Cruise & Cruise Line

Passengers Get Sick on Cruise Ship Docked in LA

Image: PHOTO: Norwegian Joy. (photo via Norwegian Cruise Line)
Image: PHOTO: Norwegian Joy. (photo via Norwegian Cruise Line)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 4:15 PM ET, Sun November 24, 2019

Six people reported falling ill on Sunday while their Norwegian Cruise Lines ship was docked at the Port of Los Angeles.

Four of the six passengers who were evaluated by medical personnel were sent to local hospitals, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told the Los Angeles Times.

There was no definitive word on what the passengers were suffering from, but Humphrey said none of their symptoms were life-threatening.

The ship was identified as the Norwegian Joy.

"The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. As such, we operate at the very highest public health standards," an NCL spokesperson said. "During Norwegian Joy's Panama Canal sailing, a few guests on board experienced a stomach-related illness. To mitigate any impact of this rare occurrence, we implemented stringent sanitation procedures. As always, we will continue to monitor this situation."

While a cruise ship doctor said earlier this year that many cruise passengers who claim to be sick are actually just hungover, that doesn't appear to be the case here.

Nor is it as extreme as last week when an entire cruise ship had to be evacuated because of a norovirus outbreak.

TravelPulse will update this story as more news is unveiled.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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