The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak on a Hawaiʻi-bound luxury cruise ship. More than 150 people have reported gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea and vomiting.
The Queen Victoria, operated by Cunard Cruise Line, is currently on a 107-night world voyage that originated in England on Jan. 11. The ship is carrying 1,800 passengers and 970 crew members.
The illnesses occurred during the voyage from Florida to San Francisco, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Health, which is also monitoring the outbreak.
Queen Victoria departed San Francisco on Wednesday and is set to dock in Honolulu on Monday, Feb. 12.
"Based on the available information, the outbreak appears to have been contained. We do not consider the cruise ship’s docking to be a threat to the people of Hawai’i," the health department said in a statement.
The cause of the outbreak has not been confirmed, but Hawaiʻi health officials said the symptoms and spread appear to be similar to norovirus.
Cunard told the CDC that the ship increased cleaning and disinfection, and isolated ill passengers and crew.
As of Thursday, 129 passengers and 25 crew members had become ill, according to the CDC. The reported cases are totals for the entire voyage and do not represent how many people are actively sick at any one time, the CDC said. Cases decreased "substantially" by the time the ship arrived in San Francisco.
The company did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking more details.
After the Honolulu visit, the next few stops are scheduled to be Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand. It is supposed to arrive back in England on April 28.
