Charleston is an awesome city. I’ve only been there once (to check out the location of The Real Estate Pros/Flip This House, hoping to run into Richard and Ginger) but I’d go back to visit anytime. One of the draws is that it’s a really cool old town that would be cool to hang out in either before or after a cruise (I can drive there in a few hours and take a cheap, last minute vacation to the Caribbean).

Ships departing the Charleston port have, according to AP, been hit hard with norovirus outbreaks, with the CDC reporting three straight cruises being linked to hundreds of illnesses.

The norovirus sickened almost 420 people aboard Celebrity Mercury, which returned to Charleston on March 18. Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

The Mercury then underwent three days of extensive cleaning. There were no problems when the ship sailed on a fourth cruise last week.

The Celebrity was back in Charleston on Monday preparing to board another cruise.

On two previous cruises this year, hundreds of passengers were sickened by norovirus on the same ship. The norovirus can spread quickly in close quarters.