PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - The flagship of Disney's cruise line set out for sea last night after a stem-to-stern scrubbing by an army of cleaners hoping to eradicate a stomach bug that sickened nearly 300 people during its seven-day cruise.
Disney Magic's departure was delayed about an hour until 6 p.m. to allow a crew of around 1,150 - including 200 added cleaners - to sanitize the 2,300-passenger ship, right down to Bibles and doorknobs.
Investigators with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention searched the 964-foot long vessel for clues to the source of the mystery illness but had no immediate answers.
Passengers arriving for the trip expressed confidence in Disney's cleaning efforts, but some were taking precautions to help ensure they return with nothing but pleasant memories.
"We stocked up on every kind of belly aid you can think of," said Michele Fagan, 37, as she checked in her luggage. The New Hampshire woman said that there was very little that could have stopped her and her sister's families from boarding the ship.
"We're not crazy germ people," Fagan said as her sister, Melanie Cary, 40, of Tequesta, Fla., reviewed their supply of medications. "We sure wouldn't have spent our first night [on vacation] buying a duffel bag and water, but you never know."
Dr. Amany Rafla, 36, and her family learned about the illness when they arrived from Los Angeles on Friday night. After some discussions with relatives flying in from Massachusetts, the Raflas and the others went ahead with the trip they booked nearly a year ago.
"Obviously there is a fear, but I'm confident," said Rafla, 36, adding that since she and her husband are both physicians they felt prepared to handle any mid-vacation ills.
The outbreak on the Magic, with its distinctive Mouse ear logos, was the worst in the cruise line's four-year history.
"For 24 hours, I was totally out of commission," said Larry Brakefield, 34, of Buffalo, N.Y., who left the ship after it docked early yesterday. He and other passengers described the seemingly random nature of the outbreak, hitting some people hard while leaving others healthy.
Brakefield said that only one other member of his party of four, a younger brother, became ill and his symptoms were mild. Other families had three or four sick members.
"There were a lot of upset folks," he said. "For many, the trip was ruined."
About 8 percent of the passengers and crew were affected, but none required hospitalization, said Dr. Heidar Heshmati, director of the Brevard County Health Department. Disney said that at least 29 people were treated by the two onboard physicians.
Heshmati said he was called to the port to help the CDC and the cruise line analyze the incident and work to blunt any further spread of the illness.
Heshmati said the signs point to a common "gastrointestinal outbreak," possibly caused by the Norwalk virus. The virus is a common bug suspected of sickening more than 500 passengers and crew of the Holland America cruise line in the past few weeks.
It strikes an average of 180,000 people across the country every year, causing cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and headaches but generally subsides after 24 hours. In rare cases people with weak immune systems and the elderly can die of dehydration.
Even those who did fall ill generally praised the cruise and said Disney staffers went out of their way to be reassuring and fastidious in scrubbing the ship.
"I threw up, but it was still an awesome cruise," said Tari Martin, before heading home to California.
Jerry W. Jackson and Alicia Caldwell are reporters for the Orlando Sentinel, a Tribune Publishing newspaper.