Nearly 100 passengers and four crew members on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have fallen ill with norovirus, a highly contagious stomach infection. The ship docked in Miami early Monday morning after the cruise line reported the illnesses to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"I don't think I've ever been that sick in my life," Bob Petit, a passenger aboard the Serenade of the Seas, told CBS News.
The outbreak affected dozens of passengers during the 13-day voyage through Central America and the Caribbean. The ship departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and arrived in Miami on Monday.
Petit was among those who became sick during the cruise.
"I got violently sick and I couldn't, couldn't make it to the bathroom even," Petit said.
Petit's son Joshua, who traveled with his father, noticed changes in the ship's protocols as the illness spread.
"We knew it was starting. It seemed a day or two after the ship visited Mexico, all of a sudden they started at the buffet with enhanced protocols of serving. The staff was serving food," Joshua Petit said. "I've managed so far to escape, hopefully if I can make it one more day and get off the ship without being sick myself."
According to the CDC, symptoms of norovirus include diarrhea and vomiting. Royal Caribbean reports they isolated sick passengers and increased cleaning and disinfection procedures throughout the ship.
Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist, described the severity of the illness.
"It is a miserable, miserable three days for most people," Marty said.
When asked about prevention strategies for other cruise passengers, Dr. Marty advised caution around certain dining options.
"Absolutely. You're gonna avoid the buffet and just be very, very careful about your hand hygiene," Marty said.
There is no antiviral treatment for norovirus. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and staying hydrated.
This marks the 19th gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a cruise ship so far this year, already exceeding the total number of outbreaks from all of last year.
"It is a miserable, miserable three days for most people," Marty said.
