A gastrointestinal illness outbreak sickened nearly 30% of guests and crew aboard an Alaska cruise.
Among the 68 guests aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, 19 reported being ill during a cruise that ended on June 30, 2026, along with one crew member, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on June 28, 2026. 28% of passengers and 3.7% of crew members experienced gastrointestinal issues. The predominant symptoms of the infected individuals were vomiting and diarrhea.
The CDC listed the causative agent as norovirus. This highly contagious virus spreads easily through contaminated water, food, and surfaces.
In response, Lindblad Expeditions implemented heightened cleaning and sanitation measures onboard, including:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection
- Isolating ill passengers and crew members
- Consulting with the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) about sanitation procedures and cases
According to Cruise Mapper, the ship was on a five-night one-way cruise that ended in Ketchikan.
The ship will remain in Alaska through August 2026, when she'll relocate to the Pacific Northwest and offer a series of voyages to Oregon and Washington.
This incident marked the second time that the National Geographic Sea Bird has reported a norovirus outbreak this year.
The first incident took place on the May 26, 2026, voyage, affecting nine of 66 passengers and three crew members.
Norovirus cases are on the decline
According to CDC data, there were 1,287 norovirus outbreaks reported by NoroSTAT-participating states between August 1, 2025, and June 11, 2026. Comparatively, there were 2,596 norovirus outbreaks reported during the same seasonal period last year.
This trend is evident on cruises, too. From January through June 2026, there were just four cases of norovirus aboard ships reported to the CDC, including:
- Lindblad Expeditions, National Geographic Sea Bird (June 25-30, 2026)
- Lindblad Expeditions, National Geographic Sea Bird (May 26-31, 2026)
- Princess Cruises, Caribbean Princess (April 28-May 11, 2026)
- Princess Cruises, Star Princess (March 7-14, 2026)
This reflects a 67% decline from the 12 cruise ship norovirus cases reported between January 2025 and June 2025.
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.
