The media loves to report on problems with cruise ships and cruise ship lawsuits. Whether there is a fire, a disappearance or a cruise ship wide illness outbreak, they are ready to tell the American public. Is there any truth to the cruise ship virus? Are cruise ships not keeping their facilities clean and clear of dangerous viruses and illnesses? Are there any successful cruise ship lawsuits regarding this mysterious illness?
The truth is that on a number of ships, large groups of passengers have gotten
ill at the same time and with the same symptoms. Typically, the cruise ship illness is of a gastro intestinal nature and includes common symptoms like a low grade fever, nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. This happens because the ship is such close quarters and is, in most cases, a simple but seriously infectious Norovirus.
Noroviruses can be spread by person to person contact and are typically developed by people who have had oral exposure to fecal matter on unwashed food, in untreated water or through person to person contact. Additionally, all of the people suffering from this cruise ship illness go to the same doctor, who may or may not end up helping the illness to spread.
The good news about a Norovirus is that it tends to hit quickly, with onset after exposure happening between 12 and 48 hours. The cruise ship virus symptoms will usually only last from 24 to 60 hours and people typically make a full recovery with no lasting problems. This is what is usually identified as the Cruise illness and there are ways to avoid getting it.
First, wash your hands often and avoid shaking hands with other passengers. If you are a hand shaker, bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer and use if often. You can even use a spray sanitizer on your cabin bedding and furniture if you want to be extra careful. You should also travel with a small first aid kit that includes medication to help you through something like the Norovirus – antacids, anti-diarrhea medication and the basics for sunburn, cuts and scrapes and headaches.
If you do get a cruise ship virus, consult the onboard physician and don’t forget that if more than 3% of the ship gets ill (passengers and employees) the cruise ship must report it to the Center For Disease Control. If you have concerns about an upcoming cruise, don’t be afraid to go on the CDC’s website and check out the vessel sanitation scores.
The CDC must monitor the sanitation of any ship that carries more than 13 passengers to foreign ports and calls into port in the U.S. Ships are inspected for sanitation in the water supply, the pools and spas, the food and how it is handled and prepared, the potential for any contamination of food and water supplies, the personal hygiene practices of the ship’s staff, the general condition and cleanliness of the vessel and the ships training programs and health practices. Ships are rated on a 100 point scale and must score higher than 86 out of 100.
If you have been injured by a cruise ship sickness or norovirus and you feel that you may want to seek compensation or redress from with a cruise ship lawsuit against a ship that was not sanitary, you should contact a qualified personal injury attorney or cruise ship attorney as soon as possible.