A luxury Princess cruise is turning into vacation to forget for dozens of people onboard. The ship has had 115 passengers and crew fall ill with norovirus, an unpleasant stomach bug that results in diarrhea and vomiting.
Caribbean Princess is on a two-week cruise from Fort Lauderdale, returning to Port Canaveral. The cruise is taking passengers around the Caribbean, with stops in The Bahamas, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, San Juan, and more, before heading back to Florida.
Unfortunately, an unwelcome guest also seems to be aboard. According to the CDC, the ship has been hit with the spread of norovirus.
A reported 102 passengers and 13 crew members have come down with the gastrointestinal illness. That comes out to 3.3% of the 3,100+ passengers on the ship and approximately 1.2% of the 1,131 crew members. Note that these figures are the total number of people impacted during the course of the outbreak, not the number of current cases.
The symptoms reported by the CDC include diarrhea and vomiting.
Currently, the ship is enroute to Nassau, according to CruiseMapper.com. It will return to Port Canaveral on May 11. The CDC update says the cruise ship has isolated the sick passengers and crew on board and also “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan.”
A Common Virus on Land and at Sea
Norovirus is a relatively common stomach illness. According to CDC data, there are between 19-21 million cases annually in the United States and about 2,500 outbreaks. Most cases occur between November and April. That coincides with cooler months when more people are indoors and in closer contact.
According to the health agency, most cases occur when infected people have direct contact with one another. That can make cruise ships susceptible to outbreaks given the large number of people in a relatively small space.
In fact, the CDC tracks outbreaks aboard cruise ships that sail to or from the United States. Ships are required to report any cases before arriving at a U.S. port.
When ships covered under the CDC’s watch see 3% or more of passengers or crew report an illness, they are posted to the agency’s “Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships” page to alert the public.
So far this year, four cruise ships have had reported outbreaks. In addition to Caribbean Princess, this includes:
- 22 passengers and crew aboard Oceania Insignia
- 193 passengers and crew aboard Star Princess
- 27 passengers and crew aboard Seven Seas Mariner
There were 23 gastro outbreaks reported by the CDC on U.S. cruise ships in 2025. So far this year, reported numbers are much lower than last year. By this time in 2025, there were 17 ships hit with outbreaks.
What to Do on a Cruise to Reduce the Risk of Getting Sick on a Cruise
Given the millions of cruise passengers that sail each year, the risk of an individual falling ill to norovirus or other stomach bug is relatively low. But cruise ships are known for seeing outbreaks.
That’s why the CDC suggests several steps to stay healthy:
- If you do get sick, alert the ship’s medical team
- Wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating
- If you see someone get sick, leave the area
Remember, norovirus is spread via contact. Reducing the amount of physical contact, such as touching shared surfaces and keeping your hands clean can help you reduce the risk of getting sick.
