More than 80 people got sick due to a norovirus outbreak during a voyage on Holland America Line's Rotterdam cruise ship.
Among the 2,593 guests aboard the ship, 81 reported being ill during a cruise that ended on January 9, 2026, along with eight crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on Jan. 8, 2026. 3.1% of passengers and 0.08% of crew members reported gastrointestinal issues. The predominant symptoms of the infected individuals were vomiting and diarrhea.
The CDC listed the causative agent as norovirus, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated water, food, and surfaces.
To minimize the spread of the virus, Holland America Line implemented heightened cleaning and sanitation measures onboard, including:
- Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures per the ship's outbreak prevention and response plan
- Collecting stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing
- Isolating ill passengers and crew
- Consulting with the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) regarding sanitation procedures and illness reporting
Rotterdam was on a 12-night Panama Canal cruise when the outbreak occurred with stops in ports like Cartagena, Colombia; Colón, Panama; and Limón, Costa Rica.
Holland America Line's Rotterdam is the line's newest ship, having debuted in 2021. She measures 99,935 gross tons and has a passenger capacity of 2,668 at double occupancy.
Embarkation for the following voyage was delayed by a few hours
A passenger on the current sailing confirmed via Reddit that the ship's embarkation process was delayed due to additional disinfection measures, following "reported cases of gastrointestinal illness among guests on the previous voyage."
Several guests from the previous voyage chimed in and shared their experiences on the same Reddit thread.
"This sailing has unfortunately had a lot of illness. Starting [on] day 3 a cough started going around passengers. By the Panama Canal information talk coughs could be heard all around in the background... A few days later [the] crew started being more strict about sanitizing the ship and trying to force the use of hand sanitizer as best they could," one passenger commented.
Someone else added, "Today [the] buffet [self-serve] spots were closed off. Coffee add-ins (cream/sugar) were missing from coffee shops. Staff are wiping down surfaces more often with something that smells like Rescue cleaner we used to sanitize the animal shelter with... 2 nights ago I saw a lady being [wheeled] away from a bathroom at dinner time & the hazard team was busy containing & sanitizing the scene."
Norovirus cases surge as highly contagious variant spreads
Norovirus is surging across the United States, with norovirus concentrations up 45% since November, Marlene Wolfe, Ph.D., professor at Emory University and program director at WastewaterSCAN, told TODAY.com.
Between Aug. 1 and Dec. 11, 2025, there were 268 norovirus outbreaks reported by states in the CDC’s NoroSTAT program, including Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Moreover, Celebrity Eclipse reported a gastrointestinal outbreak days before Holland America Line's Rotterdam. During the Dec. 20, 2025, cruise, over 100 passengers and crew members reported being ill. Although the causative agent is still unknown, the predominant symptoms — including vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps — were similar to norovirus.
One reason norovirus is spreading rapidly is due to a relatively new strain, GII.17, that emerged in Asia around a decade ago. Previously, the majority of norovirus outbreaks were caused by the GII.4 strain.
During the 2024-2025 season, GII.17 was responsible for 75% of norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. Comparatively, it accounted for less than 10% of cases in 2023, the CDC reported.
It remains unclear whether GII.17 is more transmissible than GII.4; however, more people may be getting sick because they lack prior immunity.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
