VANCOUVER – 61 passengers on the Star Princess cruise ship have become ill with the Norovirus, some of which were taken to hospital in Vancouver.

The passengers became ill on a 15-day Hawaiian cruise, now docked in Vancouver.

Norovirus is a gastrointestinal illness that often causes vomiting. It can be spread by contaminated food or water, by person-to-person contact, via contaminated surfaces, and through the air.

The ship will undergo enhanced cleaning today, delaying the embarkation of the next cruise until  5:30pm this evening.