Virus Hits Cruise Ship On First Day At Sea

Sick passengers deep-six voyage

March 2, 2009
It was a short cruise for passengers aboard a Holland American cruise liner that returned to port one day after departing San Diego. Officials say that early in the voyage, more than 100 passengers were sickened with the norovirus.

Media reports say the crew of the MS Oosterdam declared a "code red" after passengers began getting sick on Friday night, the first evening out. Events onboard the ship were cancelled and ship returned to San Diego.

In addition to passengers, a number of crew members also got sick. Norovirus is a type of stomach flu that produces diarrhea and vomiting. There’s no word on what caused the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:

• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;

• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;

• Having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms

Food and drinks can very easily become contaminated with norovirus because the virus is so small and because it probably takes fewer than 100 norovirus particles to make a person sick, the CDC says.

Holland America operates a fleet of 14 cruise liners making some 500 sailings a year to all seven continents. Cruises include ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, South America, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand and Asia — as well as voyages to the Amazon, and Antarctica.

Since 1989 Holland American has been a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines.

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