> Cruiselines A-D > Celebrity Cruises > 'no sail' advisory for illness-plagued Celebrity ship

CNN is reporting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a rare "no-sail" recommendation for the Celebrity Mercury -- the cruise ship struggling with repeated outbreaks of stomach illness.

The news outlet says the agency has recommended the ship not sail for at least four days after it returns to its home port in Charleston so there can be a more thorough investigation of the outbreaks. It quotes a CDC official as saying the agency is trying to figure out why the anti-illness procedures the line has been following on the ship have not been effective in stopping three outbreaks in a row of what is believed to be norovirus, an illness marked by diarrhea and vomiting.

CNN says CDC officials currently are on board the ship investigating, and the agency had notified Celebrity of the "no sail" recommendation.


Celebrity spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez tells USA TODAY she cannot confirm or deny that the line has received a no-sail recommendation. She said she would have more information shortly.

Celebrity announced earlier today that the Mercury was skipping today's port call in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and heading back to its home port of Charleston a day earlier than scheduled in the wake of hundreds of new cases of the illness on the ship.

Martinez told USA TODAY earlier today that 342 of 1,829 passengers currently on the vessel -- or nearly 19% -- have been sick.

The new cases on the Mercury's current cruise follows heavy outbreaks on its two previous sailings. The CDC, which tracks outbreaks of illness on cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports, says 411 of 1,830 passengers on the Feb. 15-26 sailing of the Mercury -- or more than 22% -- fell ill. The CDC says 182 of 1,749 passengers on the Feb. 26-March 8 voyage -- or more than 10% -- fell ill.

Outbreaks of such size are extremely rare, and to have three in a row is even rarer. In 2009, only two cruise ships visiting a U.S. port experienced an outbreak of illness that affected more than 10% of passengers, according to CDC data, and no ship experienced an outbreak that came close to 19%-22% of passengers.

Celebrity conducted an unusual top-to-bottom cleaning of the Mercury following the first outbreak that delayed the Feb. 26 departure by a day. The line also delayed the current March 8 departure of the Mercury by several hours so it could undergo extra cleaning and disinfecting.

Celebrity is not obligated to follow the no-sail recommendation.
(Source: USA Today)

Would this level of infection put you off traveling on this ship or cruise line?

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2010 Cruises: MSC Magnifica(Feb), Celebrity Eclipse (Apr x2), Independence of the Seas (Jun), Queen Mary 2 (Jul+Nov)

This level is too high, they really need to take the ship out of its next cruise so it can be thoroughly cleaned and offer those guests full refund or another cruise with an upgrade/or on-board credit. I certainly would look to cancelling a cruise on this ship as it stands at the moment unless it is was a few months ahead. There were rumours last year as with Galaxy, that Mercury was to be sold but that died a death towards the end of 2009,it is certainly very bad news for Celebrity who pride themselves in their high level of standards.

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Bill Byth-Sailed with Solstice & Equinox and soon Eclipse

Infection rates of 22%, 10% & 19% are incredibly high. I would certainly have second thoughts about joining that ship until it has had several illness free cruises. This even make Fred's plight seem trivial.

cheers
Harvey

Because viruses mutate??
.

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