The Celebrity Mercury, a cruise ship that spent the winter sailing from the Port of Baltimore, is in the midst of a massive outbreak of a norovirus-like illness during its current cruise to the Caribbean. More than 400 of the passengers and crew are reporting symptoms that include upset stomachs, vomiting and diarrhea.
The Mercury, which carries more than 1,800 passengers, left Charleston on Feb. 15 for an 11-night sailing. South Carolina has had an uptick in the number of norovirus cases this winter, according to the Associated Press. However, a spokesperson for the ship says samples are being sent to the CDC to determine if the norovirus is responsible for the sickness onboard. In the meantime, the cruise line is undertaking an "enhanced cleaning" of the ship, the AP reports.
According to a cruise schedule posted online at the Port Administration Web site, the Mercury sailed from Baltimore on Feb. 13 - with no passengers - for a repositioning cruise to Charleston, where the ship will be sailing for the next several weeks before returning to the West Coast.
This seems to have been a rough sailing season for the Mercury and Celebrity Cruises, which is owned by Royal Caribbean International. First, there was the earthquake in Haiti, where the Mercury ship sometimes stops at Labadee. Also, you may remember that a few weeks ago - around the time of the blizzard - several Mercury crew members suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while in port in Baltimore and had to be hospitalized. And now this.