CNN reports:

The Celebrity Mercury cruise ship is returning to port a day early and delaying its next sailing to address an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that sickened 350 passengers. The outbreak is the third consecutive outbreak on the ship in a month.  The latest outbreak is the ninth incidence of gastrointestinal illness reported to the VSP this year affecting more than 2 percent of passengers on a cruise ship.

The agent in question is Nonovirus, spread by contact with surfaces.   One commenter said:

Why would anyone ever want to go on a cruise? Do you REALLY want to vacation on a floating suburb, your days planned out for you, stuck with slack-jawed yokels dressed like an exploded Wal-Mart who think that spicy McNugget sauce is “exotic,” and expect every port of call to have a Starbucks and gift shop?

It’s a walking disease factory in these days of “sleep anywhere and with anyone” and the chances of picking up some sort of infection is multiplied by the numbers the ship is carrying, let alone what the crew are carrying from last time, the notorious salad bars at mealtimes, the wet surfaces around pools, what passengers drag back with them from trips ashore and so on.

Then comes your reliance on the personal hygiene of all those around you and if you slacken off on that, then the rest of the hothouse gets it too.  Good luck on your expensive cruise.

Filed under: Leisure & travel