More than 100 sick in norovirus outbreak on Caribbean Princess cruise ship – National
More than 100 passengers and crew members fell ill during a norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said 102 passengers and 13 crew members reported being sick on the trip, which took place from April 28 to May 11.
In response to the norovirus outbreak, Princess Cruises and crew on board have reported increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in accordance with its outbreak prevention and response plan and sick passengers and crew, the agency said.
The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which helps the cruise industry prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastroenteritis on ships, conducts industry response environmental inspections and outbreak investigations to assist the ship in controlling the spread.
Norovirus is highly contagious and thrives in close quarters, making cruise ships vulnerable to outbreaks. There have been two outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships so far this year, the CDC reports.
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According to the CDC, norovirus can be contracted from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines, leading to abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Norovirus can be serious, especially in young children and the elderly, but it is different from hantavirus, which recently sickened passengers on board the MV Hondius.
Hantavirus is usually spread by inhaling contaminated rat feces and, in rare cases, can be transmitted from person to person, according to the World Health Organization. Symptoms usually appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.
3,116 passengers and 1,131 crew members were on board the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, the CDC reported. The ship left Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 28 and is expected to arrive in Florida on Monday.
“Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of people reported stomach ailments during the April 28 Caribbean Princess sailing from Port Everglades,” Princess Cruises said in a statement Friday.
“We quickly disinfected the entire ship and added additional cleaning supplies throughout the trip,” the cruise line added.
Global News reached out to Princess Cruises for further comment, but did not receive a response.
The Caribbean Princess outbreak comes more than a month after another norovirus outbreak was reported on the Star Princess cruise ship.
In March, the CDC reported that 141 passengers and 52 crew members reported being sick with norovirus on board the Star Princess. The cruise departed from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and made stops in the Caribbean, Honduras, Belize and the Mexican Riviera.
Last April, 240 people fell ill on Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 following a norovirus outbreak.
The CDC said in an outbreak report that 224 of the ship's 2,538 passengers were infected with the virus, along with 17 additional crew members.
The ship left Southampton in the UK on March 8, 2025, and sailed for about a month to New York and on to the Caribbean, making various island stops. It was due to return to Southampton on April 6, 2025.
According to the CDC, passengers experienced vomiting and diarrhea during the outbreak. The health center said Cunard has increased cleaning and disinfection measures, and that sick passengers and staff are being quarantined.
— via files from Global News
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