153 Sick on Cruise Ship, Boarding Delayed in Florida

Editorial Summary

Doug Parker reports on several developments within the cruise industry for March 13th. Princess Cruises is delaying the next sailing of the Star Princess at Port Everglades following a norovirus outbreak. The CDC reports that 104 passengers and 49 crew members have experienced gastrointestinal illness on the current voyage. Princess Cruises is implementing enhanced sanitation measures and working with the Vessel Sanitation Program during an ongoing investigation. In other news, Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald clarifies that while passengers can provide extra tips to crew members, Carnival gift cards cannot be used because they do not apply to onboard accounts. Instead, prepaid Visa cards or retailer gift cards like Amazon are suggested. Additionally, the Norwegian Luna has welcomed its first guests in Rome. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Port Miami on March 23rd with a christening ceremony on March 27th. The vessel features various attractions including the Aqua Slide coaster and the Lunatique show. Finally, the report notes that cruise line stocks experienced a decline on Thursday, with Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Viking all seeing decreases in their share prices.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.