A norovirus outbreak hit a luxury Cunard cruise ship, leaving nearly 200 passengers sick

• A norovirus outbreak on the Queen Mary 2, a luxury cruise ship, affected 183 passengers and 14 crew.
• About 7% of passengers on board reported symptoms during the voyage, per the CDC.
• Norovirus is highly contagious, with outbreaks especially common in hospitals and schools.

A norovirus outbreak on a luxury Cunard cruise ship left almost 200 people sick, causing symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program released details on Monday about the norovirus outbreak on the Queen Mary 2.

It said about 183 of the 2,538 passengers on board — about 7% — fell ill during the voyage. It also said that 14 of the 1,232 crew members also reported being sick during the journey.

The ship departed England on March 8, according to CruiseMapper, sailing first to New York before continuing to the eastern Caribbean, with stops in Barbados, St Lucia, and Grenada.

In an email statement to Business Insider, a Cunard spokesperson said a "small number of guests" reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness on the Queen Mary 2.

"We are continuing to closely monitor the guests and, as a precaution, completed a comprehensive deep clean of the ship and immediately activated our enhanced health and safety protocols, which are proving to be effective," they added.

The Queen Mary 2, Cunard's flagship vessel, was the largest passenger ship ever built at the time of its construction. It has 15 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, and the first-ever planetarium at sea.

The ship frequently makes transatlantic crossings, with ticket prices starting at around $1,400 per person, and luxury duplex suites upwards of $35,000.

Although norovirus is sometimes referred to as the "cruise ship virus," outbreaks on cruise ships only account for about 1% of all reported cases in the US, according to the CDC.

More common outbreak locations included healthcare facilities, restaurants, and schools.

It's an extremely contagious virus, and is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the US. According to the CDC, there are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks in the US each year.

Norovirus can be spread through direct contact, eating food or drinking liquid contaminated with the virus, or touching contaminated surfaces.

The CDC said that Cunard responded to the outbreak by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolating sick passengers and crew, collecting stool specimens for testing, and consulting with the Vessel Sanitation Program.

A few days after Cunard reported the outbreak, a smaller norovirus outbreak was reported on a different cruise ship.

According to the CDC, 7 of the 461 passengers and 22 of the 405 crew members reported being ill during a voyage on the Seabourn Encore, which belongs to Seabourn Cruise Line.

Last week, BI reported on how passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Anne were advised to take precautions as the vessel navigated a piracy-prone area in Southeast Asia during its maiden world voyage.

Passengers were told that promenade decks would be closed and only essential open-deck lights would remain on, to minimize the ship's visibility, and that they should keep their curtains drawn.

The Queen Anne is Cunard's fourth luxury cruise ship and can accommodate 2,996 guests, in addition to 1,225 crew.