Last modified: 2020-09-15
Abstract
The Cruise Industry Today:
Norovirus, Reality or Nonsense
Denis Rudd
University Professor
In the setting of close quarters like a cruise ship a stomach bug can become a mini-disaster. Media reporting often shows the ship being cleaned after the ship makes port. Although necessary, medically speaking this is in reality a show. A show to make people think that the ship is now “safe”. It is a well performed deception. The significant transmission vector for this disease is not the ship. The true origin is usually avoided by both the media, general public and the cruise lines. The cruise line avoids the truth, probably deliberately. In the media’s case it is more likely poor understanding of an unfamiliar disease. The ship is not the problem, the crew is.
Keywords: Cruise ship; Outbreak; Norovirus; Royal Caribbean; Cruise line strategy