A Royal Caribbean cruise ship returned returned to Florida Saturday after hundreds of passengers contracted a gastrointestinal illness. During the five-night cruise, 332 cases of the illness were reported -Owen Torres- a spokesman for Royal Caribbean he said in a statement . He stressed that it was a small percentage -- 5.99% -- of the more than 5,000 passengers and crew on board the ship. (which is roughly 300 passengers)
“Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship’s doctors with over-the-counter medication,” Torres said, “and we hope all our guests feel better quickly.” It is not known what caused the illness. “It was just terrifying,” Tracy Flores, a passenger whose 15-year-old son who had come down with the illness. “Just the amount of people that were coming in at the same time with vomiting and diarrhea and just looked ghastly.”
Some passengers who were disembarking Saturday in Port Everglades, Florida, believed the number of passengers who got sick was higher than what Royal Caribbean said. “We talked to plenty of people who said they were too sick to make it down to the medical facility,” passenger Marsha Homuska said. “We encouraged our guests and crew to wash their hands often, which health experts recommend as best defense against stomach viruses, which each year affects as many as 300 million people world wide,” Torres said adding, “only the common cold is more prevelant."
“Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship’s doctors with over-the-counter medication,” Torres said, “and we hope all our guests feel better quickly.” It is not known what caused the illness. “It was just terrifying,” Tracy Flores, a passenger whose 15-year-old son who had come down with the illness. “Just the amount of people that were coming in at the same time with vomiting and diarrhea and just looked ghastly.”
Some passengers who were disembarking Saturday in Port Everglades, Florida, believed the number of passengers who got sick was higher than what Royal Caribbean said. “We talked to plenty of people who said they were too sick to make it down to the medical facility,” passenger Marsha Homuska said. “We encouraged our guests and crew to wash their hands often, which health experts recommend as best defense against stomach viruses, which each year affects as many as 300 million people world wide,” Torres said adding, “only the common cold is more prevelant."