Cruise Injury Blog

Cruise ships offer millions of people a unique and enjoyable vacation experience each year. However, like any other gathering of people in close quarters, cruise ships can sometimes become breeding grounds for contagious illnesses such as norovirus. Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships can significantly disrupt passengers’ vacations, leading to questions about legal rights and compensation.

Norovirus, also known as the “stomach bug,” is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It spreads easily in environments where people live nearby and share facilities, such as cruise ships. The virus can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, surfaces, or contact with an infected person.

Duty of Cruise Lines to Prevent and

Over the last two years, COVID-19 has been the leading concern for cruising. That’s obviously for good reason, but it’s important to remember if you choose to cruise, there are other illnesses to catch that are quite common onboard.

The fact is that, even before COVID, people got sick on cruise ships from time to time. One of the most common illnesses that spread on cruise ships is norovirus. This gastrointestinal bug can make people very ill and lead to serious complications, as well.

If you like to cruise, then it’s vital to understand what your rights are on board, especially if you get sick while on the cruise ship. Here’s what you need to know about norovirus and what

Need to take a vacation from the news? You’re not alone. Constant talk of COVID-19 is upsetting and exhausting.

You know how important it is to wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay socially distant from others, and you’re ready to utilize that knowledge…. aboard your next cruise ship vacation!

However, if you’re planning to head out on the open seas once cruises start up again, COVID-19 should not be your only viral worry. Though it has been largely forgotten in the wake of coronavirus fears, there is still a huge risk of catching norovirus onboard.

How serious is it?

Norovirus From Smoothie Infected Hundreds of Passengers

Norovirus is not pleasant. It involves 24 hours of vomiting, diarrhea, and

During its latest health inspection from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Carnival Fantasy earned a failing grade. The Carnival Cruise Line ship received a score of 77 out of 100, falling 9 points short of the minimum passing score of 86.

Brown Water Discharged from Shower Lines

According to the July 2019 inspection, the Carnival Fantasy’s failing grade was due to a number of health violations, including “brown water” being discharged from two shower hoses and a shower in the medical area. The medical area shower was used at least twice a day, a crew member reported.

Multiple Violations at Food Stations

Additionally, inspectors found knives stored in warm, soiled water at food stations, an ice

Norovirus – better known as the “cruise ship virus” – is an extremely contagious stomach bug. You can get it not only directly from an infected person, but also from contaminated food or water, or even by touching contaminated surfaces. Typically, norovirus comes with symptoms like severe stomach pain, nausea, and often violent diarrhea and vomiting. When not properly treated, it can lead to dehydration and even hospitalization.

Why is it common on cruises?

Because a cruise ship is basically a giant petri dish, with a bunch of people crammed into a relatively tiny space, with nowhere to go to escape. When research shows how even just a few sick people can send millions of microscopic virus particles through the

 Recently, hundreds of passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were struck with norovirus, which causes gastrointestinal upset that can quickly spoil a vacation.

During the five-day cruise from Florida in mid-December, 332 people came down with cases of gastrointestinal illness. According to one report, people were vomiting in the elevators on their way to the ship’s medic office, and the wait exceeded four hours for medical treatment. Water and supplies were quickly depleted.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said that only six percent of the crew and passengers were affected by the virus, and the crew sanitized the ship before leaving on its next cruise less than a week later.

This is not even close to the first time

Anyone who has been paying attention to this blog knows that there are many risks associated with going on a cruise – from typically minor issues, like getting sunburned, to far bigger ones, like missing the departure time when you’re at port and getting stranded in a foreign land.

 

But even though most passengers decide to take a cruise knowing full well there are things that could go wrong, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a number of issues cruise ships shouldn’t be able to better control. Case in point: the recent wave of norovirus outbreaks.

 

This is something that has been a huge issue across the entire industry, but the Carnival Crown Princess has been the poster child