Nobody wants to fall ill on vacation. Unfortunately, that was the case for nearly 200 cruisers onboard Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas and Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess in April.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that during the April 5 sailing from Los Angeles, 115 out of 2,532 passengers aboard the Sapphire Princess contracted norovirus, in addition to 28 crew members. The sailing is scheduled to return to LA on May 7.
67 out of 1,993 guests onboard the April 8 sailing on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas fell ill as well, along with two crew members. The two-week Panama Canal cruise concluded on April 22 in Los Angeles and was a repositioning cruise to gear up for Radiance's 2024 Alaska season.
According to the CDC, the primary symptoms on both ships were diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in heightened sanitation procedures.
"In response to the outbreak," says the CDC's website, "Princess Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:
- Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing.
- Isolated ill passengers and crew.
- Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan."
Royal Caribbean International took similar measures on Radiance of the Seas.
Norovirus spreads through the ingestion of vomit or feces from an infected person. This can happen through consuming food touched by an infected individual, touching contaminated surfaces and then touching one's mouth, or placing contaminated objects on clean surfaces.
Though it's the most frequent cause of outbreaks of diarrheal disease on cruise ships, norovirus outbreaks on ships account for only 1% of all reported outbreaks, meaning that the risk of contracting the illness on a cruise ship is low. You're more likely to catch the disease at school, a childcare center, hospital, etc.
In 2024, six cases of norovirus aboard cruise ships have been reported to the CDC, with the first being on Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Constellation in January
92 of 2,056 guests aboard Celebrity Constellation's January 3 sailing contracted norovirus. According to Gangwaze, the ship was on a 9-night cruise from New Orleans to the Western Caribbean, calling on Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya, Mexico.
Cunard Line's Queen Victoria was the second ship to report norovirus onboard in 2024. Roughly 7% of passengers, or 129 guests, fell ill while on the January 22 voyage.
Holland America Line's Koningsdam, as well as Silversea's Silver Nova, also reported sick passengers. In the case of the latter, however, the causative agent was unknown, whereas norovirus was attributed to the other five instances.
Royal Caribbean Group's Norovirus Eradication Campaign launched in June 2023
Within Royal Caribbean Groups' Environmental Stewardship Report for 2023, the company details the steps that they're taking to eliminate transmission of norovirus on its ships.
The six tenants of the program include:
- Enhanced acute GI training for onboard medical teams and traveling PHOs
- Increased PHO oversight of their Outbreak Prevention Plan, which covers requirements like hand washing, buffet oversight, and disinfectant mandates for all public areas
- Switching to PDI SaniCloth Prime hospital-grade disinfectant wipes
- New contactless tap technology so crew members don't have to handle guests' SeaPass cards
- Enhanced crew training on what to do when experiencing acute GI symptoms and how to avoid cross-contamination in food and beverage service areas
- An update to their Safety & Quality Management system to stop self-service in buffets if the onboard norovirus rate exceeds 1.5%
Following the implementation of the campaign's measures,, there weren't any norovirus outbreaks onboard any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ship for the rest of 2023.
With six outbreaks of illnesses onboard cruise ships within the first half of 2024, it's important to remain vigilant about hygiene practices and follow recommended protocols to stay healthy on your cruise
Though some situations are out of your control, taking measures to safeguard your health while on vacation is paramount. Staying hydrated, for instance, can help support your immune system, while frequent hand washing and sanitizing reduces the risk of contracting illnesses.
You will also want to be mindful of touching surfaces in high-traffic areas, such as elevators and the buffet. Though you should sanitize your hands before entering the buffet, it's advisable to do so after you've grabbed your food, too.
According to Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, a hospital epidemiologist and the section chief of infectious diseases at New York University's Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital, alcohol-based hand sanitizer isn't as effective against norovirus. It's important that you dedicate time to washing your hands with soap and water to help prevent the spread of illnesses.
Read more: 10 tips to make your next cruise healthier
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
