Cruise Ship Beset by Gastrointestinal Outbreak

At least 195 passengers aboard a cruise ship in Australia are being treated for a gastrointestinal illness, according to Yahoo7 News.

Royal Caribbean International confirmed that guests aboard the 5,800-passenger Ovation of the Seas received over-the-counter medication to combat the sickness as the ship arrived in Hobart, Tasmania on Tuesday.

The cruise line said the ship, which is returning from a two-week journey to Singapore, will be "comprehensively sanitized and cleansed" when it arrives in Sydney on Thursday.

"Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship's doctors with over-the-counter medication, and we hope all our guests feel better quickly," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "Meanwhile, we're taking steps like intensive sanitary procedures to minimize the risk of any further issues."

According to The Sun, a letter to guests said the illness was "thought to be Norovirus," which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, among other unpleasant symptoms, the Mayo Clinic states.

Almost 200 passengers being treated for gastro symptoms in Hobart after Ovation of the Seas cruise ship docks https://t.co/YQJ2Ayywcz pic.twitter.com/rcux6ouSHv

— ABC News Tasmania (@abcnewsTas) December 5, 2017

A video posted to Facebook showed crew members spraying the ship's hallways in an effort to contain the outbreak. Passengers praised the staff's response in the comment section.

"This boat is sensational. I'm on here now and basically a sitting duck with people in both cabins either side not well with the gastro," one guest wrote. "They are doing everything perfectly to avoid further sickness. I could hear them last night doing this spraying outside my cabin."

Another passenger reported that some restaurants had been closed and that finger food service stopped as a result.

The Tasmanian Health Service, which told ABC the cruise line was working with public health services to address the outbreak, says "it's not unusual for gastroenteritis outbreaks to occur aboard cruise ships, just as it is within the normal population."

"Cruise ships have their own medical teams, medical surveillance systems, outbreak control measures and are well-trained in treating passengers," the spokesman added.

READ MORE: How Cruise Ships Battle Norovirus

The ship's current schedule has it departing Sydney Thursday for a 10-night New Zealand cruise.

Ovation of the Seas entered service last year and is Royal Caribbean's third Quantum Class ship, joining Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

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