Hundreds sick on world's largest cruise ship
Sun Dec 3, 2006 7:42pm ET
U.S. News
MIAMI (Reuters) - Nearly 400 passengers and crew were sickened by a common stomach virus on a
Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship,
the company said on Sunday.
It said 338 of the ship's 3,823 passengers and 46 of its 1,402 crew came down with what was
believed to be a norovirus, a gastrointestinal ailment, brought on board by a passenger.
The ship returned to Miami on Sunday after completing a seven-day cruise to Mexico, the Cayman
Islands, Jamaica and Haiti.
Royal Caribbean said those affected were treated with an over-the-counter medication and
responded well.
Freedom of the Seas made its debut in May. It is the largest cruise ship at about 160,000
metric tons and has among its amenities a wave pool for surfers and an ice rink.
Last month, more than 700 people on Carnival Corp.'s cruise liner Liberty fell ill on a
transatlantic cruise from Italy to Florida.
Life - 04 Dec 2006 16:09 GMT
> Hundreds sick on world's largest cruise ship
> Sun Dec 3, 2006 7:42pm ET
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> largest cruise ship,
> the company said on Sunday.
> Last month, more than 700 people on Carnival Corp.'s cruise liner Liberty
> fell ill on a
> transatlantic cruise from Italy to Florida.
Makes you wonder how many chronically-infected employees
are moving from ship-to-ship and sharing their "gift"...
Of course, an HIV+ person would be the perfect vector
- someone who can't mount a competent immune response
and has chronic symptoms that are commonly seen among those
using the antiviral drugs (diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, etc).
Death - 04 Dec 2006 19:53 GMT
"Life" <Life@life.com> wrote in message
> " Death" <Death@yourdoor.net> wrote in message
> >
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> and has chronic symptoms that are commonly seen among those
> using the antiviral drugs (diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, etc).
When those class-action lawyers get through with the cruise line
I'm sure they will come up with some plan to stop passing around
the gift
Life - 05 Dec 2006 16:19 GMT
> "Life" <Life@life.com> wrote in message
>>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> I'm sure they will come up with some plan to stop passing around
> the gift
Nah - those who bitch about missing out on the cruise
because they were in the bathroom vomiting and
having diarrhea fits will get some sort of voucher for
a future trip - the class-action scams don't pay off
for anyone other than the lawyers.
Meantime, the cruise lines don't give a sh.t (excuse
the pun) and have no intention of paying what they
should in terms of salary & benefits (that is, they
will still hire the best of Calcutta and Africa and not give
their employees the proper medical coverage needed
to protect the paying public from the Typhoid Marys
on Board).