More Than 100 Passengers Reported Ill on Holland America Cruise Ship

PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. – More than 100 passengers and crew members on a cruise ship that docked at Port Everglades on Thursday were reported ill.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta will conduct an investigation on the Holland America cruise ship Volendam. The ship was carrying nearly 2,000 passengers on 10-day Caribbean cruise when 112 people reported becoming ill, according to a statement from Holland America.

The main symptoms reported were diarrhea and vomiting. A likely cause of the illness is an outbreak of norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.

"The safety and security of our guests is our number one concern. Since this type of stomach flu can easily spread, several rigorous cleaning and sanitizing protocols were implemented," Holland America's statement said.

Melba Formans, of Los Angeles, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that ship officials took good care of the passengers.

An autopsy was scheduled for a 74-year-old man who died while out at sea, the Broward Sheriff's Office said, but he suffered a heart attack and his cause of death was not related to the outbreak.