More than 120 passengers and crew became ill during a norovirus outbreak on the Ruby Princess cruise ship, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said 102 passengers and 23 crew members reported feeling sick on the June 12 to July 2 Ruby Princess voyage from San Francisco to Canada and Alaska.
In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and crew on board the ship said they have increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in accordance with their outbreak prevention and response plan, the agency said.
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The cruise ship industry is on alert after multiple virus outbreaks
The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which assists the cruise ship industry in preventing and controlling the introduction and spread of gastrointestinal diseases on ships, was consulted regarding sanitation procedures and case reporting.
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VSP is monitoring the situation remotely, including reviewing the vessel’s outbreak response and sanitary procedures, according to the CDC.
Norovirus is highly contagious and thrives in places where people gather in close quarters, making cruise ships susceptible to outbreaks. There have been three norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year, according to the CDC.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus can be contracted from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines, leading to stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
In 2026, seven outbreaks were reported on cruise ships under the jurisdiction of the CDC.
In June, 19 passengers and one crew member reported becoming ill during a norovirus outbreak aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Sea Bird during a June 25-30 voyage.
In late May, the same ship reported a norovirus outbreak on May 28 that infected nine passengers and three crew members.
In April, more than 100 passengers and crew members became ill during a norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, according to the CDC.
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Health matters: passengers leave cruise ship affected by norovirus
The CDC said 102 passengers and 13 crew members reported feeling sick on the voyage, which ran from April 28 to May 11.
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“Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of people reported minor gastrointestinal illnesses on the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades,” Princess Cruises previously said in a statement to Global News.
“Our team responded quickly by implementing enhanced sanitation protocols throughout the ship, and since then the number of cases has decreased and remains low,” the cruise line added. “Caribbean Princess arrived at Port Canaveral on the morning of May 11 as scheduled and is undergoing extensive cleaning and disinfection before departing that afternoon on her next voyage as scheduled.”
The outbreak on the Caribbean Princess ship comes more than a month after another norovirus outbreak was reported on the cruise line’s Star Princess ship.
In March, the CDC reported that 141 passengers and 52 crew members fell ill with norovirus on the Star Princess cruise ship. The ship left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and made stops in the Caribbean, Honduras, Belize and the Mexican Riviera.
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In April 2025, an outbreak of norovirus sickened 240 people on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2.
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The CDC said in a report on the outbreak that 224 of the ship’s 2,538 passengers had the virus, as well as 17 other employees.
The ship departed Southampton in the UK on March 8, 2025, and completed a nearly month-long cruise to New York and then across the Caribbean, making various stops along the island chain. He was due to return to Southampton on 6 April 2025.
During the outbreak, passengers experienced vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. The health agency said Cunard has stepped up cleaning and disinfection protocols and sick passengers and crew are being quarantined.
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