Caribbean Princess cruise back at Port Everglades after hundreds fall ill on 14-day trip
A Caribbean Princess cruise ship returned to its home port in Fort Lauderdale early Thursday, days after more than 300 passengers and crew members began to fall ill on board.
The gastrointestinal illness is reportedly norovirus, which is similar to a stomach bug, according to NBC 6.
At least 345 passengers and 26 crew members have experienced symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea since the ship set off from port Feb. 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s unclear how many people were still sick when the ship arrived at Port Everglades around 7 a.m. Thursday.
The ship, which has more than 3,000 passengers and more than 1,000 crew members, was originally scheduled to arrive at Port Everglades on Feb. 16. Princess Cruises, which owns the ship, announced Monday that it would be ending the Caribbean Princess’ 14-day voyage early “out of an abundance of caution.”
The ship was also denied entry to ports at Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago following the outbreak, according to the health ministry.
Princess Cruises, which is owned by Doral-based Carnival Corporation,says those who fell ill were treated by the ship’s onboard medical team during the voyage. The cruise line said Monday that there were no coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on board.
Passengers will be receiving a 50% refund on their voyage along with a future cruise credit valued at 50%, according to Princess Cruises.
Health officials say the Caribbean Princess cruise will be undergoing a “super sanitation cleaning” while investigators work to determine what caused the outbreak. The ship is scheduled to resume its planned voyages on February 16.
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 2:06 PM.
