More than 150 persons reported experiencing symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases, including vomiting and diarrhoea, on the luxury cruise ship Queen Victoria. This prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate a possible outbreak.
As of Thursday, 129 passengers and 25 crew members had reported feeling under the weather on the ship, according to the CDC. At the time of the outbreak, 967 staff members and 1,824 passengers were on board, according to the agency.
According to the CDC website, since the incident, cruise staff have improved sanitization procedures and isolated sick guests and crew, taking the following steps in response to the outbreak:
- increased cleaning and disinfection practices in line with the outbreak response and prevention plan for the ship;
- separated the crew and sick passengers;
- advised quick reporting of illnesses and proper hand hygiene;
- informed both departing and arriving passengers and the staff of the condition on board.
VSP kept an eye on things from a distance, reviewing the ship’s sanitation and outbreak response protocols.
The Southampton-based Cunard Line said in a statement that “a number of guests had reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness” on board the ship, which made stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Aruba before arriving in San Francisco on Tuesday.
To ensure the well-being of all guests and crew on board, the cruise line immediately activated its enhanced health and safety protocols, which have proven effective.
On Wednesday, the ship sailed from San Francisco to Honolulu, and on Thursday, it was sailing off the US west coast. Queen Victoria will make scheduled stops in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia after arriving in Hawaii on Monday.
If you plan to go on a cruise any time soon, here are some refresher tips for healthy cruising from the CDC.
