The Norwegian Gem was forced to skip a scheduled port call in St Maarten Friday due to a suspected gastro bug outbreak.
Authorities in St Maarten boarded the ship prior to docking and the ship was eventually turned away ‘in the interests of public health.’
"The vessel was boarded outside Port St Maarten by a Port Control team that also included officials from the Ministry of Public Health and the Shipping & Maritime Authority, to gather further information with respect to the on-board virus," a statement from Port St Maarten said, as reported by BVI News.
"While onboard, the Port Control Team were informed of additional cases and, based on this information and after further evaluation, it was decided in the interests of public health that the passengers and crew should not disembark," it added.
The 2,394-passenger ship left New York on March 12 on an Eastern Caribbean cruise.
The cruise line confirmed in a statement: "A number of guests reported to the medical center with various symptoms of gastroenteritis after returning to the ship after a port call."
