More than 100 fall ill in cruise ship norovirus outbreak

A significant norovirus outbreak has been reported aboard the cruise ship Caribbean Princess, operated by Princess Cruises.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 115 individuals fell ill, including 102 passengers and 13 crew members.

Those affected experienced symptoms such as severe diarrhoea and vomiting. All infected individuals were isolated in their cabins, and biological samples were collected for analysis.

The vessel departed from Florida on April 28 and is scheduled to arrive at Port Canaveral on May 11, with stops in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas along the route. Upon arrival, the ship will undergo a full sanitisation process before beginning its next voyage.

This marks the fourth outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported on US cruise ships since the beginning of 2026. In March, a similar outbreak occurred on another Princess Cruises ship, where nearly 200 people were infected.

Earlier in May, a separate outbreak of hantavirus was recorded on the MV Hondius, resulting in the deaths of three passengers. At the time, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that the infection may have occurred before the ship set sail.

By Tamilla Hasanova