Four people were hospitalized and two others were evaluated by paramedics who were called to a cruise ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles following reports of multiple people falling ill Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The port’s police called the department to the Norwegian Cruise Line ship shortly before 9:15 a.m. and paramedics assessed a total of six people on the shore, LAFD said. Four were taken to hospitals for further medical treatment.
The company said some guests experienced a stomach-related illness during a 16-day trip and the crew “implemented stringent sanitation procedures.”
“They took all the pillows in the rooms and they were sanitizing those and then when we got off the ship, they had their hazmat suits on and they were sanitizing all the rooms,” said Judy Lukos, a passenger on the ship.
Lukos said all the buffets were closed off and everyone was served meals with many extra precautionary measures.
“The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority,” a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said in a written statement. “As such, we operate at the very highest public health standards.”
Authorities described the illness as being not life-threatening, but no information was available on what caused it.
The luxury ship, Norwegian Joy, was on a Panama Canal sailing trip when the illness was reported. The vessel can accommodate over 3,800 guests and 1,800 crew members, according to the company’s website.
Trips aboard the vessel can cost from $500 to over $1,000.