PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WTXL) - The number of people sickened by a norovirus outbreak on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas has risen to nearly 500.
Royal Caribbean confirmed to ABC News the number of norovirus cases aboard the ship is 475 guests and crew members.
As a result of the outbreak, passengers have been given full refunds and the seven day Caribbean cruise will be cut short, with the ship expected to be back in Port Canaveral on Saturday.
Originally, 277 guests and crew members were reported sick.
MIAMI (AP) - Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas is returning to a Florida port a day early and giving passengers full refunds of their fare after 277 guests and crew members were hit with an outbreak of Norovirus as it sailed to Jamaica.
Cruise line spokesman Owen Torres told The Associated Press "we think the right thing to do is get everyone home early rather than have guests worry about their health."
He says the ship will return to Port Canaveral on Saturday. It sailed from there Sunday on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.
Passengers took to social media on Wednesday, tweeting they were forced to stay onboard after docking in Falmouth, Jamaica, for what was supposed to be a day of excursions.
Torres says returning a day early gives the cruise line "more time to completely clean and sanitize the ship" before it sails again
