MIAMI -- Royal Caribbean's new Liberty of the Seas will dock at the Port of Miami Saturday with sick passengers on board.

Since the ship set sail on its Caribbean vacation last Saturday, 172 of the ship's 3,846 guests and 10 of its 1,425 crew members have experienced the illness, thought to be a Norovirus brought onboard by a guest previously exposed to it.

A spokesperson from Royal Caribbean said those "affected by the short-lived illness responded well to over-the-counter medication administered onboard the ship."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Noroviruses affect 23 million Americans annually. The only illness that is more prevalent is the common cold, according to Royal Caribbean.

"Cruise ships have rigorous protocols and procedures in place to manage and eradicate the transmission of Norovirus," said Dave Forney, the former chief of the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program. "The reason one hears about Norovirus on cruise ships is because the cruise industry is required to report every incidence of gastrointestinal illness," said Forney.

Liberty of the Seas sailed from the Port of Miami on May 26, with port calls in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Labadee, Haiti.