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200 passengers ill Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/4649287.htmhttp://www.miami.com/mld/miami/4649287.htm
Posted on Mon, Dec. 02, 2002
Nearly 200 passengers ill after Carnival cruise
BY JENNIFER MALONEY
jmaloney@herald.com
Passengers of the Carnival cruise ship Fascination filed off the boat this morning at the Port of Miami clutching their stomachs and leaning on each other for support.
For almost 200 people on the three-day jaunt to Nassau, the vacation had been dampened -- if not ruined completely -- by a gastrointestinal virus with symptoms similar to those plaguing other cruise liners.
''I was sick all three days,'' said Arlene Bailey, who listed symptoms including diarrheah, upset stomach and abdominal pain. Bailey said she wouldn't be deterred from going on another cruise.
But others said they had no desire to step foot on a cruise ship again.
''It was the cruise from hell,'' said a man from Pembroke Pines who identified himself only as Vinnie. ''First time on Carnival, last time on Carnival. We'll never do it again.'' Half of his party of 24 -- a group of colleagues and friends -- were ill, he said.
Passengers described family reunions and romantic getaways that turned into long waits at the ship infirmary, lots of bed rest in cabin beds and frequent visits to the head.
''I was throwing up everywhere,'' said Sammi Teller, 12, of Fort Lauderdale. ``There were people throwing up in the elevators and the hallways.''
''It was nasty,'' agreed her mother, Valya Wolf, who described the trip as ``stressful.''
A total of 190 passengers and four crew members on the Fascination reported vomiting and diarrhea, but it has not been confirmed that they have a Norwalk-like virus, said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival Corp. spokeswoman.
That total may not reflect the sick passengers who stayed in bed and did not visit the ship infirmary.
''We didn't know everyone else was getting sick until we were getting off,'' said Christa Schindler, who became ill Sunday afternoon. ``We didn't really leave the room.''
As passengers disembarked, Carnival cruise line officials handed out letters that described precautions passengers could take to prevent contracting gastroentiritis from the Norwalk Virus, which has plagued more than 1,000 people on other cruise ships in the past few months.
Passengers who already had become sick were nonplussed.
''If there was a problem on other cruses, they should have told us how to prevent it,'' said Lisa Breen, whose family was on the cruise to celebrate her grandfather's 80th birthday. Two of her cousins became ill Saturday afternoon and her sister began to feel nauseous this morning.
''This is a way to cover their butts, not a way to protect us,'' Breen said.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was overseeing the cleaning of the ship, which is still scheduled to depart on a four-day cruise to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico, at 4 p.m. Monday, Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher said.
''We're taking all possible precautions . . . given the recent incidence of Norwalk-like viruses on cruise ships,'' Gallagher said.
Fascination passengers will not receive a refund or compensation because most became ill late Sunday, the last full day of the cruise, Gallagher said.
CDC experts have obtained lab samples from the ship and passengers to determine if a Norwalk-like virus caused the outbreak, with test results expected within five days, said Bernadette Burden, a CDC spokeswoman.
The CDC does not currently have the exact number of viral cases that have been reported on cruises in recent years, but the number of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships has declined since 1990, she added.
Norwalk-like virus is one of a number of common illnesses that can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting for 24 to 48 hours. It is spread through food and water and close contact with infected people or things they have touched. Its incubation period is about two to three days.
The virus is a seasonal illness that peaks in the colder months, and is not uncommon, said Dr. Steven Wiersma, the state epidemiologist.
''We've already seen some [cases] in Florida -- this is not just a cruise ship issue,'' he said.
He said it was too early to tell if the recent outbreaks represent a spike in occurrences, because more people are reporting being sick because of the increased attention given to the cruise ship cases.
The Amsterdam, which was held at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for 10 days while be thoroughly decontaminated after nearly 1,000 people fell ill on its last four trips, departed on 10-day Caribbean cruise Sunday with 1,261 passengers aboard.
''We are very confident that we have broken the cycle,'' said Rose Abello, a Holland America spokeswoman. ``Can we guarantee that nobody will ever get sick? Absolutely not.''
Holland America Line Inc. is owned by the Miami-based Carnival Corp.
Passengers on other Holland America ships, the Ryndam and Statendam, have also contracted the Norwalk-like virus on recent sails. A lawsuit seeking class-action status was filed in Canada in August on behalf of Ryndam passengers.
CDC officials have said there is no evidence that the cruise ship outbreaks are the work of terrorists.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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