On Wednesday, January 29, 2014, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas ended its 10 day cruise early. 595 passengers and 50 crew members had become ill with what is expected to be norovirus. This virus presents itself with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Royal Caribbean has agreed to reimburse passengers half the cost of the cruise and give them 50% discount on their next trip. However, the company could be looking at legal issues as a result of this outbreak. If the victims of the outbreak can show that the company was negligent in its cleaning procedures or illness prevention measures, the company may be liable to the ill passengers for further damages.
Hopefully this incident will be a reminder of how quickly illness can spread on board, and that these companies will work even harder to keep their passengers healthy.
For more information, see the following article: https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/27/travel/cruise-ship-illness/
Lance Youd is a personal injury attorney in Salem, Oregon.
