Stomach bug outbreak forcing cruise ship to return home early to Florida

One of the world’s largest cruise ships is returning to its home port a day ahead of schedule after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

The Oasis of the Seas, a massive, 18-deck, 1,186-foot-long ship in the Royal Caribbean line, will be back in its Port Canaveral, Fla., dock Saturday morning after more than 250 passengers and crew on the ship were stricken with a norovirus-like illness after the vessel’s departure, reported USA Today.

The norovirus, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, is very contagious and has a short incubation period. The sickness usually lasts no more than three days. While some refer to it as the stomach flu, it’s not related to influenza.

The bug was possibly brought on to the ship by passengers while boarding.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean noted only 3.3% of passengers and crew on board have been afflicted. The vessel holds more than 6,000 passengers and more than 2,000 crew members.

Still, many passengers aboard were fearful of being stricken.

“We think the right thing to do is to get everyone home early rather than have guests worry about their health,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “Returning on Saturday also gives us more time to completely clean and sanitize the ship before her next sailing.”

The decision comes after officials in Jamaica on Wednesday were slow to allow passengers off the Oasis of the Seas, cutting into the time passengers had for touring.

Royal Caribbean said it would offer everyone a full refund for the voyage, a seven-night trip to the Caribbean.

“Our guests sail with us to have great vacations, and we are sorry this cruise fell short,” the company said.