Freedom of the Seas returned from it’s latest sailing with an unwelcome visitor. It seems that a passenger previously exposed to Norovirus came onboard and shared their visitor with approximately 380 passengers and crew. As is common when a Norovirus outbreak occurs on a cruise ship the crew ratchets up their already stringent sanitation protocols and specifically targets frequently touched surfaces like railings, door handles, and elevator buttons.

We discuss norovirus in Episode 3 of the podcast, you can find the show here. These outbreaks get a lot of press when they occur, but often times the situation is over dramatized and the facts that you need to know get lost. First, norovirus is not life threatening, it is however extremely common anywhere people congregate including schools, hotels, nursing homes, and yes cruise ships. Unlike anyplace else, cruise ships are the only ones who are required to report norovirus outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control. Cruise ships have extensive and comprehensive sanitation programs to prevent such outbreaks, and almost every single outbreak on a cruise ship has been traced back to a passenger who was exhibiting symptoms before they boarded.