Over 150 people got sick in a norovirus outbreak on a Princess cruise ship, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Among the roughly 5,900 people on board the Star Princess cruise ship, 104 guests and 49 crew members developed gastrointestinal symptoms, according to a news release. The predominant reported symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on March 11, 2026, and marks the first cruise ship norovirus outbreak of the year.
The CDC listed the causative agent as norovirus, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated water, food, and surfaces.
In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the ship's crew implemented enhanced sanitation procedures, isolated sick passengers and crew members, and collected stool samples for testing.
"Our ship steward has been taking more time cleaning each room, replacing all bedding each day. The decorative pillows on the couches are all gone, presumably to [be] sanitized? I [also] see staff members cleaning everywhere," shared a passenger on the current voyage.
"They are constantly sanitizing the railings in the stairwells and the piazza stairs. Table wipe downs are thorough and I’ve seen items like salt and pepper shakers and the like being removed after use. There are people stationed at all the entrances of the Eatery urging folks to clean their hands. There are even staff members serving at the Eatery buffet, but not for all of the foods."
Star Princess departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on March 7. Scheduled ports of call on the itinerary include Roatán, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Embarkation for the following voyage is delayed
Although the Sphere Class vessel is expected to return to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, March 14, guests aboard the following sailing have already been informed that embarkation is slightly delayed.
"I am supposed to board the Star in FLL on March 14 and I just got an email that there seems to be an outbreak of Gastrointestinal issues on board. They are delaying boarding in FLL to do a deep clean," shared a user on the r/PrincessCruises Reddit thread.
"During the previous voyage, a small number of people reported gastrointestinal illness. While most were unaffected, we proactively implemented a thorough disinfection program in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As an extra precaution, the ship will undergo additional disinfection in Fort Lauderdale," reads the email sent to affected guests.
"Check-in will now begin at 12:30 PM, and staterooms will be available later in the afternoon. Please do not arrive before 12:30 PM as space is limited. Guests with Princess hotels or transfers will have their new pick-up times provided at the hotel or airport. All guests must be on board by 4:00 PM and the ship will depart shortly after."
This isn’t an uncommon practice. For example, after a norovirus outbreak on a Holland America Line New Year’s cruise, the ship's next embarkation was delayed by a few hours due to additional disinfection measures.
Star Princess cruise ship fast facts
Star Princess is the second Sphere Class ship in the Princess fleet, following the debut of Sun Princess. Her inaugural voyage departed from Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 4, 2025.
According to Princess' website, the Star Princess ship measures 177,800 gross tons, 1,133 feet long, and 200 feet high.
At double occupancy, Star Princess can accommodate 4,300 passengers. She is also home to 1,600 crew members from around the world.
She is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through mid-April 2026 and then will reposition to Seattle, Washington, for a seasonal stint in Alaska.
Star Princess will make her way back to Florida in October for a winter season of Caribbean sailings out of Fort Lauderdale.
During that deployment, she will call at ports like Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Celebration Key in The Bahamas; Roatán, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.
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.
