Recently another Royal Caribbean ship was affected by a norovirus outbreak, where many passengers became very sick.  Over the years we've heard reports of outbreaks on other ships but there are definite precautions you can take to avoid getting sick yourself.

What is norovirus?

Norovirus is a virus that causes acute gastroenteritis.  This means people will have symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Noroviruses spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus is recognized as the leading cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States. Outbreaks can happen to people of all ages and in a variety of settings.

How to prevent contracting norovirus

Norovirus is commonly contracted by

• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus (someone gets stool or vomit on their hands, then touches food or drink).
• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth.
• Having direct contact with a person who is infected with norovirus (for example, when caring for someone with norovirus or sharing foods or eating utensils with them).

Generally speaking, people with norovirus illness are contagious from the moment they begin feeling sick until at least 3 days after they recover.

You can prevent getting sick by

• Washing your hands, especially after using the restrooms and before eating or preparing food. 
• Avoid shaking hands during outbreaks.
• Do not prepare food for others if you become sick for up to 3 days after becoming sick.
• Wash laundry that may be contaminated with vomit or stool.

Bahamas police are investigating an apparent suicide of a British man on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas that occurred this past Friday.  This investigation is related to the incident first reported about a man who fell off the ship.

Police report that at 7:10am while aboard Allure of the Seas, the man committed suicide while the ship was off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.

American Federal agents are assisting the police in the Bahamas, including Superintendent Paul Rolle, Head of the Central Detective Unit, along with officers from the Broward County Sheriff's Office and Customs and Border Protection.

"We do not have much information we can share with the public at this point. All we know is a British man is dead and it may or may not have been suicide. We are still conducting our on scene investigations and interviewing eyewitness. We are being assisted by other law enforcement agencies and expect to wrap up our investigations shortly. At that time, I will provide an update," he said.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement said the 30-year-old fell from the balcony of his stateroom on Deck 11.  The statement also said, "The ship made multiple public announcements and began a complete search of the ship, in efforts to locate the guest. When the guest did not respond to the pages and was not found onboard, the captain alerted the local authorities of the situation."

The victim suffered serious injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

The Today Show Travel listed their favorite cruise ships for families and five of Royal Caribbean's newest ships made the list.

First up is Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  The sheer number of amenities are notes for fun things for kids.

The two largest ships at sea each have pretty much everything you need to entertain the kids: a sprawling H2O Zone water park, a pair of rock-climbing walls, a miniature golf course, two surfing simulators, a basketball court, an ice-skating rink, and a hand-carved wooden carousel.

The Freedom-Class ships were also mentioned, including Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Aside from a huge playroom and video arcade aboard the Freedom-class ships, kids can't enough of the H2O water park, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, surfing simulator, mini golf course, and basketball court. Kids of all ages love the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream parlor and the Johnny Rockets diner on board for burgers, fries and milkshakes (both venues at an extra charge).

Royal Caribbean International’s new brand campaign is targeting New York-area commuters, both above and below ground, by taking over the 42nd Street S line in Manhattan this February. As commuters are transported between Times Square and Grand Central Station, the award-winning cruise line is giving them a taste of the Royal experience with fully-branded shuttle cars supporting the cruise line’s new messaging. First rolled out in December 2011, the campaign is focused on reawakening consumers to the sights and sounds of the sea by communicating the decree, “The Sea is Calling. Answer it Royally.”

The subway cars, which are wrapped both inside and out, reflect actual Royal Caribbean cruise ships. The cars’ interiors are each separately wrapped as an onboard theater featuring marquees of some of the Broadway shows guests can see onboard select Royal Caribbean ships such as Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever; an onboard spa with bamboo showers and masseuse; as well as an open deck area complete with a Flowrider surf simulator and surfer. Each car conveys the options for entertainment, relaxation and adventure that can be enjoyed on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Commuters, who will be treated to special surprises during the month, are encouraged to take photographs and videos to share with friends through their social media channels, tagging Royal Caribbean by using the specified hashtag #RoyalShuttle. Royal Caribbean also challenges fans to find “hidden treasures” in the shuttle artwork, including characters such as Shrek and Po from the cruise line’s exclusive partnership with film studio powerhouse DreamWorks Animation.

For New York-area residents inspired to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, Royal Caribbean offers convenient cruising options to Bermuda and the Caribbean out of Bayonne, N.J., and Baltimore, Md., onboard Explorer of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. Royal Caribbean’s innovative onboard amenities, upscale accommodations, dining and entertainment are all delivered with the cruise line’s signature Gold Anchor Service, all within a few-hours drive from home.

Photo by Frylle Peralta

Royal Caribbean will offer an unique six-day cruise from Xiamen, China to Japan on April 2nd.  During this cruise, famous Taiwan singer-songwriter Fei Yu-ching will perform as a special guest on for a concert at sea, the first concert at sea to be held in Asia.

Legend of the Seas will visit two cities in Japan, including Kaoshima and Beppu.  Kaoshima is well known as the "Naples of the Eastern world" and Beppu is known for its geothermal hot spots.  Legend of the Seas will return to Shanghai, China on April 7th.

About 200 passengers aboard Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas contracted norovirus while the ship was still docked in New Orleans.  The outbreak delayed Voyager of the Seas' departure by two hours.

A report says 20 of the 200 passengers had to be quarantined due to their condition.

Crew aboard Voyager of the Seas spent an extra two hours cleaning the ship.

Royal Caribbean is among the first major companies to embrace the standards set forth by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The council recently commended companies such as Royal Caribbean for being among "the first group of global travel and tourism corporations to publicly commit to promoting sustainable tourism products and services recognized by the GSTC."

The council's mission is to foster sustainable tourism and travel practices, and the organization considers its criteria as "the worldwide minimum requirements for tourism businesses of all size to approach sustainability."

While some in the media would lead you to believe potential cruisers are shying away from taking a cruise, a report out of Cleveland, Ohio shows that most people haven't changed their potential cruise plans.

Local travel agents report their businesses have suffered no ill effects in the three weeks since the Costa Concordia incident occurred. 

Aiding in the situation is how cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean have helped convey information about safety to their customers.  Jeannette Yanuzzi, an agent with Parma's Tempo Travel, said several cruise companies, including Royal Caribbean, have supplied her with information about onboard safety protocols, should clients express any reservations. But her clients haven't asked for it.

"I think the public is educated enough to realize it's a completely isolated incident," said Joanne Shikitino, manager of Cleveland's Cruises Etc.

A British man has fallen overboard from Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas and Mexican and American officials are conducting a search of the waters nearby to find him.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that a 30-year-old man was seen going over the railing from his stateroom aboard Allure of the Seas.  Video camera footage from aboard the ship confirmed the report as well.

The incident occured as Allure of the Seas was sailing to Cozumel, Mexico and the United States Coast Guard is assisting the Mexican Navy in the search efforts.