Did you get the stomach bug on your cruise? A look at cruise ship outbreaks in 2024
A virus known as the stomach bug that has surged across parts of the country is the cause of nearly all diarrhea outbreaks reported on cruise ships that docked at U.S. ports in 2024, federal data shows.
There were 16 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks reported on cruise ships in 2024, five of which were reported in December. Thirteen of the outbreaks were caused by norovirus, a very contagious virus that often causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program. The agency’s program monitors cruise ships for outbreaks and also conducts random, periodical inspections when ships dock in U.S. ports to ensure crew members are compiling with sanitation policies and procedures.
Norovirus is commonly referred to as the stomach flu, stomach bug or as the “cruise ship virus” because it’s often the cause of most diarrhea outbreaks on cruise ships. People can get sick year-round with norovirus, though outbreaks are most common from November to April, the CDC shows. Most people recover within a few days.
While the pesky virus might get a reputation of making people sick on cruises, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships actually account for only 1% of all reported norovirus outbreaks, the CDC says. In fact, acute gastrointestinal illness is fairly uncommon on cruise ships, according to the agency.
Did your ship have an outbreak in 2024? Take a look at the list below:
Recent norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships
Of the reported norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, five occurred in December, which is considered to be peak season for the virus. The outbreaks come as the U.S. sees an uptick in the spread of stomach bug in some parts of the country, with 91 outbreaks reported the first week of December, higher than the maximum number of outbreaks reported during the same time period in years past.
Two of the December norovirus outbreaks happened on cruise lines that departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale to travel across the Caribbean and are run by Carnival-owned Holland America Line. One of the ships, Rotterdam, departed from Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 8 and had 2,192 passengers and 953 crew members. A total of 143 people reported feeling ill during the voyage, according to the CDC. The other ship, Zuiderdam, departed from Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 4 and had 1,923 passengers and 757 crew members. A total of 91 people reported feeling ill during the voyage, according to the CDC.
The most recent cruise ship to have passengers and crew report diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms of gastrointestinal illness is Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2, which will be spending New Year’s Eve out at sea. It’s possible some passengers who plan to ring in 2025 drinking champagne while cruising will likely be at the toilet instead.
Queen Mary 2, which is carrying more than 2,500 passengers and more than 1,200 crew members, reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on Dec. 23, two days after it left New York to embark on a 13-night trek through the Caribbean. More than 300 people reported feeling ill to the ship’s medical team during the voyage, though not necessarily at the same time, according to the CDC.
The ship, which is scheduled to return to New York on Jan. 3 before setting sail to Southampton, England, is operated by UK-headquartered Cunard Line, a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival Corp. Cunard Line did not immediately respond to the Herald’s inquiry as to whether people are still sick on board the ship.
The crew has increased cleaning and disinfection procedures and isolated sick passengers and crew as part of their measures to reduce the virus spread, according to the federal public health agency.
Any outbreaks other than norovirus on cruise ships?
While most cruise ship outbreaks in 2024 were caused by the stomach bug, the CDC also recorded:
▪ A salmonella outbreak on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas during an Alaska cruise in September.
▪ An E. coli outbreak during an Easter-themed cruise on the luxury Silver Nova, a cruise ship operated by Royal Carribbean-owned Silversea Cruises. The ship set sail in Callao, Peru on March 31 and arrived in Fort Lauderdale on April 16, according to cruise tracker websites.
▪ A gastrointestinal illness outbreak in May on Royal Carribbean’s Allure of the Seas. The ship departed from Port Canaveral on May 20 for a 4 night Bahamas voyage and returned to Port Canavaral on May 24, according to iCruise, a cruise tracker website. The CDC says the cause of the outbreak is still unknown.
