Man says ’24 hours of gastrointestinal experiences’ won’t stop him from going on cruise after norovirus outbreak

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WKMG) – Hours after docking at Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, small groups of masked passengers were seen loading into separate vehicles.

The extra precautions happened after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a norovirus outbreak sickened 102 guests on board the Caribbean Princess, along with 13 crew members.

“We just thought it was food poisoning, and then the next morning, we heard that there was an outbreak of the norovirus throughout the ship,” David Hanson said.

Hanson caught norovirus early on the 13-day trip out of Fort Lauderdale. The cruise line later began to isolate those who became ill.

“Basically, 24 hours of gastrointestinal experiences, and after that, you start feeling better,” Hanson said.

Because norovirus is highly contagious, Princess Cruises said workers disinfected the ship and increased sanitation measures throughout the voyage.

“They were having the staff serve the food at the buffet, so that was probably a big game changer in that respect,” another passenger said.

The ship was undergoing a comprehensive cleaning as it welcomed thousands more passengers on Monday.

“It wouldn’t stop me from cruising. Just make sure you keep your hands washed and take care of yourself, bring hand sanitizer and you should be fine,” Hanson said.