Investigation Update on the Legend of the Seas

Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Cruise Ship: Legend of the Seas

Voyage Dates: March 30 - April 14, 2015

Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 135 of 1746 (7.73%)

Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 7 of 748 (0.94%)

Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea

Causative agent: Norovirus

Actions: In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

• Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan,
• Making announcements to notify onboard passengers and crew of the outbreak, encourage case reporting, and encourage good hand hygiene,
• Collecting clinical specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing by CDC,
• Making multiple daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP,
• Sending corporate management, hotel, and housekeeping team to assist the onboard management with infection control response plan,
• Is consulting with CDC on plans for their comprehensive sanitation procedures in San Diego, CA on April 14, 2015, including:
  • providing additional cleaning crew to complete a thorough public and accommodation super-sanitization cleaning and disinfection,
  • planning staged disembarkation for active cases to limit the opportunity of illness transmission to well guests, and
  • planning for sanitation of terminal and transport infection control procedures.

One CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and one epidemiologist will board the ship in San Diego, CA on April 14, 2015 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. Specimens are being collected and will be tested by CDC to determine the causative agent for this outbreak.