feb. 22 – March 5

Event:

Nearly 5 percent of passengers and 2 percent of crew members have reported being ill during a Jewel of the Seas cruise out of Miami. Approximately 116 of the 3,006 passengers and crew experienced gastrointestinal illness with predominant symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.

In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean has increased cleaning and disinfection on the ship, notified passengers onboard and passengers scheduled for the next voyage on the Jewel of the Seas, collected and sent infected stool samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratories and notified the Vessel Sanitation Program.

The likely gastrointestinal illness is Norovirus, which is a common illness on cruise ships.

The ship is on an 11-night Panama Canal cruise, traveling roundtrip from Miami. Dock ports include Aruba, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Grand Cayman.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Investigation Update on the Jewel of the Seas,” http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2010/march05jewel.htm; 3 March 2010.

Affordable Tours. “11 Night Ultimate Panama Canal Cruise (Miami Roundtrip,” http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:wqr0CoAPrLkJ:cruises.affordabletours.com/search/itsd/cruises/10316100222/+Feb.+22+jewel+of+the+sea&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us; accessed 10 March 2010.

Associate Press. “More people sick on SC cruise ship that had virus,” http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-iEuurbQiPEjkymu-NbC9lo3z1wD9E8GR3G0; 5 March 2010.