They got more than they paid extra for.
A dozen cruise ship passengers fell ill with Legionnaires’ disease — including 10 who were hospitalized — on two different ships, and health experts believe the source is a private luxury amenity, according to a new report.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traced the severe pneumonia-like illness back to private balcony hot tubs offered in upper-level cabins aboard the two ships, according to the study released last week.
Holidaymakers fell ill on two different boats – from unidentified cruise lines – between November 2022 and last July.
After months of testing, private hot tubs — which are not required to undergo as frequent and rigorous cleaning and maintenance as their public counterparts — were found to be the source of the nasty outbreaks, the CDC said in its report.
Eight passengers on one cruise ship were infected with Legionnaires’ disease, while four were infected on the other boat. Some of the passengers fell ill on the same voyage, while others fell ill on the same ship but on a different voyage.
Hot tubs apparently created the perfect environment for the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease to go undetected for months.
On the first ship, private balcony hot tubs “were found to operate for months in a manner favorable to Legionella growth, which included maintaining the water temperature in the Legionella growth range (77°F–113 °F) for several days without draining and operating without residual disinfectant,” the CDC said.
Six of 10 private balcony hot tubs on the first ship tested positive for Legionella bacteria, and all eight private balcony hot tubs on the second ship tested positive for Legionella bacteria, according to test results.
All tubs were closed and thoroughly cleaned. Since then, both cruise ships have implemented more preventative measures, including only filling tubs at guest request, draining them between uses, cleaning and disinfecting more frequently, and removing heating elements.
Hot tubs – on cruise ships or elsewhere – are often the perfect breeding ground for Legionella bacteria.
But cruises are also known to trigger outbreaks of viruses and various diseases due to the proximity of guests in a closed environment.
Late last month, 180 Royal Caribbean cruise passengers and three crew members came down with a gastrointestinal illness with unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, according to the CDC.
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