More than 170 passengers and crew have fallen ill with norovirus on a nearly month-long cruise that docked in San Pedro, California, Sunday morning.
Princess Cruises confirmed that passengers were ill with the stomach flu in a Nov. 13 statement, saying the ship would receive a "deep cleaning" in Los Angeles on Sunday before it embarks on its next voyage.
Out of the 3,009 passengers and 1,160 crew members aboard the ship, 158 passengers and 14 crewmembers took ill with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Norovirus, an infectious stomach flu, causes vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
Guests began to show symptoms about 2 weeks into the voyage, the cruise line company said. Passengers said they received daily announcements from the captain.
"We had at least half a dozen (ill passengers) on our floor, but we’re OK," said passenger Yvonne Lubos.
Lubos said those passengers were quarantined to their rooms and had meals delivered.
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"In the dining room you were no longer allowed to take utensils. Everything was handed to you," Lubos said.
Passengers also saw crews constantly cleaning its facilities.
"They were wiping down handrails and walls, bathrooms, tables, the chairs – everything you can think of they were continually wiping it down,” said passenger Laura Tagliere, who was on the cruise with her husband and three children.
The Crown Princess docked in the Port of Los Angeles at 6:50 a.m PT (9:50 a.m ET). Passengers appeared to be in good spirits as they disembarked.
The ship's return was delayed by a day because of a separate illness that required the ship to backtrack to an island on Monday, Nov. 10, according to Princess Cruises.
An extremely sick crew member was offloaded on an island in French Polynesia because he required emergency surgery, according to the statement. He was flown to another island and is expected to fully recover.
In April, 129 people on the same ship contracted norovirus during a seven-day cruise off the California coast.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
