More than one hundred passengers and crew members aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship have fallen ill with norovirus during a two-week voyage through the Caribbean, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
The outbreak has affected 102 passengers and 13 crew members, who have experienced symptoms consistent with norovirus infection, including diarrhea and vomiting. The vessel, carrying 3,116 passengers and 1,131 crew members, departed Port Everglades on April 28 for what was scheduled as a routine Caribbean voyage concluding May 11.
The ship is presently sailing through the northwest Atlantic Ocean en route to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic before returning to Port Canaveral, Florida, where it is expected to dock on schedule.
Upon notification of the outbreak, the ship’s crew implemented enhanced sanitation protocols, including increased cleaning and disinfection procedures throughout the vessel. Medical staff have isolated affected individuals and collected stool specimens for laboratory testing, according to CDC protocols for such incidents.
Princess Cruises acknowledged the situation in a statement, characterizing the number of affected individuals as “limited” and describing the illnesses as “mild gastrointestinal” in nature. The cruise line stated that comprehensive disinfection measures were initiated promptly and that additional sanitizing procedures have continued throughout the voyage.
“Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage,” the company stated.
Norovirus remains one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis and spreads with particular efficiency in enclosed environments such as cruise ships, nursing homes, and schools. The highly contagious virus typically causes acute gastrointestinal distress lasting one to three days, though it can pose more serious risks to young children, elderly passengers, and those with compromised immune systems.
This incident marks the fourth gastrointestinal illness outbreak reported on cruise ships in 2024, according to CDC records. The agency maintains a vessel sanitation program that monitors such outbreaks and works with cruise lines to implement preventive measures and respond to active cases.
The outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess bears no connection to a separate hantavirus outbreak currently affecting passengers on the MV Hondius, a different cruise vessel.
While cruise ship outbreaks often generate significant attention, public health officials note that norovirus affects millions of Americans annually in various settings. The CDC estimates that norovirus causes approximately 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the United States each year.
The Caribbean Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, will undergo mandatory deep cleaning and sanitization procedures upon reaching port, a standard protocol following any reported outbreak aboard passenger vessels.
Related: CDC Monitors Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship as Three Deaths Confirmed
