FILE - The new Caribbean Princess departs on its maiden voyage from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in this April 3, 2004 file photo. Federal health officials are investigating after an outbreak of illness has caused Caribbean Princess cruise ship to ends its trip early and returned to port in Houston late Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014 more than a day ahead of schedule after more than 170 passengers and crew members aboard became sick. (AP Photo/Princess Cruises, Andy Newman, File)
January 31, 2014 - 2:31 AM
HOUSTON - Federal health officials are investigating after an outbreak of illness has caused another cruise ship to ends its trip early.
The latest case is on the Caribbean Princess, owned by Princess Cruises. The Houston Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1gwzfOI) reports the ship returned to port in Houston late Thursday, more than a day ahead of schedule after more than 170 passengers and crew members aboard became sick.
As with a cruise ship that returned early to New Jersey earlier this week, the suspected culprit is the highly contagious norovirus.
The Caribbean Princess left Houston last Saturday bound for the Western Caribbean with more than 4,200 people aboard. The vessel was supposed to return this Saturday.
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas returned to New Jersey on Wednesday after nearly 700 aboard got sick.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2014