More Than 100 Guests And Crew Fall Ill On Caribbean Cruise Ship

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Norovirus has struck another cruise ship, with more than 100 passengers and crew members falling ill onboard Caribbean Princess during its current Caribbean sailing.

Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 102 guests and 13 crew members have reported symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea during the 13-night voyage, which departed from Fort Lauderdale on 28 April. That brings the total number of reported cases to 115.

The outbreak was officially confirmed by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on 7 May after the number of sick passengers exceeded the threshold required for public reporting.

At the time of reporting, around 3.3% of the ship’s 3,116 guests had become ill, alongside 1.2% of crew members.

Suggested read: Norovirus On Cruise Ships – Shocking Stats And How to Stay Healthy!

Despite the outbreak, the ship is continuing its planned itinerary, including calls to Amber Cove and Nassau, before ending the sailing in Port Canaveral on 11 May.

The cruise line has introduced enhanced cleaning and sanitation measures onboard, including extra disinfection of high-touch areas and isolation procedures for affected passengers and crew.

Cruise cleaner

Stool samples have also been collected to confirm norovirus as the cause.

Once the ship arrives in Port Canaveral, both the vessel and cruise terminal are expected to undergo a deep clean before the next cruise begins.

Passengers booked on the following sailing may be asked to arrive later than planned while cleaning takes place, although no itinerary changes have been announced.

This is now the fourth gastrointestinal outbreak reported on cruise ships under CDC monitoring in 2026, and the second involving a Princess Cruises ship this year.

Back in March, more than 150 people became ill during a norovirus outbreak onboard the new Star Princess.

Norovirus outbreaks often attract headlines because cruise ships provide the perfect conditions for viruses to spread quickly, with thousands of people sharing dining areas, handrails, lifts and public spaces.

However, while outbreaks can sound alarming, they remain relatively uncommon compared to the millions of people who cruise each year.

In fact, CDC figures show gastrointestinal outbreaks are currently trending significantly lower than last year. By mid-May 2025, there had already been 17 outbreaks reported under the Vessel Sanitation Program, compared with just four so far in 2026.

The latest outbreak also comes at a time when public concern around cruise ship illnesses is unusually high following the suspected hantavirus outbreak onboard expedition ship MV Hondius, which has been linked to three deaths.

Health officials continue to stress that the risk to the general public remains low, and most people recover from norovirus within one to three days without medical treatment.

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