Investigation Update on the Freedom of the Seas
- Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
- Cruise Ship: Freedom of the Seas
- Voyage Dates: 11/26-12/3/06
- Number of ill passengers out of total number of passengers:
338 of 3823 (8.84%)
- Number of ill crew out of total number of crew: 46 of 1402 (3.28%)
- Predominant symptoms: diarrhea and vomiting
- Actions: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) and the crew aboard the ship took the following actions to respond to the
outbreak:
- increased cleaning and disinfection procedures,
- collected stools specimens for analysis,
- informed incoming passengers of the elevated number of ill people,
- provided daily updates about the illness to VSP,
- sent senior RCCL environmental health specialists to sail on the December
3-10th voyage to assist the ship with cleaning and disinfection planning and
operational procedures.
- VSP staff boarded the ship on December 3 to conduct a targeted environmental health investigation
and an epidiomlogical review.
- During the December 3-10th voyage, the number of ill passengers and crew
were still higher than expected. On December 10th, CDC staff boarded the ship in
Miami to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment, monitor cleaning
and disinfection procedures, and discuss operation procedures with staff ship.
- On December 10th, VSP staff recommended that the ship not sail for 48 hours due to three consecutive voyages with a
higher than expected number of ill people and the time needed to properly clean and disinfect
the ship.
- Actions as of December 10th: RCCL took the following actions:
- staffed the ship with 45 additional staff to assist during the non-voyage period, in
addition to the 1,399 crew already performing cleaning and disinfection
procedures,
- collected stool specimens for analysis,
- informed oncoming passengers of the elevated number of ill people,
- developed a CDC approved disembarkation plan that included:
- cleaning of terminals and buses,
- separation plan for ill people,
- developed a CDC approved cleaning and disinfection plan for the 48 hours
between voyages.
- While the ship was not sailing, VSP staff monitored the ships cleaning and
disinfection procedures.