Celebrity Cruise Embarkation Delayed Due to Deep-C...

It’s like deja vu each time one other cruise ship pronounces there may be one other confirmed gastrointestinal sickness outbreak onboard.

On Could 24, 2025, Superstar Cruises emailed booked passengers on the Could 25 crusing on the 130,818 gross ton Superstar Apex that embarkation out of Southampton shall be delayed as a result of a deep cleansing.

Within the e mail from the cruise line, it said, “On our current crusing, a few of our visitors reported experiencing acute gastroenteritis.”

“Out of an abundance of warning, we’ve heightened our enhanced sanitizing protocols earlier than you board, each inside the terminal and onboard the ship, to assist safeguard your well-being and guarantee a clean, gratifying begin to your cruise,” the letter continues.

As a result of further time it is going to take to implement these additional cleansing measures, the terminal will now open for boarding at 1:30 p.m., two hours later than initially deliberate.

Additionally, visitors ought to plan to reach no later than 3:30 p.m., as they’re all anticipated to be totally checked in and onboard by 4:30 p.m.

Superstar Cruises is urging passengers to not present up earlier than their assigned arrival occasions, because it might trigger prolonged wait occasions and crowd the already restricted seating on the terminal.

At the moment affected by the outbreak are these visitors on the 8-night round-trip cruise out of Southampton, having departed on Could 17.

This itinerary included stops at Zeebrugge in Belgium, in addition to a number of stops in Norway, together with Olden, Geiranger, Alesund, and Stavanger, disembarking in Southampton on Could 25.

Sadly, this was additionally the cruise line’s 2025 President’s Cruise, as prime government Laura Hodges Bethge joined the crusing.

It’s unknown if the outbreak affected any of the particular actions deliberate, as many concerned culinary occasions.

Regardless of the delay in embarkation, the Could 25 crusing is ready to go on as deliberate with no adjustments to the itinerary.

The 11-night round-trip voyage will name on 5 ports, together with Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Visby.

Combined Reactions to the State of affairs & Difficulty Since Dry Dock

Friends who’re presently on the ship shared their experiences on-line, with some saying the employees had been doing an excellent job of controlling the state of affairs, whereas others felt left in the dead of night about what was happening.

“We’re onboard now and so they actually are doing their greatest, and even then, I’ve seen a few folks try to refuse to scrub their fingers or sanitize earlier than getting into the buffet!!” one individual shared.

“I’m presently on the Apex coming into Southampton tomorrow, we’ve got not been notified of this. I’ve not seen any elevated hygiene measures apart from the same old dispensers,” added one other who ended up getting sick throughout the cruise.

Different passengers additionally shared that that they had gotten the gastro bug all through the week — some singing the praises of the well being workforce, however most not being thrilled when having to quarantine and even miss ports.

The two,910-guest Superstar Apex was dry-docked from March to early April of 2025, and within the time since, it has not been the smoothest crusing.

All through the final a number of voyages, passengers have reported minor gastrointestinal outbreaks and small onboard adjustments, resembling salt and pepper shakers being changed with sachets.

Learn Additionally: 10 Reasons Why Cruise Ships Are Not Floating Petri Dishes

Some visitors have additionally talked about that menus had been faraway from eating areas, and crew members had been stationed in crowded areas resembling theaters to encourage hand washing.

These occurrences of sickness amongst passengers up to now haven’t been extreme sufficient to enact deeper cleansing protocols, that was till this week.

The outbreak of gastrointestinal sickness on Superstar Apex is the fourth this week, as Enchanted Princess, Crown Princess, and Costa Favolosa additionally skilled the identical state of affairs.