BAD WEATHER AND TUMMY TROUBLES

Posted on 03/04/2016

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas that withstood a severe storm in the Atlantic Ocean last month, this week cut its itinerary short by two days (skipping Barbados and St Kitts), and returned to its home port because of a storm developing off Cape Hatteras. There was however, a second problem, some of the guests were suffering with norovirus.

“The decision to return home was based on avoiding forecasted gale warning weather conditions along our original itinerary and our desire to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests and crew,” Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for the Miami-based cruise line, said in a statement.John Turell, a television executive for the Associate Press was on the cruise with his wife. He confirmed that the captain and cruise director announced that some guests were suffering from norovirus.“Sanitation levels on the ship have been boosted,” he said, “workers are scurrying around like ants, scrubbing down handrails, tables and any other surfaces that can be washed.”Martinez said, “a small percentage of our guests have experienced gastrointestinal illness thought to be norovirus. Those affected by the short-lived illness are responding well to over-the-counter medicine.” Royal Caribbean is undoubtedly being cautious.  They have been served with a lawsuit from a passenger who claimed injury from being flung across his cabin when the Anthem of the Seas was being battered by a storm off Cape Hatteras in February.