Just a month after her launch following a complete renovation, norovirus struck Marella Explorer 2 as she sailed through the Mediterranean, leaving cruise passengers vomiting and ill.
The adult-only Marella Cruises ship, which was launched in April, can accommodate over 1,800 guests in her 907 cabins. The vessel is currently at Port Olbia (on Italy's Sardinia Island). A spokesperson for TUI, the parent company of Marella, said that a small number of passengers began feeling unwell last week.
The cruise company announced they were "working closely with their team to monitor the situation and had implemented additional health and safety procedures on top of already stringent protocols to prevent any further customers falling ill."
This week’s Marella Explorer 2 itinerary continues as initially planned. The spokesman for Royal Caribbean (joint-venture shipowner - together withTUI), Owen Torres, revealed that at the time the number of affected passengers accounted for 2% of all onboard.
For other Marella Explorer 2 accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.