Nearly 100 People Sickened With Norovirus on Royal Caribbean Cruise—What to Know

Almost 100 folks got here down with norovirus—also called the abdomen bug—throughout a current cruise ship outbreak, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) introduced Tuesday.

Right here’s what it’s good to know.

On a 13-day voyage from San Diego to Miami, 94 passengers and 4 crew members on Serenade of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, caught norovirus.

The ship set sail on Sept. 19, 2025, and 9 days later, on Sept. 28, folks began getting sick with diarrhea and vomiting.

By the point the ship docked on Oct. 2, the an infection had unfold to five% of passengers and 0.5% of the crew.

In response to the CDC, Royal Caribbean Worldwide, in addition to the wholesome crew members aboard the ship, responded to the outbreak with:

• Elevated cleansing and disinfecting
• Accumulating stool samples for testing
• Isolating sick passengers and crew members
• Consulting with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program about cleansing and reporting procedures

It’s price noting that Serenade of the Seas acquired a near-perfect sanitation rating of 96 when the CDC inspected the vessel on June 25, 2025.

Norovirus outbreaks are widespread on cruise ships. In actual fact, that is the 14th norovirus outbreak thus far in 2025 aboard a cruise ship inside the Vessel Sanitation Program’s jurisdiction.

That’s as a result of the virus is very contagious. It might survive on surfaces for weeks, and it’s tougher to kill than different pathogens. (Norovirus is a part of the 0.01% of germs that hand sanitizer can’t kill.)

Within the shut quarters of a cruise ship, the virus can unfold rapidly. Outbreaks are additionally simpler to report and observe on boats than on land.

Folks catch norovirus by swallowing the virus, normally from consuming contaminated meals or coming involved with the pathogen, then touching their mouth.

The CDC has a number of ideas for stopping norovirus on a cruise:

• Wash your fingers typically, and don’t depend on hand sanitizer.
• Drink a number of water and get loads of sleep.
• Depart the world in case you see somebody experiencing diarrhea or vomiting.
• If you happen to’re feeling sick, inform the ship’s medical middle instantly.