A 10-day Royal Caribbean cruise has been cut short after more than 600 people got sick.
"Never sail with them again, two years ago the same thing. The ship was overrun with this sickness." (Via CNN)
NBC reports at least 564 passengers and 47 crew members complained of symptoms of norovirus like vomiting and diarrhea over the course of the trip.
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship docked Monday in New Jersey after sailing for eight days. (Via WAGA)
In a statement, Royal Caribbean says the number of people getting sick was decreasing, but "the disruptions caused by the early wave of illness means that we were unable to deliver the vacation our guests were expecting."
According to the Wall Street Journal, outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships are relatively common. "Because of the close living quarters with such large numbers of passengers—some ships hold more than 5,000 people—the virus can spread quickly."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Royal Caribbean has had an outbreak of norovirus at least once a year since 2011. This is the cruise liner's second health incident this year.
Last week, around 60 Royal Caribbean passengers caught a similar stomach bug after spending four days in the Bahamas. (Via KPHO)
The actual cause of the sickness has not been confirmed as norovirus, but test results should be available sometime this week.
