A norovirus outbreak has been reported aboard the Ruby Princess, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after the vessel arrived in San Francisco at the conclusion of a 20-day voyage.
The CDC said that 102 passengers and 23 crew members reported symptoms consistent with norovirus infection during the sailing, which departed San Francisco on June 12th and returned on Thursday morning, July 2nd. The outbreak was formally reported to the agency on Saturday while the voyage was underway. Common symptoms included diarrhoea and vomiting.
Princess Cruises confirmed that a limited number of guests experienced mild gastrointestinal illness during the cruise and stated that the ship’s crew implemented enhanced sanitation procedures in response. The company also indicated that the vessel would undergo a comprehensive programme of cleaning and disinfection following its arrival at Pier 27 in San Francisco.
According to the CDC, the response measures included intensified cleaning and disinfection throughout the ship, collection of stool samples for laboratory testing, isolation of affected passengers and crew, and ongoing consultation with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program regarding sanitation procedures and reporting requirements.
The Vessel Sanitation Program is continuing to monitor the situation remotely and review the effectiveness of the ship’s outbreak response. No additional operational changes were announced, and the vessel completed its scheduled voyage before beginning post-cruise sanitation procedures in port.
For more Ruby Princess incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page