More than 100 were sickened in a gastrointestinal illness outbreak aboard a Princess cruise ship in the Caribbean.
Among the 3,116 guests aboard the Caribbean Princess, 102 reported being ill during the current voyage that will end on May 11, 2026. 13 crew members also got sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on May 7. About 3.3% of passengers and 1.2% of crew members reported gastrointestinal issues. The predominant symptoms of the infected individuals were diarrhea and vomiting.
The CDC listed the causative agent as norovirus, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated water, food, and surfaces.
Consequently, Princess Cruises implemented heightened cleaning and sanitation measures onboard, including:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection
- 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
"A limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness" during the sailing, Princess Cruises told USA TODAY.
"We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage... [and] upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage," they said in the statement.
Caribbean Princess is currently on a 13-day one-way cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port Canaveral, Florida, according to Cruise Mapper.
Ports of call on the nearly two-week cruise include Princess Cays; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Nassau.
The 112,894-gross ton ship launched in 2004 and has a passenger capacity of around 3,140 at double occupancy, the cruise line states.
Port Canaveral will serve as her homeport through April 2027, when she will reposition for a European stint and offer unique sailings from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Fourth cruise ship norovirus outbreak reported this year
The norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess is the fourth gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a cruise in 2026. Comparatively, there were 23 outbreaks in 2025, with over a dozen reported by May. Of the year's total outbreaks, 18 were caused by norovirus.
The following cruise ships have reported outbreaks in 2026, along with the causative agent:
- Regent Seven Seas: Seven Seas Mariner — January 11-February 1, 2026 (E. coli)
- Princess Cruises: Star Princess — March 7-14, 2026 (Norovirus)
- Oceania Cruises: Insignia — April 7-14, 2026 (E. coli)
- Princess Cruises: Caribbean Princess — April 28-May 11, 2026 (Norovirus)
Cruises often get a bad reputation for norovirus outbreaks, but the CDC claims that ships are only responsible for about 1% of reported norovirus outbreaks. The contagious virus easily spreads in confined spaces like hotels, campsites, and college dormitories.
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.
