Greater than 70 folks bought sick in a gastrointestinal sickness outbreak throughout a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.
Among the many 1,874 visitors aboard the ship, 71 reported being ailing throughout a cruise that may finish on October 2, 2025, together with one crew member, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was reported to the CDC on Sept. 28, 2025. 3.79% of passengers and 0.11% of crew members reported gastrointestinal points. The predominant signs of the contaminated people had been vomiting and diarrhea.
The CDC listed the causative agent as norovirus, a extremely contagious virus that spreads simply by means of contaminated water, meals, and surfaces.
Consequently, the cruise line applied heightened cleansing and sanitation measures onboard, together with:
Elevated cleansing and disinfectionCollecting stool specimens from gastrointestinal sickness circumstances for testingIsolating ailing passengers and crewConsulting with the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) concerning sanitation procedures and sickness reporting.
“The well being and security of our visitors, crew, and the communities we go to are our high precedence,” Royal Caribbean Group instructed USA TODAY.
“To keep up an atmosphere that helps the best ranges of well being and security onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleansing procedures, a lot of which far exceed public well being tips.”
Serenade of the Seas is at present on a 13-night voyage one-way from San Diego, California, to Miami, Florida.
Cruise ship GI sickness outbreaks now surpass reported circumstances in 2024
The norovirus outbreak on Serenade of the Seas is the nineteenth gastrointestinal sickness outbreak on a cruise in 2025. Comparatively, 18 circumstances met the CDC’s threshold for public notification in 2024.
The next cruise ships have reported outbreaks in 2025, together with the causative agent:
Sea Cloud Cruises: Sea Cloud Spirit — January 4-10, 2025 (Ciguatera, presumed)Silversea Cruises: Silver Ray — January 4-20, 2025 (E. coli)Holland America Line: Volendam — January 4-25, 2025 (Norovirus)Viking Ocean Cruises: Viking Mars — January 10-24, 2025 (Norovirus)Princess Cruises: Coral Princess — January 20-February 5, 2025 (Norovirus)Royal Caribbean Worldwide: Radiance of the Seas — February 1-8, 2025 (Norovirus)Holland America Line: Rotterdam — February 2-14, 2025 (Norovirus)Holland America Line: Eurodam — February 19-March 1, 2025 (Norovirus)Princess Cruises: Coral Princess — February 21-March 9, 2025 (Norovirus)Holland America Line: Rotterdam — March 7-16, 2025 (Norovirus)Cunard Line: Queen Mary 2 — March 8-April 6, 2026 (Norovirus)Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn Encore — March 16-April 9, 2025 (Norovirus)Viking Expedition: Viking Polars — April 11-23, 2025 (Norovirus)Linblad Expeditions: Nationwide Geographic Sea Lion — April 15-29, 2025 (Unknown)Holland America Line: Zuiderdam — January 4-Might 9, 2025 (Unknown)Holland America Line: Eurodam —April 12-Might 5, 2025 (Unknown)Regent Seven Seas: Seven Seas Explorer — April 26-Might 14, 2025 (Unknown)Royal Caribbean Worldwide: Navigator of the Seas — July 4-11, 2025 (Norovirus)Royal Caribbean Worldwide: Serenade of the Seas — September 19-October 2, 2025 (Norovirus)
Final yr, most outbreaks had been attributed to norovirus (15 out of 18). Nonetheless, E. coli and Salmonella had been additionally recognized on cruise ships.
Though cruises usually get a nasty popularity for norovirus outbreaks, the CDC claims that ships are solely accountable for about 1% of reported norovirus outbreaks. The extremely contagious virus can even unfold in confined areas like camps, inns, and school dorms.
Learn extra: Cruise ships endure worst yr for abdomen bugs in over a decade. This is what I am doing to remain wholesome
Norovirus outbreaks are additionally on the rise throughout the USA
Based on the CDC, norovirus circumstances elevated all through the 2024-2025 season, which lasted from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.
Throughout that timeframe, 2,675 norovirus outbreaks had been reported by NoroSTAT-participating states. There have been 1,478 norovirus outbreaks reported by the identical states all through the earlier seasonal interval.
The best way to shield your self from norovirus on a cruise ship
Whereas onboard, it’s best to observe all advisable well being precautions, reminiscent of washing your palms earlier than coming into the buffet and after utilizing the restroom.
It is also good to restrict your time within the crowded cruise ship buffet. Even in the event you totally wash your palms earlier than coming into, it’s exhausting to take care of strict hygiene requirements with the excessive quantity of visitors coming and going.
Subsequent, think about taking the steps extra usually than the elevators. With tons of (if not hundreds) of passengers on a cruise ship, elevators sometimes really feel cramped and sizzling. Alternatively, stairwells are quieter and cut back your time in extra-confined areas.
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