Mercury returns

Pardon Gary Crissman and Jack Braucher if they don't shake your hand. The Harrisburg, Pa., residents likely will extend you an elbow to "bump" instead.

Elbow bumping, along with constant hand-washing, was protocol for the men and the other members of their party aboard the cruise ship Celebrity Mercury for the last 10 days as it toured the Caribbean.

The ship returned to Charleston a day early Thursday at the recommendation of federal health officials after passengers became ill with a stomach bug on the vessel's third consecutive trip.

Celebrity's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises, announced that 342 out of 1,829 passengers became ill on the most recent trip with what appears to be the norovirus. That follows 207 sick passengers on the previous voyage and 419 on the trip before that.

Crissman and Braucher were not deterred. They've sailed the Mercury four previous times and have not had anyone they know aboard the ship fall ill.

"Not a one," Braucher said.

They said it all comes down to having good sanitary habits, "which is basically good common sense," Braucher said.

Their most recent trip had to skip a call to the British Virgin Islands so crew members can continue "enhanced cleaning" in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the cruise line. The ship will adhere to a "no-sail recommendation" for four days as officials try to pinpoint the source of the outbreaks.

Braucher praised crew members for all of their hard work during the trip.

"The people aboard the ship worked their tail ends off," he said.

Crissman said it's unfortunate that the ship is getting a bad rap.

"I feel very sorry for Celebrity getting bad press for what's not their fault," Crissman said.

Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or aparas@postandcourier.com.