Passengers seen in their cabins on the cruise ship Diamond Princess at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan February 7, 2020. — Reuters pic
Measles, E. coli, chickenpox and salmonella poisoning have all broken out on cruises in recent years. For now, US authorities have recommended that travellers “reconsider” cruises to or in Asia, citing the risk of coronavirus-linked travel restrictions and quarantines.Stewart Chiron, a leading industry expert, says that cruise ships are nothing like the hotbed of viruses that they are painted out to be and cruise lines take “extensive precautions to keep ships clean”.
According to Chiron, citing CDC figures, of the more than 31 million people who holidayed on cruise ships last year, there were 1,038 cases of norovirus, or 0.003 per cent.