Hantavirus isn’t the only thing that’s been making people sick on boats lately. There’s now a relatively large outbreak of norovirus aboard a Princess Cruises ship.
Over a hundred people on the Caribbean Princess have come down with norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ship is on a two-week voyage and has docked today in Florida. It’s the fourth such cruise-related outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported this year.
Cruise outbreak
Norovirus is the world’s leading reported cause of foodborne outbreaks, one that typically causes several days’ worth of diarrhea and vomiting. In the U.S., it sickens roughly 20 million people a year, while sending 100,000 people to the hospital annually. Though norovirus can be caught everywhere, the cramped environments and widely shared meals found on cruise ships can make them a source of large-scale outbreaks.
The CDC was notified about this latest outbreak late last week. As of May 7, there have been 115 cases of norovirus reported among the passengers and crew of the Caribbean Princess. The ship departed from Florida on April 28 for a two-week trip around the Caribbean and has returned back to Florida this morning, Florida Today reported.
According to Princess Cruises, the ship’s crew took extra steps to contain the spread of the outbreak, which included isolating sick passengers and crew as well as increasing decontamination procedures.
“We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage,” the cruise line said in a statement. “Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”
Norovirus surging?
This outbreak is not at all connected to the outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius. But it does further underscore that these ships can be a vector for various diseases.
Though 2026 is relatively quiet so far, there were a whopping 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships in U.S. waters last year, well above the usual trend. Most of these outbreaks were of norovirus. The past two years have seen a relative surge of norovirus outbreaks nationwide, possibly aided by the emergence of a new variant of the virus.
So while this newest outbreak isn’t too out of the ordinary, it might be more prudent than ever to practice good hygiene, especially if you’re thinking about taking a cruise vacation in the near future.
For instance, you should always wash fruits and vegetables and cook your shellfish thoroughly. You should also clean your kitchen utensils, cutting boards, and surfaces, especially after preparing shellfish. And you should thoroughly wash your hands after handling uncooked food, since norovirus and other foodborne germs could be transmitted by your hands inadvertently touching your mouth later.
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