Norovirus Outbreak Aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Sickens Hundreds

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 11, 2019

On Wednesday, January 9th, 2019, one of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships began an early trek back home after a norovirus outbreak was reported on board, causing almost three hundred people to fall ill just three days into their holiday.

The Oasis of the Seas began its journey this past Monday, sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida en route to Jamaica, a 7-day round-trip voyage, with planned stops at ports of call in Haiti & Mexico along the way. What should have been the trip of a lifetime for most, quickly became a nightmare. The first reports of passengers and crew members showing signs of the norovirus illness, which mimic those of food poisoning, came in to the ship’s infirmary just shortly after the vessel had departed. At the time of this publication, a total of 277 crew members & passengers have been affected.

A temporary home for upwards of 9,000 passengers and crew, this city on the sea will be offering full refunds for everyone aboard the cruise ship at the time of the incident once the vessel reaches its home base. “We think the right thing to do is to get everyone home early rather than have guests worry about their health. All of the ship’s guests will receive full refunds of their cruise fare paid,” stated Owen Torres, a Royal Caribbean representative.

According to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018, there were a reported 11 gastrointestinal illnesses cases, with 5 of them being the norovirus itself. A highly contagious disease that is easily spread from person to person, as well as through contaminated food & water, coupled with the facts that vacation goers and workers on the boat are in such close proximity to each other & cannot go anywhere else, it should come as no surprise that this is a battle that Royal Caribbean and other luxury liners are constantly fighting.

Here at the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A., we have been representing the victims of cruise ship accidents & illnesses for over forty years. If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY.

Sources:

• Cruise returning early after hundreds of passengers get sick on Royal Caribbean ship
• More than 270 passengers sickened by norovirus on Royal Caribbean cruise
• Nightmare at Sea: Norovirus Outbreak Sickens 277 Passengers and Crew on Royal Caribbean Cruise

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.