The cruise line says that its employees abide by standards and the ship relies on passengers to do their part. Norovirus is a stomach flu or acute gastroenteritis. It’s symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Noroviruses spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus is recognized as the leading cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States.
Because the virus is a foodborne disease, travelers should be particularly wary about eating from from the buffet servers where there are children who may pick over food, like desserts at dining bars. The CDC says that noroviruses are reported more frequently on cruise ships because health officials track illness on cruise ships. Therefore, outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land. Also, close living quarters may increase the amount of group contact and new passenger arrivals may bring the virus to other passengers and crew.
Princess maintains that the problem is best solved when passengers and crew are working in tandem to prevent the outbreak. Washing hands is the best way to prevent the viral spread.
A Princess ship headed to Alaska, The Sea Princess reported norovirus in 53 of its 2,196 passengers. That ship left San Francisco June 19. The Sea Princess outbreak is the third for the ship’s cruise line since May of this year.
Despite press on the viral outbreaks, Princess cruises has gone forward in its campaigns for Alaskan cruises. Its documentary “Go North” has won awards for its capture and presentation of southeast Alaska and the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. The documentary also relates reasons why travelers are fascinated with the Alaskan territory and continue travel there.
Princess is a global cruise and tour company with a fleet of 16 modern ships and has earned its reputation as a leader in Alaska travel. Reports of norovirus outbreaks are not likely to interfere with summer travel plans with Princess cruises, even though 53 passengers out of more than 2,000 is an alarmingly high number.
Furthermore, Princess public relations people have dusted off the outbreaks with little more than a flinch. Health inspectors from the CDS were aboard the Sea Princess and along with the ship’s own inspectors, the vessel underwent a prolonged and intense cleaning. Afterward, the ship embarked on its 10 day tour toward Alaska.
Two weeks ago, Princess canceled travel to Mexico after the US warned of danger for Americans traveling to Mexico. After the death of a Canadian man in Puerto Vallarta, Princess and other tourism enterprises pulled out of Puerto Vallarta visits. The State Department issued a warning against travel to Mexico out of drug related violence concerns back in April.
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