UPDATE:
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now reporting 118 guests out of 3,005 have now become sick from the gastrointestinal illness. The CDC posted on their site “CDC Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the outbreak and onboard response procedures. Specimens were collected and tested onboard using a norovirus rapid test; results were positive for norovirus. The specimens were sent to CDC for additional testing.”
PREVIOUSLY:
There is a gastrointestinal bug onboard the Carnival Sunshine which has so far hit almost 100 passengers. As a result Carnival Cruise Line has sent letters to all the staterooms and providing advice to guests. The gastrointestinal sickness which is also widely known as Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Cruise Hive is still waiting for a response from the cruise line but when these outbreaks occur the cruise ship will usually activate its outbreak procedures. Extra sanitizing and cleaning is done by the ship’s crew in public areas. Advice is given to guests to prevent getting sick and constant updates are provided. Some cruise lines also advice guests to stay in their cabins if sick to help stop the spread. No doubt when the Carnival Sunshine arrives back to its home port on Saturday extra cleaning will be done to ensure the next voyage will be bug free.
Cruise Hive has been informed that CDC officers will board the ship once the ship is back home, they will investigate the outbreak and make sure the cruise line is doing all it can to prevent further sickness.
The 102,850 gross ton Carnival Sunshine is sailing 13-night southern Caribbean cruise which departed Port Canaveral on February 21. The vessel will arrive back on March 5 but more people onboard could become sick before then. The ship can carry 3,000 passengers at double occupancy.
