Additional cases of gastrointestinal illness have been reported aboard Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess only days after the ship experienced a significant norovirus outbreak that affected more than 120 people.
The latest reports indicate that six crew members and one passenger are currently experiencing symptoms while the ship continues its 10-night Alaska cruise. According to the Juneau Independent, all seven individuals were following onboard isolation protocols as of Sunday, 5th July 2026.
The new illnesses come after Ruby Princess recently recorded 125 gastrointestinal cases during its previous voyage, including 102 guests and 23 crew members. That outbreak exceeded the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reporting threshold, prompting an official investigation through the agency’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
The current number of reported cases is considerably lower. With capacity for 3,080 passengers and around 1,100 crew members, the seven active cases represent approximately 0.17% of everyone onboard, far below the CDC’s requirement that outbreaks affecting at least 3% of passengers or crew must be formally reported.
As a result, no new CDC outbreak report has been issued.
Enhanced Health Measures Continue
Although the latest illnesses do not meet federal reporting requirements, Princess Cruises is expected to continue enhanced sanitation procedures introduced after the previous outbreak.
These measures typically include intensified cleaning of public spaces, frequent disinfection of high-touch surfaces, encouraging passengers to wash their hands regularly and isolating anyone displaying gastrointestinal symptoms to help reduce further transmission.
Ruby Princess departed San Francisco on 2nd July after embarkation was briefly delayed to allow additional deep cleaning following the previous voyage.
Despite the latest illnesses, the cruise has continued without disruption. The ship called at Sitka on 5th July and Haines on 6th July as scheduled. Scenic glacier cruising, along with visits to Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, remain on the itinerary before the vessel returns to San Francisco on 12th July.
Consecutive Illness Cases Can Occur On Cruise Ships
Seeing gastrointestinal illness reported on consecutive sailings is not uncommon, even after extensive cleaning procedures have been completed.
According to the CDC, people infected with norovirus can continue spreading the virus for several days after their symptoms disappear. The agency states: “you are most contagious when you have symptoms of norovirus illness or during the few days after you feel better.”
It is also possible that illness cases on separate voyages are unrelated. Norovirus is widespread in the wider community, with the CDC estimating that around 2,500 outbreaks are reported across the United States each year.
Other cruise ships have experienced similar patterns in recent years. Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas recorded outbreaks on back-to-back sailings during March 2023, with a combined 272 reported cases.
More recently, Holland America Line’s Rotterdam reported gastrointestinal outbreaks on two separate voyages during February and March 2025, totalling 278 reported illnesses. While those cruises were separated by two weeks, health officials noted it was possible lower-level cases occurred on intervening sailings without reaching the CDC’s reporting threshold.
More recently still, Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Sea Bird also reported gastrointestinal illness across multiple consecutive voyages, although only two sailings exceeded the threshold required for formal CDC reporting.
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