Cruise lines take few things as seriously as gastrointestinal illnesses.
They can pass quickly from one passenger to another and spread quickly throughout the ship.
That's why cruise ships encourage handwashing and place hand sanitizing stations everywhere. Proper handwashing is the best defense against the spread of disease.
Related: Iconic Cruise Ship Will Get a Huge Renovation in 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been clear about the benefits of handwashing;
“Washing your hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. Germs can be spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you:
- Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Preparing or eating food and drinks with dirty hands.
- Touch surfaces or objects that have germs.
- “Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands, and then touching other people's hands or common objects.”
Because everyone on board is in close quarters, cruise ships create easy conditions for viruses to spread, but the industry has done a very good job keeping ships and passengers safe. That doesn't mean breakouts never occur.
Cruise News Today's Doug Parker has the story about a recent outbreak on a Princess cruise ship.
Princess Cruises affected by illness
Transcription:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good day. Here's the cruise news for Thursday, December 12.
A gastrointestinal illness is spreading among Princess Cruises passengers. Ruby Princess is currently on a 16-day cruise around Hawaii.
Now, the captain has sent a letter to guest staterooms informing them that he is canceling onboard events and implementing enhanced health protocols, including suspending self-service at the buffet.
This is not the first outbreak to hit a Princess cruise ship this year. In recent months, both Coral Princess and Sapphire have experienced similar incidents.
State Department issues warnings, Virgin sets records and Royal Caribbean increases dividends
(The) State Department is warning travelers heading to Honduras or Costa Rica about crime in the area. Honduras remains at a reconsidered travel level with high rates of violence, while Costa Rica is at a level of greater caution.
Cruise passengers are advised to continue taking ship-sponsored excursions in those ports and be aware of their surroundings in both countries.
READ ALSO: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
And Virgin Voyages is enjoying a wave of success, reporting record growth in sales and revenue. Black Friday marked the company's busiest booking day with a 300% increase over last year. The cruise line continues its growth moving forward with the launch of its new ship, Brilliant Lady, next year.
And Royal Caribbean Group has announced a 38% increase in its quarterly dividend, now 55 cents per share. That's up from 40 cents previously. The dividend will be paid on January 13 to shareholders of record as of December 27. Royal Caribbean had net income of $1.1 billion in the third quarter of this year.
This is how it is done.
[email protected]. Have a great Thursday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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