Over 200 people become ill on Baltimore cruise ship

Over 200 people who fell ill aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship are now back in Baltimore a day earlier than scheduled. The Royal Caribbean cut the nine day cruise trip to Jamaica (on the Grandeur of the Sea) short, after 193 passengers and 9 crew members became stricken with norovirus. Royal Caribbean spokesperson Cynthia Martinez stated that those who became affected by the virus are responding well to over-the-counter medication that was provided on the ship. CDC health officers boarded ship in Jamaica to collect samples and evaluate the outbreak. This not the Grandeur of the Sea’s first battle with norovirus. Last April, an outbreak of gastrointestinal virus affected more than 100 passengers on the same ship. The ship caught fire while at sea back in May 2013. There were no known injuries. Both the ship and terminal are being cleaned and disinfected.