A health ministry official in St. Maarten says that more than two dozen cruise passengers were sick as the vessel docked in the Caribbean island.

Maria Henry of the Collective Preventive Services says the Celebrity Silhouette disclosed the cases of gastroenteritis or stomach flu in its mandatory health declaration prior to arrival.

Henry said the ship's crew isolated the 31 affected passengers and cleaned public areas on board.

The number of sick passengers was far below the 10 percent threshold that would have prevented them from docking. The number of sick passengers dropped to 26 by the time the ship left port Monday.

Cruise line spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said there were more than 4,000 passengers on board.