Norovirus Sickens Over 100 on Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship

A norovirus outbreak has affected 115 people aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, yet passengers report that life on board remains largely normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that 102 of the ship’s 3,116 passengers and 13 of its 1,131 crew members fell ill with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. The outbreak was reported on May 7 during the ship’s April 28 to May 11 Caribbean voyage.

Despite the outbreak, passenger Jan van Milligen, who has been aboard for 21 days with family and friends from South Africa, told NBC News, “The normal atmosphere is still here. We went to a show last night, had dinner and breakfast this morning.” He noted that the cruise line took extensive precautions to halt the virus’s spread, including enhanced sanitation and timely communication with passengers. “They were very professional,” he said.

Princess Cruises stated that only a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the voyage from Port Everglades in Florida. The company said it quickly disinfected all areas of the ship and increased sanitizing efforts throughout the trip. Upon arrival at Port Canaveral on May 11, the Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before its next voyage.

Passengers have observed stricter hygiene measures, such as increased handwashing and the elimination of self-service at the buffet. Donna Leonte from Florida, celebrating her 21st wedding anniversary aboard the ship, said, “Safety precautions are in place but nothing deadly.” She added that washing stations are manned and hand sanitizers are widely available. “People need to be mindful and take precautions. We are not missing any activities,” Leonte said.

The CDC reported that sick passengers and crew were isolated and stool samples collected for testing. The agency’s Vessel Sanitation Program is conducting an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to help control the situation.

This outbreak follows a similar incident in March on another Princess Cruises ship, the Star Princess, which sickened more than 150 people during a Caribbean voyage. Earlier in the year, the CDC also reported gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on other cruise ships departing from Florida ports, including a Holland America ship and the Regent Seven Seas.

Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads rapidly in close quarters such as cruise ships. Cruise lines are required to report outbreaks when at least 3% of passengers or crew report gastrointestinal symptoms, prompting coordinated responses to contain the virus.