More than 200 fall ill on another cruise ship

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 200 guests on the cruise ship Carnival Conquest reported symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness on a voyage that ended Sunday, Carnival Cruise Lines said.

The company said it was treating the illness as a Norwalk-like virus, the same type of illness that has sickened hundreds of passengers on other cruise ships in recent months.

Carnival said it was working with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the cause.

The Conquest, which had 3,160 passengers, left New Orleans on Dec. 8. Its next seven-day cruise, to the western Caribbean, was expected to depart Sunday evening. Company officials said they had informed passengers of the outbreak and were offering refunds to any who did not want to sail.