Barnegat Couple's Vacation Turns Into Nightmare At Sea After Hundreds Fall Ill On Cruise Ship
By Natasha Brown
BARNEGAT, N.J., (CBS) -- A local couple's long-planned vacation turned into a nightmare at sea.
They were aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship filled with nearly 700 people sickened by a virus.
The ship is now back in port in Bayonne, New Jersey.
CBS 3's Natasha Brown reports from Barnegat, Ocean County where she talked with the couple about their ordeal.
"And so we walk right into it. We were doomed. The day we walked on that ship we were doomed," Carol Pungello said.
Vincent and Carol Pungello's 10-day Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas excursion was cut short after Vincent found himself number 248 on a list of sick passengers and crew members that just kept growing.
"We were at the pool and your stomach started and before you know it, you just got progressively worse," Vincent said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say nearly 700 passengers and crew suffered from a gastrointestinal illness. The ship's doctor says symptoms were similar to the common and highly contagious norovirus.
"I'm a long-term member of cruising with them and this is the first time I've had a bad experience," passenger Ray Chesin said.
Doctors say preventive measures are key to stopping the spread of this type of illness.
"You got to wash your hands before and after eating, before and after going to the restroom and preparing foods and things like that. And also certainly if you're ill, avoiding these environments. You stay home if you're ill and, of course, avoiding other people," Dr. Jennifer Caudle of Rowan University said.
Royal Caribbean says the ship is receiving a thorough cleaning before it sets sail again. The Pungellos say they will cruise again despite the sickening ordeal.
"We like to travel. But I will go again," Carol said.
