How Do Cruise Ships Deal with Outbreaks?

When someone first sets foot on a cruise ship there is the expectation of a blissful journey from start to finish. Whether the cruise is a over a long weekend, or a lengthy sojourn that could last weeks (or even months and years!), everyone hopes the experience will be full of joy and absent of issues. However, just as on dry land, falling ill is sometimes an unavoidable fact of life.

While getting sick is never ideal for you or those around you, on a cruise ship it takes on a different calculation altogether. Not only is it harder to arrange any necessary segregation of someone who is sick, but the confined environment in which all passengers find themselves means that, even with diligent efforts, preventing an illness from spreading can be difficult.

So how do cruise ships deal with outbreaks? And what illnesses pose the greatest threat to enjoying a drama-free cruise today? Let’s look now.

 A Symptomatic Problem

It’s not news that cruise ship operators have a contentious record in certain circles surrounding how they deal with injuries and issues of passenger safety aboard. What might be news to you is the lengths that many cruise line companies go to in seeking to suppress criticism and keep secret any settlements with passengers when it comes to incidents that occurred while they were on board.

It can indeed be a challenge dealing with illnesses on a ship, especially because there are factors that can make it more difficult to stop an illness spreading, even if cruise staff are proactive. By the time someone starts to feel ill and seeks medical attention, they’ve likely already mixed with a number of people on board. Then, once others have been exposed, any infection can end up exponentially growing. This can be true of illnesses like the Noroviruses which have caused trepidation in the industry in recent months, alongside more common sicknesses.

Containing a Contagion

Although dealing with outbreaks on a cruise ship is no fun for anyone involved, from a medical perspective there can be advantages; and these advantages can result in a benefit for the wider community overall. An example of this played out just last month when Freewinds, a ship owned by the Church of Scientology, was quarantined in Curacao due to a measles outbreak. 

Though 318 of the ship’s crew and passengers were able to disembark, 29 were ordered by Curacaoan authorities to stay on board. This followed an April 30 report, while the ship was docked in Saint Lucia, that a crew member had been diagnosed with measles. Were this to have occurred on an airplane or train, such quarantine would have posed a number of logistical challenges, but it could be achieved on a 440-foot ship, and helped to prevent the spread of measles on land.

The Pattern of Illness

At the same time, this episode showed the widespread vulnerability that can quickly arise on a cruise, thereby making proactive prevention of disease that much harder. 

The same crew member who was diagnosed with measles on April 30 had previously been in Europe before arriving in Curacao on April 17. While there, she visited a doctor on April 22 with symptoms of a cold. A blood sample sent to Aruba confirmed on April 29 that the crew member had measles, but the ship had departed for Saint Lucia the previous day, April 28. Saint Lucian authorities put Freewinds under quarantine on April 30 and ultimately dispatched the vessel back to Curacao.

This chain of events gave rise to the risk not only to others on board but, had it not been for the quarantine from April 30, also the Saint Lucian public.

This crew member reportedly knew she was unwell, and still boarded the ship even though results from the blood test had not come back. This resulted in others contracting measles, and many more placed at risk. Though it’s essentially impossible for cruise ship operators to rely on a full disclosure of illnesses by all passengers, the same does not apply to staff.

In this instance, it appears clear that there was a failure in the duty of care owed by the crew member to the ship’s passengers and other crew. Although this cruise and its incident (in context) were relatively small, it’s the latest in a number of high-profile cases that reveal a gulf between public expectations and how cruise line companies may operate.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

A key consideration for the industry is not simply prevention — though that is crucial — but also proactive management. While Royal Caribbean had an unenviable end to 2017 with a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on two of its cruise ships in less than a month, the PR misery was compounded by criticism of the second ship sailing out of Florida when it was beginning to run short of water and essential supplies, before returning passengers to dry land. 

Many passengers will book a cruise, ready to contend with the overall small risk of catching an illness that could spoil their holiday. However, few would be happy to do so if they felt a cruise line company was unprepared to properly respond to an outbreak of illness on board.

Although this episode was undoubtedly not a good one for Royal Caribbean, the company holds over 25 ships in its fleet, alongside a majority equity stake in the Monaco-based Silversea Cruises. Some context should therefore be kept in mind when assessing the record of this one operator and its performance in an industry that’s seen many liners with similar episodes.

Clear Sailing Ahead

For anyone planning on taking a cruise soon, the good news is that the stats are on your side. While it’s already good to be diligent with your own health, avoiding unnecessary interaction with anyone who falls ill, the odds of becoming seriously sick are small. Indeed, of 74 million cruise passengers assessed between 2014 and 2018, under 13,000 fell ill with the Norovirus. 

Yes, 13,000 would be worryingly high if that was all on one cruise ship! But when considered over a timespan of four years and across numerous cruise routes, the odds are really on your side if you’re planning to take a cruise soon.