A gastro illness impacted Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, and passengers and crew members were required to comply with more stringent sanitation measures.
From pork tacos that had gone bad to the dreaded norovirus, Allure of the Seas passengers speculated about the latest bug going around the vessel.
Late day at CocoCay
It all started Thursday morning when the captain told guests they were waiting for clearance to debark guests at Perfect Day at CocoCay. They could finally enter the island around noon instead of leaving the ship at 8 a.m..
Vacationers were also asked to answer a health questionnaire, which asked, “Did any of the occupants experience gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps) during this sailing?”
Though the cruise line sent a letter to guests, it didn’t explain what was happening.
| As previously announced, we were cleared by the local Bahamian government to debark and enjoy a Perfect Day at CocoCay later than originally planned. We’re sorry for the unexpected change and appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Below, we have some important details to share with you. Compensation To help make up for this change, we’re providing you with an Onboard Credit in the value of half a day of your cruise fare paid. Additionally, we are refunding 50% of all pre-paid day passes for Perfect Day at CocoCay in the form of an Onboard Credit – this includes Thrill Waterpark, Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, and any cabana purchases. Any new purchases for these items will be provided at 50% of the original price. Shore Excursions Our Shore Excursions team automatically adjusted any impacted tours in Perfect Day at CocoCay. Any tours that could not be rescheduled and any tours provided by external vendors will be refunded in the form of an Onboard Credit to your SeaPass account. These credits will be automatically applied to your SeaPass account and can be used anywhere onboard. Any remaining, refundable amounts at the end of our sailing will be reimbursed to your card on file within 14 business days of final disembarkation. Kindly note, some banking institutions may take longer. Please feel free to use this information for insurance purposes. We thank you for your understanding and hope you enjoy the remainder of your time with us. Sincerely, Allure of the Seas |
Embarkation delayed for next cruise
Guests embarking on the next cruise also received a message about their upcoming voyage. The memo stated, “Due to an enhanced sanitation process upon debarkation of our current sailing, our check-in process will now begin at 12:00 pm. Please be advised that arriving at your original time will result in us having to turn you away until your new time while we complete this process.”
What was the illness?
Based on initial reports from passengers, the major symptoms they noticed were vomiting and diarrhea. Though guests suspected norovirus, no confirmation or further details were issued onboard.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported five norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year. If at least 2% of passengers and crew members or 3% of guests became sick, the cruise line had to report the illness to the CDC.
