Nearly 200 passengers struck down with gastro vomiting bug on Australia's largest luxury cruise ship

Crew members were filmed hosing down the hallways of the luxury liner on Monday
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Ella Wills5 December 2017

Nearly 200 passengers were struck down with gastro on board one of the world's largest luxury cruise ships in Australia.

One hundred and ninety five people travelling on the Ovation of the Seas liner were treated for the illness during a two-week voyage from Singapore to Australia.

The ship, which can hold around 5,000 passengers, set sail from Singapore on November 23 before it docked in Hobart, Tasmania, on Tuesday, and was met by several ambulances.

Crew members were seen hosing down the ship's hallways in industrial cleaning suits and face masks in a video posted to Facebook.

One passenger commented on the clip: "I'm on here now and basically a sitting duck with people in both cabins either side not well with the gastro."

Royal Caribbean said in a statement: "Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship's doctors with over-the-counter medication, and we hope all our guests feel better quickly.

"Meanwhile, we're taking steps like intensive sanitary procedures to minimise the risk of any further issues."

It added that the number of guests struck down with gastro represented just 3.35 per cent of the 5,824 guests and crew travelling on the liner.

Some of the most common symptoms of gastro-intestinal illnesses are constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

These may be a result of diseases such as gastroenteritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach and small intestine due to viral or bacterial infection from contaminated food or being spread by person-to-person contact.

The luxury ship, which has a skydiving simulator, a martini-mixing bartender robots and the world's highest viewing deck on a cruise ship, has fifteen different restaurants and nine bars.

The video shared on Facebook by a passenger showed the crew spraying down hallways. The passenger, known as Ash on the Ovation, wrote: "Might be a bit more serious than we thought.

"Spraying all walkways now."

Ovation of the Seas docked in its home port in Singapore
Royal Caribbean International

Another passenger commented on the post: "They are doing everything perfectly to avoid further sickness.

"I could hear them last night doing this spraying outside my cabin."

The ship is due to be "comprehensively sanitised and cleansed" when it arrives at its next port in Sydney and before new passengers board, which could cause delays.

The company's statement added: "Upon arrival into port in Sydney, the ship and terminal will be comprehensively sanitised and cleansed to help prevent the spread of illness, resulting in a delay to boarding for new guests."

Three ambulances met the ship when it docked in Hobart on Tuesday, the national news service reported. Authorities confirmed to the news service five passengers were treated at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

The ship, which is the largest to sail Australian waters, is due arrive in Sydney on Thursday.

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