Norovirus outbreak: 500 hit by Royal Caribbean cruise sickness – compensation latest

“Returning on Saturday also gave us more time to completely clean and sanitise the ship before her next sailing.”

“Our guests sail with us to have great holidays, and we are sorry this cruise fell short.”

Owen Torres, a spokesman for Royal Caribbean, told FLORIDA TODAY of the outbreak which happened on Wednesday and said: “Those affected by the short-lived illness are being treated by our ship’s medical team with over-the-counter medication. Meanwhile, we are bringing additional medical staff on board and we’re engaging in intensive sanitary procedures to minimise the risk of any further issues.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Royal Caribbean for an updated comment on the norovirus outbreak.

Incidents such as this highlight the importance of travel insurance. Britons need to remember a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card is not enough. 

“Even in Europe, the EHIC card is not enough; and while the UK has reciprocal health agreements with some countries, this again tends to cover the basics and cannot be relied on to cover, say, repatriation expenses,”  Mark Colonnese, Director at travel tech specialist Aquarium Software, told Express.co.uk.