Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
19 November 2014 09:57
The Crown Princess Cruise Liner when it visited Belfast
A Princess Cruises ship on a month-long trip around Hawaii and Tahiti has been hit with norovirus - leaving more than 170 people suffering from the stomach sickness.
The Crown Princess has now returned to San Pedro - the port city of Los Angeles - where it was met by health officials from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). News of the outbreak offers a timely reminder of the importance of medical travel insurance.
A total of 145 passengers and 14 crew have reported falling ill since the ship sailed last month, according to the CDC website.
Further tests confirmed they had norovirus, which is also known as winter vomiting disease - a gastrointestinal illness which causes diarrhoea and sickness.
It is the second occasion in the past 12 months the Crown Princess has experienced a norovirus outbreak, with 150 people falling ill on board in April.
"Over the last few days, the ship began seeing an increased number of norovirus cases," the company said in a statement.
The operator added that it had begun "enacting stringent disinfecting protocols". These included an "extensive deep cleaning" in Los Angeles on Sunday before the ship embarks on its next voyage.
Norovirus fact box
Symptoms of gastrointestinal illness include vomiting and diarrhoea Called winter vomiting bug as this is the most common time of year for an outbreak The illness usually lasts for up to 3 days - contact your GP is symptoms extend further Sufferers must drink plenty of water - complications can arise as a result of dehydration
Find out more about norovirus.
26 September 2018
Loneliness amongst over-50s is set to soar over the coming decades, a leading charity has warned.
[more...]
25 September 2018
Two leading charities have called for better mental health support to be made available for patients living with breast cancer.
22 September 2018
The NHS should switch to electric vehicles across its organisations, health officials have advised.
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.