Almost 100 Individuals Sickened With Norovirus on Royal Caribbean Cruise—What to Know

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

Right here’s what it is advisable 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, individuals 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 disinfectingCollecting stool samples for testingIsolating sick passengers and crew membersConsulting with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program about cleansing and reporting procedures

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

Norovirus outbreaks are frequent on cruise ships. In truth, that is the 14th norovirus outbreak to this point in 2025 aboard a cruise ship throughout the Vessel Sanitation Program’s jurisdiction.

That’s as a result of the virus is very contagious. It will possibly survive on surfaces for weeks, and it’s more durable 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 shortly. Outbreaks are additionally simpler to report and monitor on boats than on land.

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

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

Wash your arms typically, and don’t depend on hand sanitizer.Drink a number of water and get loads of sleep.Go away the world when you see somebody experiencing diarrhea or vomiting.In case you’re feeling sick, inform the ship’s medical middle straight away.