After 28 days at sea and 172 people falling ill with norovirus, the cruise ship Crown Princess docked in California over the weekend.

The ship set sail from Los Angeles, traveling to Hawaii and Tahiti. Just a few days into the trip, some aboard started showing signs of the highly contagious gastrointestinal illness.

Norovirus is easily passed through person-to-person contact, and in a close quarters environment like a cruise ship, it can quickly spread, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, body aches and fever. The illness typically lasts about three days.

“As it is the cold and flu season, when the stomach flu circulates on land, we encourage all of our guests to be diligent in following the widely accepted practices of frequent hand washing with soap and water and the use of hand sanitizers,” said Susan Lomax, a company spokeswoman.

On the same ship in April, 129 people contracted norovirus during a seven-day cruise. Lomax said the vessel will undergo a thorough cleaning and disinfecting before its next scheduled voyage.

If you were injured or fell ill while on a cruise, whether as a passenger or crewmember, contact the cruise ship injury lawyers at Maintenance and Cure to learn your legal rights.