Cruise Ship Sickness May Leave Industry Ailing
Virus Leaves Ships Docked, Passengers Nauseous
POSTED: 6:25 p.m. EST November 22, 2002
MIAMI -- A recent rash of viral outbreaks aboard cruise ships may leave the industry ailing, according to cruise line representatives.
Holland American representatives say the line expects to lose $5 million to 10 million in bookings, besides covering the costs of some medical airlifts and the cleaning process on the "Ms Amsterdam."
The Holland America ship is in Port Everglades for a 10-day disinfection cleaning.
But the Ms Amsterdam is not the only ship making news with sick passengers.
The "Disney Magic" is due into Port Canaveral on Saturday morning with about 100 passengers on board with a stomach flu. A Disney-ordered disinfection crew will be cleaning the ship from stem to stern. Disney's private island also will be cleaned, along with buses used for on land transfers.
The Magic plans to sail all scheduled cruises.
Cruise line representatives said that both sick ships scored very well on most recent inspections by the Centers for Disease Control.
The Disney Magic, inspected June 15, scored a 99 out of a possible 100 and the Ms Amsterdam, last inspected June 29, was scored 96.
Dr. Eleni Sfakianaki of the Miami-Dade Health Department said, "When you have an area where many people congregate, transmission is easier to occur."
The Norwalk virus, that has been reported on the cruise ships, is considered so mild that the health department does not require cases to be reported unless there's a outbreak.
The cruise line officials said that they have not tracked the source or sources of their outbreaks, and acknowledge they may never what the source was.
Holland American representatives say the line expects to lose $5 million to 10 million in bookings, besides covering the costs of some medical airlifts and the cleaning process on the "Ms Amsterdam."
The Holland America ship is in Port Everglades for a 10-day disinfection cleaning.
But the Ms Amsterdam is not the only ship making news with sick passengers.
The "Disney Magic" is due into Port Canaveral on Saturday morning with about 100 passengers on board with a stomach flu. A Disney-ordered disinfection crew will be cleaning the ship from stem to stern. Disney's private island also will be cleaned, along with buses used for on land transfers.
The Magic plans to sail all scheduled cruises.
Cruise line representatives said that both sick ships scored very well on most recent inspections by the Centers for Disease Control.
The Disney Magic, inspected June 15, scored a 99 out of a possible 100 and the Ms Amsterdam, last inspected June 29, was scored 96.
Dr. Eleni Sfakianaki of the Miami-Dade Health Department said, "When you have an area where many people congregate, transmission is easier to occur."
The Norwalk virus, that has been reported on the cruise ships, is considered so mild that the health department does not require cases to be reported unless there's a outbreak.
The cruise line officials said that they have not tracked the source or sources of their outbreaks, and acknowledge they may never what the source was.
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