Reports now show that almost 350 people were reported sick on a Celebrity Cruises ship. Apparently the passengers were suffering from symptoms like upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. However, reports do show that the passengers are responding well to the medicine that was given to them.

A spokeswoman for Celebrity Cruises, Cynthia Matinez, said that 326 passengers or more of the 1,800 that were on the Celebrity Mercury began complaining of upset stomachs, vomiting and diarrhea. She said that 27 of the the 850 crew members also reported the same symptoms. The ship itself left Charleston on February 15^th.

The crew members were conducting enhanced cleaning measures to prevent the spread of the illness. An extra doctor and two nurses came aboard the boat and will sail to Charleston with the passengers. It is still not clear just what caused the breakout in the first place.

The South Carolina cruise industry is growing, and the Mercury sailing earlier this month began Charleston’s first year-round cruising seasons. There will be 67 cruise calls in the city over the course of this year.

The Celebrity Mercury has six more departures set from Charleston during the coming months. This does include a 16-night trip through the Panama Canal, ending in Los Angeles. Also, later this spring, Carnival Cruise Lines will permanently base its 2,056 passengers Carnival Fantasy in Charleston. As this industry continues to grow, the South Carolina State Ports Authority is proposing plans to open a new cruise terminal and another half mile of Charleston’s historic waterfront to the public.