Crown Princess Returns To Port Again After Norovirus Outbreak
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – For the second time in as many days, the Princess Cruise Line ship "Crown Princess" is having to return to port after another outbreak of the norovirus, which attacks the gastrointestinal system.
Princess Cruise Lines said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that there are widespread outbreaks of the illness across the United States.
Based on this, the cruise company decided to bring the Crown Princess back to port two days early on Thursday. The ship should arrive at Port Everglades around 7 a.m.
On the current cruise, 114 passengers and 59 crew members have come down with gastrointestinal problems. On the previous cruise of the ship, 364 passengers and 30 crew members were stricken by the illness.
Princess Cruise Lines said the ship will have to undergo a two-day "extensive sanitation."
"The enhanced disinfection of the ship in Fort Lauderdale will include bringing aboard additional cleaning crew to assist with a thorough sanitization of all public spaces and surfaces including soft furnishing and carpets, railings, door handles and the like. The staterooms will be sanitized multiple times before making up the rooms with fresh linens and towels on Saturday morning, just prior to passenger embarkation."
Princess Cruise Lines said they will be refunding the cruise fare, help arrange flights home, pay for flight change fees, provide hotel accommodation if necessary, and offering a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.
Princess said the next scheduled cruise of the Crown Princess, set to leave on February 11, will leave on time.
