More Than 110 People Sick in Princess Cruise Norovirus Outbreak

More than 110 people got sick in a norovirus outbreak on a Princess Cruises ship.

Among the 3,116 guests sailing aboard the line’s Caribbean Princess vessel, 102 reported being ill during its current voyage, along with 13 crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their main symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea.

The ship left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28 for a nearly two-week cruise with planned stops including in Aruba, Bonaire, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and more, according to CruiseMapper. The voyage is scheduled to end in Port Canaveral, Florida, on May 11.

How Princess Cruises Is Responding

Princess told USA TODAY that “a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness” during the cruise.

“We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage,” the cruise line said in an emailed statement. “Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”

The cruise line also isolated sick guests and employees, among other steps, the CDC said.

How Common Are Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreaks?

The health agency has logged four outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises that met its threshold for public notification in 2026. Two were caused by norovirus.

There were 23 in 2025, 18 of which were caused by norovirus, and the illness caused 15 out of 18 total outbreaks in 2024. While norovirus is often associated with cruise ships, those cases make up only 1% of all outbreaks reported.

“(Outbreaks are) often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don’t know that they’re happening,” Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, previously told USA TODAY. “Really, when we have these areas where people are in really close contact, things like day care facilities, nursing homes and cruise ships, it’s more likely to be diagnosed, reported and brought to our attention.”

The news comes amid an unrelated hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, run by Oceanwide Expeditions.