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"We went down to the medical facility and waited over an hour for help," one scared passenger, Marsha Homuska, said. "They started running out of water and basic supplies."
Hundreds of passengers on a luxury liner, from the Royal Caribbean fleet, were stricken with what is believed to be a gastrointestinal illness.
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"It was just terrifying," Tracy Flores, a passenger, said "Just the amount of people that were coming in at the same time with vomiting and diarrhea and just looked ghastly."
Royal Caribbean said those affected were treated with over-the-counter medication provided by the ship's doctors.
According to a statement from the company, there were 332 reported cases reported aboard the Independence of the Seas – a five-night cruise.
"We went down to the medical facility and waited over an hour for help," one irritated passenger, Marsha Homuska, said.
"They started running out of water and basic supplies."
Passenger Victoria Nolan recounted that some victims were throwing up in the ship's elevators. Nolan added that she gave up trying to get to the medical area after she was told the wait would be more than four hours.
But, Owen Torres – a spokesman for Royal Caribbean – told CNN that only 6 percent of over 5,000 people on the Independence of the Seas fell ill.
"Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship's doctors with over-the-counter medication," Torres said, "and we hope all our guests feel better quickly."
The spokesman release reassured that the company was "taking steps like intensive sanitary procedures to minimize the risk of any further issues," announcing that the ship will "undergo special additional cleaning procedures before it departs on its next cruise."
"We encouraged our guests and crew to wash their hands often, which health experts recommend as the best defense against stomach viruses, which each year affect as many as 300 million people worldwide," Torres said, adding, "only the common cold is more prevalent."
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