A dream holiday aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship took a nightmarish turn earlier this month when more than 140 people fell ill with a gastrointestinal disease of unknown origin.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 134 of the 3,914 guests on the Navigator of the Seas and seven out of 1,266 crew members reported experiencing symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain during the week-long voyage that departed from Los Angeles on 4 July and travelled to multiple ports in Mexico, including Cabo San Lucas.
The outbreak was officially reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on 11 July when the ship returned to port in Los Angeles. While the exact cause of the illness has not yet been determined, the CDC confirmed that stool samples were collected from those affected and are currently undergoing testing.
Royal Caribbean said it responded swiftly by implementing “heightened disinfection and cleaning measures” and isolating those who displayed symptoms, in line with its health and safety protocol. In a statement, a spokesperson for the company reiterated: “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority. 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.”
This outbreak adds to a growing number of similar incidents recorded this year. The CDC confirmed that this marks the 18th outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships under its jurisdiction in 2025 — the same number that occurred across all of 2024, and higher than the 14 outbreaks reported in 2023.
Although the causative agent is still being investigated, Norovirus remains a common culprit in such cases. The highly contagious virus is often dubbed the “cruise ship virus” due to its rapid transmission in confined environments. Infectious disease expert Dr William Schaffner explained earlier this year to CNN Travel: “That’s because it spreads easily, and anyone in close quarters — like cruise ships — is extra susceptible.”
However, the CDC has yet to confirm whether Norovirus was responsible for this latest outbreak. The agency noted that finding the precise agent “can take time,” especially as confirmation relies on laboratory tests from stool or vomit samples provided by ill passengers.
Earlier this year, a similar incident aboard the Queen Mary 2 affected around 250 passengers. The CDC said Norovirus outbreaks are often linked to contaminated food or water, contact with infected individuals, or touching contaminated surfaces. Even though most people recover in one to three days, the virus can still be transmitted for over two weeks after symptoms resolve.
CNN wellness expert Dr Leana Wen advised that such illnesses, while uncomfortable, usually “pass within 1 to 2 days.” She also reminded travellers that alcohol-based sanitisers are ineffective against Norovirus, and stressed the importance of proper hand washing and food hygiene. “Norovirus is not killed by alcohol-based hand sanitisers that are commonly used,” she said.
Despite the rising number of cruise-related outbreaks, the CDC pointed out that ships account for only 1% of all Norovirus cases globally. However, recent data suggest a dominant Norovirus strain is currently active on land and at sea, with ships often reflecting the pattern of land-based outbreaks.
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