Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas expects to depart Baltimore today as scheduled after returning a day early after a norovirus outbreak and a medical emergency.
During its last sailing, 193 guests (9.91 percent) and nine crew members (1.15 percent) experienced gastrointestinal symptoms thought to be norovirus. The company said those with short-lived symptoms responded well to over-the-counter medication administered on the ship.
Also, on Feb. 1, a guest experienced a medical emergency. "The guest was initially treated in our medical facility, but will require additional medical attention that can only be provided in a land-based hospital," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "Unfortunately, due to the strong winds and seas both offshore and inside the Chesapeake Bay, it was not possible to transfer our ill guest to another boat so they could be taken to the hospital.
"Therefore, the ship increased its speed to return to Baltimore, Maryland, as soon as possible so that our ill guest could be debarked and provided with further medical treatment. The health and safety of all our guests is always our top priority."
Cruise ships are required to report gastrointestinal outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when more than 2 percent of passengers or crew report symptoms. Grandeur of the Seas also experienced two norovirus outbreaks in late March and April last year.
The CDC said two Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) environmental health officers and two epidemiologists boarded the ship in Falmouth, Jamaica, on Jan. 30 to investigate and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. Specimens were collected and the CDC confirmed it was norovirus.
Royal Caribbean brought on additional cleaning crew to complete a thorough "super-sanitization cleaning and disinfection," the CDC said.
Passengers on the sailing received an onboard credit for missing a call in Labadee and a future cruise certificate equal to one day of the cruise fare they paid for the earlier arrival to Baltimore.
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