Royal Caribbean cruise horror with 90 passengers sick in norovirus outbreak

Nearly 100 passengers and crew members on board Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Serenade of the Seas, have fallen ill after an outbreak of highly-contagious norovirus

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A Royal Caribbean^[1] cruise has turned into a nightmare for more than 90 passengers after an outbreak of highly-contagious norovirus.

The outbreak on the Royal Caribbean International ship, Serenade of the Seas, was reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention^[2] on Sunday. Out of the 1,874 passengers on board the ship, 94 have “reported being ill during the voyage”, while four out of 883 crew members have also fallen ill.

According to the CDC, symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting. Other symptoms of the disease^[3] include muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramps or fever, or three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period

The ship departed San Diego on September 19 and has made stops in Mexico , Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia^[4]. It is scheduled to dock at Miami on Thursday.

READ MORE: Early sign you have new Covid ‘Stratus’ variant as vaccine alert issued^[5]READ MORE: ‘Winter vomiting bug’ sweeps UK as ‘stay home’ alert issued – full list of symptoms^[6]

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Royal Caribbean has “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan”, the CDC said. Those who have fallen ill have also provided stool samples for testing.

Passengers and staff members showing symptoms have been isolated, while the cruise ship has consulted with the Vessel Sanitation Program, which is run by the CDC, “about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases”.

“The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority,” Royal Caribbean Group told USA TODAY.^[7] “To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”

There have been 19 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships so far this year, 14 of which were caused by norovirus, according to CDC. The illness caused 15 of 18 outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024, and 13 out of 14 the year before.

“While the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend,” the health agency told USA TODAY^[8]. “However, CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land. Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.”

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According to Royal Caribbean, the Serenade of the Seas offers “panoramic views and acres of glass” which “ensure that you’ll never miss a moment of the surrounding scenery”. The company said: “In between adventures onshore, you can soak up the sun poolside, tee off on the mini golf^[9] green and dig into world-class flavours that will take you from Tuscany to Tokyo.”

The website added: “When you cruise on Serenade of the Seas, adventure has no curfew. Fill your sea days with award winning onboard activities, like putt-putt parties on the mini golf green, all your favourite games at the arcade and laid back lounging on the pool deck. Then kick your night out up a notch with musicals in the Main Theatre, dancing under the stars and classic cocktails at R Bar.”

The latest norovirus outbreak comes after a similar outbreak on another Royal Caribbean cruise in July. 134 passengers on board Navigator of the Seas fell ill between July 4 and July 11, as did seven members of crew. In February, a similar norovirus outbreak was reported on Radiance of the Seas between February 1 and February 8, with 160 passengers and eight crew members falling ill.

Norovirus is extremely contagious and “is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea”, according to the NHS^[10]. Main symptoms include feeling sick, vomiting and diarrhoea. Those infected may also experience a high temperature, headache, tummy pain and body aches and pains.