Sadists Aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean cruise ended after illness outbreak

Norovirus suspected as gastrointestinal illness with vomiting, diarrhea that infected 281 passengers

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 26, 2014 7:48 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 26, 2014 10:50 PM ET

Health officials have boarded Royal Caribbean International's Explorer of the Seas to investigate an illness outbreak that has stricken at least 300 people with gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. (Thomas Layer/Associated Press)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/royal-caribbean-cruise-ended-after-illness-outbreak-1.2512000

The Royal Caribbean cruise line on Sunday ended a ship's 10-day trip in the Caribbean early after hundreds of passengers and crew members were sickened with a gastrointestinal illness.

The Miami-based company made the announcement a few hours after officials from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention boarded the Explorer of the Seas during its U.S. Virgin Islands port call to investigate the illness and evaluate the outbreak response.

"New reports of illness have decreased day-over-day, and many guests are again up and about. Nevertheless, the disruptions caused by the early wave of illness means that we were unable to deliver the vacation our guests were expecting," Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said in a statement.

The decision to end the trip came after consultation between CDC officials and members of the company's medical team, the company said.

The CDC said earlier that 281, or nearly 10 per cent, of the 3,050 passengers aboard the 15-deck ship reported getting sick during the cruise that left Cape Liberty, N. J., on Tuesday. Twenty-two crew members also reported feeling ill, according to a Friday statement from the health agency.

Norovirus suspected culprit

On Sunday evening, the cruise line said the outbreak of the gastrointestinal illness with vomiting and diarrhea "spiked over the weekend," but it did not disclose a tally of sickened people.

Tests would have to confirm what caused the outbreak, but fast-spreading norovirus is often to blame for similar symptoms sweeping closed quarters like those on cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean said special cleaning products and disinfectants proven to kill norovirus were being used to clean the ship before it returned to the U.S. It said a full sanitization program would be carried out after the Explorer of the Seas reached its home port Wednesday.

Janet Diaz, a company spokeswoman, said CDC representatives boarded the Explorer of the Seas during the afternoon when it docked in St. Thomas, the main island of the U.S. Virgin Islands. During the previous port call in Puerto Rico, the ship underwent "extensive and thorough sanitizing" to help prevent more people from getting sick, she said.

Passengers and crew who fell ill have "responded well to over-the-counter medication being administered onboard the ship," Diaz said.

On Friday, an Explorer of the Seas passenger named Arnee Dodd tweeted that she had fallen ill aboard the ship and was quarantined with the other sick people. The Connecticut woman wrote that ship employees "put a lock down on food & are constantly cleaning everything."

Royal Caribbean said it was "taking several steps" to compensate passengers for the shortened trip. It also sought to assure customers scheduled for the ship's next voyage that "all possible measures will have been taken to prevent further problems."

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd

Thomas J. Pritzker is a director at the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Jay Pritzker’s son, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Note: Jay Pritzker is Thomas J. Pritzker’s father, and Donald Pritzker’s brother.

Donald Pritzker is Jay Pritzker’s brother, and Penny S. Pritzker’s father.

Penny S. Pritzker is Donald Pritzker’s daughter, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee, the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and Craig M. Robinson is her brother.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was chairman & CEO for Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

Morten Arntzen was a director at Chiquita Brands International, Inc., a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and is a director at the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Committee for Economic Development, and the Harlem Children's Zone.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Committee for Economic Development, and the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

D. Ronald Daniel was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, was the New York (NY) mayor, and a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone.

John J. Mack was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the CDC Foundation.

CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Thomas R. Frieden is the director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Barack Obama administration, and was the commissioner for the New York City Health Department.

Amy Robbins Towers is a board member for the CDC Foundation, an advisory council member for the Acumen Fund, a director at the Human Rights Watch, was a director at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and a director at the Millennium Promise.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Acumen Fund, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Andrea Soros is a director at the Acumen Fund, and is George Soros’s daughter.

George Soros is Andrea Soros’s father, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch, the Millennium Promise, the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the Committee for Economic Development.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was chairman & CEO for Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

Morten Arntzen was a director at Chiquita Brands International, Inc., a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and is a director at the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Thomas J. Pritzker is a director at the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Jay Pritzker’s son, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Jay Pritzker is Thomas J. Pritzker’s father, and Donald Pritzker’s brother.

Donald Pritzker is Jay Pritzker’s brother, and Penny S. Pritzker’s father.

Penny S. Pritzker is Donald Pritzker’s daughter, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee, the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.