The norovirus outbreak has reportedly struck again, sickening about 170 passengers and crew members on a second cruise trip.
According to CNN, the Caribbean Princess was forced to cut short its seven-day trip and return two days early to the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston, Texas on Thursday. Princess Cruises originally reported that the return was due to fog, but later confirmed the spread of norovirus.
Norovirus is highly contagious, often causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It has already sickened 178 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the ship carrying more than 4,200 people. Health officials will oversee an "extensive sanitation of the ship."
"We truly regret having to make this change to our passengers' vacations, and we hope they understand that we did not have any choice but to return to Houston early before the unusually heavy fog closes the port," the company statement said.
The company provided hotels for guest who were flying out of Houston. Passengers "will receive a future cruise credit of 20% of their fare as well as one day per diem" for their expenses.
The Caribbean Princess's return is just the latest of a series of instances in which the stomach bug has affected passengers at sea. Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas returned to New Jersey on Wednesday after nearly 700 became sick with the same gastrointestinal illness.
Federal health officials said it was one of the biggest norovirus outbreaks in 20 years. About 20 million passengers take cruises in the U.S. each year, making the cruise ship business a $37.8 billion annual industry, according to the American Association of Port Authorities. In 2013, there were nine outbreaks and in 2012 there were 16 outbreaks reported.
The stomach bug is often spread through infected people or contaminated food or water. Last year, norovirus resulted in about "21 million illnesses, between 56,000 and 71,000 hospitalizations and as many as 800 death."
