Troubled Holland America cruise ship sails after anti-viral cleaning.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

FORT LAUDERDALE _ After an extensive cleansing under the watchful eye of Centers for Disease Control inspectors, Holland America's cruise ship Amsterdam was ready to set sail again Sunday.

The ship, at Berth 29 in Port Everglades, took on 1,261 passengers and left on a 10-day Caribbean cruise late Sunday afternoon. Holland America officials hope the ship _ which holds 1,380 passengers _ is finally rid of the pesky Norwalk virus, a stomach bug that causes diarrhea, vomiting and fever for up to two days. About 500 Amsterdam passengers have fallen ill with the virus since mid-October.

"This was a massive job," said Holland America's director of policy and plans Leo Schowengerdt. "Everything passengers and crew touch, everything that they handled, had to be disinfected."

The cleaning crew had to steam clean 300,000 square feet of carpet, replace 4,000 pillows and hand scrub every dish, eating utensil, glass and poker chip. Places where passengers put their hands, such as door handles, chair armrests, railings and tabletops also were scrubbed with a strong chlorine solution for several minutes, the only way to kill the virus.

"Even the ship directory in every cabin was replaced," Schowengerdt said. "The cost of this effort is not material."

Holland America's precautions, for the most part, have relieved passenger worries.

"What are you going to do? Viruses are everywhere," said Portland, Ore., resident Patricia Panehal as she prepared to board the Amsterdam on Sunday afternoon. "Besides, from what I hear they cleaned the ship really well."