The ship docked over the weekend – Image: TwitterA family cruise turned into a nightmare on the high seas for one family that claims they were “locked in their cabin against their will as a second wave of norovirus hits the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Joy left Mexico earlier this week.
According to Mirror Online, the family claims to be “prisoners on a $4,000 cruise” as “the ship falls into the grips of a second vomiting virus outbreak”.
“Over the weekend passengers aboard the Norwegian Joy cruise liner spoke of how Hazmat suit-wearing staff had disinfected the vessel in the wake of a Norovirus outbreak,” the report said.
One passenger told Mirror Online “that he and his wife were overcome by diarrhoea and vomiting and forced to stay in their cabin for the final three days of the 17-day, £2,000-a-person voyage from Miami to Los Angeles via the Panama Canal”.
“The chaos on the luxury liner appears not to have improved days after the all clear was given by staff before the ship left Los Angeles,” the report added.
A man currently aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line boat told Mirror Online that the captain had declared another outbreak shortly after it departed Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
“Passengers were urged to follow safety measures, such as washing their hands before eating, and told to report any sign of sickness to staff.
Passengers queued to disembark the ship on Sunday – Image: Twitter“One man who followed the protocol is Bryan Zirkel, who fell ill with what he believes is food poisoning on Monday night.
“He reported feeling unwell the following night and has been subsequently quarantined in his cabin along with his wife and children, seven and four.”
“It’s getting out of control,” Byran said. “My in-laws are hearing about people who aren’t reporting because they’re worried about quarantine.
“There are others who went to the medical office because they threw up from drinking too much and are now being quarantined.
“My family isn’t sick. I’m 100 percent better. If I wouldn’t have done the right thing and reported food poisoning, my family and I would be in Mazatlan right now,” he added.
“We’re are basically prisoners on a $4000 (£3,100) cruise right now.”
Despite the challenges, Bryan said his children were not coping well with their situation.
But he said: “They’re upset that they’re being confined. My son kept asking me why they were ruining his first cruise.”
The Norovirus can lead to vomiting – Image: Getty ImagesBryan’s predicament “follows assurances by the cruise line company that the worst of the outbreak had passed”.
“Before getting on most passengers thought ‘I have never heard of a cruise ship having sick people on it two voyages on a row,’ he said.
“There’s a lack of information. It’s kind of obvious that things were different.
“It would have been good if they told us this is what we have done to protect, but that did not happen,” he added.
On Friday, staff announced that “there were a lot of people sick” on the vessel, which was carrying between 2,000 and 3,000 passengers.
- Top Feature Photo: Bryan’s kids have been quarantined along with him and his wife -Image: Bryan Zirkel
