Vacation lovers, beware: Puke-causing germs like norovirus are having one hell of a time aboard cruise ships right about now. There have already been more reported cruise ship outbreaks off U.S. waters this year than in nearly two decades.
Just this week, the Centers for Disease Control reported an outbreak of norovirus aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas—one that sickened nearly 100 passengers and crew. It’s the 14th outbreak of norovirus and 19th overall outbreak reported in 2025, well above recent historical trends. Norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. generally have climbed as of late.
A modern high
Though norovirus and other foodborne germs can easily sicken someone anywhere, the confined spaces and shared food on cruise ships can make them a vector for widespread illness. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships in or around U.S. waters are tracked by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
The pandemic grounded the cruise ship industry early on (though not before dozens of covid outbreaks occurred), but U.S. cruise ships began operating again in summer 2021. For several years, outbreaks were less common than before. As more people returned to these vacations, however, cases steadily began to increase again. Still, 2025 has been an outlier.
With three months to spare, this year’s tally of reported outbreaks is already higher than the numbers in 2024 (18) and 2023 (14). In fact, it’s the highest toll documented since 2007.
Why are people getting more sick on cruise ships?
As mentioned above, some of the rise in these outbreaks might simply be due to more people going on cruises in general. But that’s only part of the picture.
Norovirus is an ubiquitous foodborne germ, and cases of it have been spiking outside of cruise ships, too. Between August 2024 and July 2025, the CDC documented at least 2,675 outbreaks in the U.S., almost double the amount reported in the same period the previous year (1,478). These outbreaks might be fueled by the emergence of a new norovirus strain, one that we have less population immunity against.
Another possible factor might be the lack of resources to track and prevent these outbreaks. Earlier this year, the CDC fired all of its full-time cruise ship inspectors working for the Vessel Sanitation Program, apparently as part of the Trump administration’s plan to cut government jobs across the board. The administration claimed at the time that remaining members of the U.S. Public Health Service could adequately fill these roles, though CDC staff were reportedly already struggling to keep up with their heavy workloads.
According to the latest CDC data, norovirus outbreaks in recent months have dropped back to more usual rates, following a huge surge last winter. But with the typical norovirus season set to arrive again, it’s possible this winter will once again be a puke-filled one. And though you can get norovirus anywhere, I’m personally okay with taking my chances by staying on land for the foreseeable future.
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