Investigation Update on the Carnival Liberty

Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Line

Cruise Ship: Carnival Liberty

Voyage Dates: 11/3-11/19

Number of ill passengers out of total number of passengers: 536 of 2804 (19.12%)

Number of ill crew out of total number of crew: 143 of 1166 (12.22%)

Predominant symptoms: diarrhea and vomiting

Actions: Carnival Cruise Line and the crew aboard the ship took the following actions to respond to the outbreak:

• increased cleaning and disinfection procedures,
• hired people that sailed from St. Maarten to Fort Lauderdale to clean and disinfect the ship,
• submitted stools specimens for analysis,
• provided daily updates to VSP until the number of ill people returned to expected levels,
• delayed embarkation for 48 hours in order to implement additional cleaning and disinfection measures.

CDC staff boarded the ship in St. Maarten on November 16th and sailed through the remainder of the voyage. CDC staff conducted an epidemiological investigation and made recommendations. Additional CDC staff met the ship in Fort Lauderdale to monitor cleaning and disinfection procedures upon disembarkation. The number of ill people returned to expected levels by the next voyage that ended on 11/25/06.