Cruise gone wrong: Passengers suffering from both ends on ‘ultra premium’ cruise

An electron micrograph shows the Norovirus in this undated photo. (U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

A self-described “ultra-premium cruise” cruise launched from Montreal has dozens of people infected with norovirus, causing vomiting and diarrhea.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 80 of the cruise’s 637 passengers are sick, accounting for more than 10 per cent of those on board.

“The ship’s Sanitation Officer has activated the CDC approved protocol and all guests experiencing symptoms are being treated,” a spokesperson for Oceania Cruises told CTV News in a statement.

The Oceania Insignia’s current voyage began in Montreal on Oct. 16 before sailing up the St. Lawrence Seaway , making stops in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before passing the U.S. state of Maine. and ending the trip in Boston, according to the website Cruise Mapper.

“At Oceania Cruises, the health and safety of our guests is the number one priority,” the cruise line’s statement said, before reporting the illness as “acute gastroenteritis,” with no reference to norovirus.

The cruise line also said that guests are “asked to stay in their stateroom,” and will “receive free medical treatment and medication.”

Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the “stomach flu,” can “easily spread in environments where people are in close contact,” according to Health Canada.

“There is no vaccine or medicine that will prevent a norovirus infection, and norovirus illness can recur throughout a person’s lifetime,“ Health Canada said on its norovirus page. Along with vomiting and diarrhea, noroviruses can lead to stomach cramps, nausea, fever, and muscle aches, according to Health Canada.

Oceania Cruises is “the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line,” according to a press release.

This is the 20th outbreak of an illness at sea this year that the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program has reported. Norovirus made up 15 of those outbreaks, with another three being unknown illnesses.

The Insignia has increased its cleaning efforts and is currently collecting samples of fecal matter from infected passengers for testing, isolating sick passengers and crew, according to the CDC.