Royal Caribbean Cancels Cruise after Over 500 Passengers Fall Ill

The number of cruise ship passengers reported to have been sickened during a recent Royal Caribbean cruise has risen dramatically, rising to more than triple the initially reported toll.

Initially under 200 passengers were reported to have fallen ill on the massive Oasis of the Seas cruise ship. The standard for declaring an outbreak is three percent of travelers falling ill, meaning that initial reports did not raise to the level of being declared an outbreak. But with recent reports indicating that over 500 passengers have fallen ill with norovirus during the cruise, the situation has now become an outbreak.

The illness outbreak forced Royal Caribbean to cancel the voyage, which embarked on a seven-day Caribbean itinerary on Sunday. The company is vowing to give affected passengers a refund.