Norovirus Outbreak Aboard Cruise Leaves More Than 100 People Sickened

A norovirus outbreak aboard an ongoing Princess Cruises ship has sickened more than 100 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

In total, 115 people became ill, per the CDC, including 102 out of 3,116 guests. Thirteen of the Caribbean Princess' 1,131 crew members also got sick.

What to know

The Caribbean Princess departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28 for a two-week voyage, including stops in Aruba, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to arrive back at Port Canaveral on May 11.

The primary symptoms for the 100-plus sick occupants were diarrhea and vomiting.

What is norovirus?

A common and very contagious virus, norovirus causes gastroenteritis, with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as the most common symptoms.

Norovirus outbreaks typically occur during colder months and the infection is the top cause of foodborne illness in the United States.

"Globally, about 685 million cases are reported each year. Of that estimate, over 200 million cases affect children," the Cleveland Clinic said.

How did the ship handle this crisis?

Princess Cruises and the Caribbean Princess crew says they took the following steps since May 7, the day the outbreak was reported to the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP):

• Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan
• Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing
• Isolated ill passengers and crew
• Consulted with VSP about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases

"We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage," the cruise line told USA TODAY 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."

This is the second recent norovirus outbreak aboard a Princess Cruises ship. More than 150 people traveling on the Star Princess got sick from the virus back in March.

There have also been two E.coli outbreaks aboard cruise ships--the Insignia and the Seven Seas Mariner--so far in 2026.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 12:15 PM.