Holland America Line's Eurodam has reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on its current sailing with over 70 passengers ill onboard.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Eurodam has 79 sick guests onboard its current voyage which departed on February 18, 2025. 9 crew members are also reportedly ill.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on February 23, 2025. 3.8% of passengers and 1.1% of crew members reported gastrointestinal symptoms. There are 2,057 guests and 834 crew onboard.
The predominant symptoms reported are diarrhea and vomiting. The CDC listed norovirus, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated food, water, or surfaces, as the causative agent of the gastrointestinal outbreak on Eurodam.
Holland America Line has implemented enhanced cleaning protocols in response to the new outbreak. They also collected stool specimens for testing, isolated ill passengers and crew, and consulted with the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.
Eurodam is sailing on a 10-night Southern Caribbean Seafarer cruise which departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday, February 19. The round-trip itinerary includes stops in Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; and Kralendijk, Bonaire.
Holland America Line's Eurodam is due back in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, March 1. No changes have been made to the following 11-night cruise.
8th gastrointestinal cruise ship outbreak in 2025
Before Eurodam, the most recent gastrointestinal outbreak on a cruise ship was on Holland America Line's Rotterdam. 166 passengers, or 6.4% of all guests onboard, reported falling ill, while 19 crew members also reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.
Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, Princess Cruises' Coral Princess, Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Mars, HAL's Volendam, Silversea Cruises' Silver Ray, and Sea Cloud's Sea Cloud Spirit have all reported gastrointestinal outbreaks to the CDC in 2025.
While that may be alarming considering we are still in the second month of the year, norovirus is also on the rise in the U.S.
From August 1, 2024, to January 15, 2025, NoroSTAT-participating states reported 1,078 norovirus outbreaks to the CDC. In comparison, the same states reported only 557 outbreaks during the same period in the previous year.
The CDC shares outbreaks when they meet the following criteria. First, the ship must be under VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) jurisdiction on cruises including both U.S. and foreign ports.
Second, the specific voyage has 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting gastrointestinal symptoms to the ship's medical staff.
2024 was the worst year for cruise ship gastrointestinal outbreaks in over a decade
In 2024, the number of gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships reached the highest level in over a decade, with 16 reported outbreaks, up from 14 in 2023.
Though you shouldn't rush to cancel your next cruise, it's important to take certain precautions to ensure you remain healthy while onboard.
For example, take care to wash your hands more frequently, rather than just after using the restroom. This is especially true when in crowded buffets.
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.
