11:05 AM PDT on Friday, June 9, 2006

By CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News and Associated Press

SEATTLE - The Celebrity cruise ship "Mercury" returned to Seattle this morning from a trip to Alaska with what it calls an "elevated number" of sick people. 

In a statement, the cruise line says 115 of the 2,034 passengers and three of the 847 crew members experienced a gastro-intestinal illness during the week-long cruise.  The statement says the norovirus is the second-most common virus after the cold and affects 23 million Americans a year.

KING

About 100 passengers aboard the Celebrity Cruises ship The Mercury came became sick during a trip to Alaska.

The Mercury has been in the news quite a bit lately. The Mercury is the same cruise ship where 300 passengers in March got sick with the Norovirus during a cruise along the Mexican Riviera. Crew members had reportedly scrubbed the ship down right down to the bibles and poker chips.

Then in May, the Mercury’s captain was fired after Coast Guard officials said his blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit. He was arrested when the ship was at the Port of Seattle.

According to Center for Disease Control officials, the Mercury scored 99 out of 100 during its last inspection, so it was considered a very clean ship. CDC officials will be handling the investigation into the mysterious illness.