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Dozens Fall Ill on Cruise Ship

AOL / Wire Services
posted: 6 HOURS 39 MINUTES AGO
comments: 380
filed under: World News
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PARIS (July 31) —About 60 crew members on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have been diagnosed with swine flu and confined to their cabins while the ship is in a French port, a French official said Friday. The cruise line says the sickness isn't swine flu.
The French official, Alpes-Maritime regional spokeswoman Geraldine Soulier, said that in addition to the people have been diagnosed with swine flu, another 70 ship employees showed symptoms of it. Some of the crew aboard the Voyager of the Seas had shown swine flu symptoms before the ship departed earlier this week from Barcelona, Spain, Soulier said.
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Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas in France on July 31, 2009.
Lionel Cironneau, AP

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas cruise liner is anchored Friday in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. The ship set out from Barcelona, Spain, earlier in the week.

But Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez told USA Today that those who are feeling sick don't have swine flu. Two passengers and 62 crew members have cold and flu-like symptoms but have tested negative for influenza A, which includes swine flu, Martinez said.
The ship arrived Friday in Villefranche-sur-Mer as part of a Mediterranean tour, and local officials allowed the ship's 3,600 passengers to visit the town before the boat leaves Friday night for Marseille.
2009 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Copyright 2009, Reuters
2009-07-31 11:53:30
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cordero1950

07:05 PMJul 31 2009

Ray n Joy Farley...I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S NOT THE SHIPS THAT ARE CONTAMINATED..IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO NEVER WASH THEIR HANDS NO MATTER HOW DIRTY THEY ARE. THEY DON'T CARE IF THE TRANSMIT GERMS TO OTHERS. ALL THEY NEED IS SOAP AND WATER.

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FreddyofViola

07:04 PMJul 31 2009

Some of these comments are incredibly stupid. A ship doesn't give you a virus; other people do. A ship we were on got hit by the Noro Virus. 42 people were sick. All 42 had stayed and eaten at the same hotel the night before sailing. The ship immediately took proper precautions and not one single person who was not at the hotel got sick. You're going to blame the ship? The stupidity of some people really amazes me.

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JoJoLynn21

07:04 PMJul 31 2009

BlackJack 0701 06:59 PMJul 31 2009 To JoJoLynn21: We're "stupid Americans"? If you don't like it here Bimbo go wash your hands in Bangladesh. We don't need a jackass telling us what we already know about personal hygiene.****************LOL Really? Because I see a lot of people that DO NOT practice good hygiene in public places all the time.

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Jamesbridg

07:04 PMJul 31 2009

I still say There isn't enough Money in the world to get me on One of those Death Traps. People that go on them get no Sympathy from me because they should know Better then to get on opne of them Ships.

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Ray n Joy Farley

07:02 PMJul 31 2009

i'm waiting to watch the live media coverage of the first cruise ship under cdic quarrentine orders trying to make a run for shore get sunk by a sub. that should put those floating conatigen platforms out of business once and for all.

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CrazyAmerican76

07:01 PMJul 31 2009

Cruises are dumb, go on a real vacation

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CurtHawlee

07:01 PMJul 31 2009

LOOKS LIKE MASTER CARD PIG HAS SWINE FLU...

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Peasnqiet

07:00 PMJul 31 2009

OK now here is some real information that is based on experience not hear say and what the press and the Vaccine and rug companies ant you to hear. My daughter and three friends were just diagnosed and tested for H1n1 or swine flu. 2 days later my wife and I caught it too. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's the wimpiest flu I have ever had and over with before ou can sneeze. Body ahces were slight,sore throat not much worse and the fever was worst in our daghter age 15. She had 102 fever and her friend was a bit higher. All were ready to return to activity within 3 days however it is recommended that you avoid others for either 7 days from initial symptoms or as our doctor told us if the symptoms are over you generally are not contagious. Our doctor has treated many people with it and has yet to catch it himself. He flat out told us that it is much weaker than type A and Type B influena and that only america seems to be making a big deal about it. He went on to say that th...

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BlackJack 0701

06:59 PMJul 31 2009

To JoJoLynn21: We're "stupid Americans"? If you don't like it here Bimbo go wash your hands in Bangladesh. We don't need a jackass telling us what we already know about personal hygiene.

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F86bill

06:57 PMJul 31 2009

Ship of Fools

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A French official says about 60 crew members on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have been diagnosed with swine flu and confined to their cabins while the ship is in a French port.