Over 140 passengers and crew aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship contracted a gastrointestinal illness.
Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas | Photo: Getty Images
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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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – If you’ve ever tried to book a cruise out of New Orleans only to find the ship sold out, that may soon be a problem of the past.
Carnival Cruise Line announced plans to expand its offerings in the Crescent City, including voyages to its new private resort in the Bahamas, Celebration Key, and the return of the Carnival Dream in 2027. The 4,600-passenger vessel hasn’t sailed from New Orleans since 2019.
“We actually plan on going on a cruise in the fall,” said Felicia Allen Bass, a frequent cruiser. “And that just means we will have to go on another one when the bigger ship comes through.”
Carnival isn’t the only cruise line making waves at Port NOLA.
Norwegian Cruise Line is set to debut a 5,000-passenger vessel out of New Orleans this fall. And in 2026, Royal Caribbean will replace its current ship with one 50% larger.
“We did 1.2 million passengers last year, which was a record for us,” said Steven Gauthier Jr., Vice President of Cruise at the Port of New Orleans. “We are on pace for 2027 to do 1.5 million passenger moves per year.”
Gauthier said cruise lines are taking notice of the city’s appeal as both a starting point and a destination.
“Guests can come to New Orleans and that’s one destination for them, and then they get on the cruise and that’s another destination,” he said.
The influx of cruise-goers is not only fueling excitement among travelers but also among local businesses near the port.
“You have people coming from Mississippi, Alabama, Texas,” said Bass.
That kind of regional pull brings plenty of customers to Larry Thompson Jr.’s seafood stand, Mr. Shrimp, located on the Riverwalk.
“The captain, all the way to the deckhand, they come to eat from us. They love the freshness,” Thompson said.
With bigger ships set to dock just steps from the Riverwalk mall, Thompson is confident business will keep booming.
“Man, having another cruise down here, thank you for that, because that’s going to help with business for us,” he added.
Port NOLA officials estimate the cruise industry generates $450 million annually for the city and anticipate that number will grow as cruise lines increase their capacity and frequency.
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(CNN) – More than 130 cruise ship passengers reported suffering from a gastrointestinal disease after setting sail from Los Angeles on July 4. The cause of the outbreak has not been determined.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 134 passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas — or 3.4 percent of the cruise’s total passenger list of 3,900 people — reported feeling ill. Seven members of the crew were also affected, out of a total of 1,266 staff members.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on July 11 when the weeklong Royal Caribbean cruise returned to Los Angeles to dock after the trip was over.
According to records compiled by the VSP, there have been 18 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships under the program’s jurisdiction so far this year, mainly related to Norovirus.
That’s the same number of outbreaks reported all of last year, according to incidents logged by the CDC.
While it’s unclear what caused the outbreak on the Royal Caribbean ship, passengers experienced diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, the CDC said in a post this week about the Navigator of the Seas outbreak.
In April, about 250 passengers on the Queen Mary 2 reported coming down with the highly contagious norovirus.
That disease has a reputation as “the cruise ship virus,” infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN Travel earlier this year.
That’s because it spreads easily, and anyone in close quarters — like cruise ships — is extra susceptible. Such outbreaks also frequently occur in schools and jails — wherever large groups of people gather in tight spaces.
But the CDC hasn’t determined yet if the culprit on the Navigator of the Seas was norovirus.
“The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told CNN Travel. “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.”
The CDC says Royal Caribbean reported boosting its cleaning and disinfection procedures and also collected specimens from infected passengers, after isolating anyone who was ill.
CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen said that while infectious diseases can be “very unpleasant,” they typically “pass within 1 to 2 days.”
While the cause remains unknown in this case, Dr. Wen reiterated that precautions such as thorough hand washing are critical. She also noted that norovirus is not killed by alcohol-based hand sanitizers that are commonly used.
The long and strange saga of the derelict cruise ship M/V Aurora has come due, as the Stockton City Council this week approved more than $8.2 million for the salvage and disposal.
The payment caps one of the most complex and costly environmental cleanups in recent Stockton history, but may not be the city’s final chapter. Who was at fault in abandoning the ship and who else – if anyone – might be held responsible for the cleanup costs is still an open question.
The 297-foot vessel, which had been abandoned and moored in Little Potato Slough for several years, sank near the end of Eight Mile Road in May 2024, spilling diesel fuel, oil, and other pollutants into a key section of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The location was less than a mile upstream from Stockton’s Delta Water Supply Project Intake Pump Station, the source of the water supplied to nearly 200,000 residents daily.
Municipal Utilities Director Mel Lytle said the Aurora had been “illegally parked for a couple of years,” and when it went under, it set off an emergency response that stretched across state and federal agencies.
The Aurora had sat for months awaiting a final plan for removal. On Dec. 20, tugboats began the towing process. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.)
The emergency resolution passed Tuesday outlines the full cost of the salvage operation, totaling $8,290,874.96. The bulk of that — nearly $7.9 million — went to Lind Marine of Vallejo and its subcontractors, who were tapped to remove and dismantle the contaminated vessel after a formal transfer of responsibility from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Additional costs covered environmental liability insurance, a marine survey, and emergency equipment needed to keep the vessel afloat during salvage preparations. Even the months spent waiting to tow the ship came at a cost. Documents obtained by Stocktonia show the city spent more than $165,000 on round-the-clock security at the site.
According to city documents, the city’s water fund absorbed the costs without drawing from reserves. A nearly $1 million grant from the California State Lands Commission’s Derelict Vessel Program offset part of the total.
But the city was unsuccessful in seeking other funds to defray the expense. A staff presentation noted that Stockton applied for grants from a Boat US foundation, the state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the state EPA and the National Pollution Funds Center. None of those agencies provided assistance.
Environmental hazard near city’s intake station
Built in Germany in 1955 and later used as a cruise ship, the M/V Aurora had sat deteriorating near Herman and Helen’s Marina for years. When it sank, the vessel contained hazardous material including asbestos, lead, hexavalent chromium, and other toxins, city officials said.
When the Aurora sank, it contained hazardous material including asbestos, lead, hexavalent chromium, and other toxins, Stockton officials said. (Photo from Stockton city documents)
Shortly after the sinking, the city’s Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) shut down its intake pump station to avoid contamination. The U.S. Coast Guard, operating under the Federal Oil Spill Trust Fund, initially led a cleanup that removed more than 22,000 gallons of oily water and 3,100 gallons of household hazardous waste. But as the vessel continued to degrade, city officials said it became clear that only a full removal could ensure long-term protection of the waterway.
On June 27, 2024, then-City Manager Harry Black authorized emergency spending to solve the problem, citing an immediate threat to public health and safety. Stockton’s procurement rules allow for no-bid contracts in such emergency situations. The ship was finally towed from the site in December.
The Aurora in drydock in Vallejo after being towed in December. (Photo from Stockton city documents)
“The critical thing is to remove the assets so that we won’t continue to contaminate the waterway,” Lytle said in his presentation Tuesday.
Council reaction: ‘A big mess’
The incident drew frustration from councilmembers, who were briefed on the months-long operation that included hazardous waste removal and coordination with multiple agencies. The Aurora remained in drydock at Vallejo’s Mare Island until all salvage work was completed on May 13, 2025.
“This is a big mess,” said Councilmember Michael Blower, who voiced anger over the circumstances. “I’m mad about this.”
District 3 Councilmember Michael Blower listens during the City Council meeting at City Hall in Stockton, CA on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (Photo by Annie Barker/ Stocktonia / CatchLight Local / Report for America)
Blower asked whether the vessel’s owners could be held accountable. Lytle said the matter remained open, noting that the city had legal pathways under California’s Harbors and Navigation Code Sections 550 and 551 to pursue recovery of funds from responsible parties.
Lytle said the ship was ultimately declared “marine debris,” giving the city the authority to remove it.
The vessel’s ownership has been a murky subject throughout the cleanup process.
At the time the ship sank, Chris Willson, who had previously publicized his goal of refurbishing the Aurora, posted online that the ship had a new owner, who he didn’t name. Later, Willson told CNN that he had decided to sell when an interested buyer showed up, but again did not identify the new owner.
Coast Guard documents show federal officials at the initial response identified two “potential responsible parties.”
The Coast Guard confirmed to Stocktonia that the investigation of the Aurora’s ownership is ongoing.
“That story isn’t over either,” Lytle said. “That law in California allows the city now to go back after the owners or anyone associated or party associated with that vessel. I’ve been working closely with the city attorney’s office in dealing with that issue together.”
Councilmember Michelle Padilla raised concerns about potential harm to wildlife. Lytle assured the council that the removal efforts had been structured around environmental protection.
“They are solving the problem by taking away the contaminants to protect the wildlife,” Lytle assured.
A legacy of derelict vessels in the Delta
The Aurora was one of four large, abandoned vessels long moored in Little Potato Slough, a waterway known for its persistent derelict ship problems and regulatory gaps. The ship’s removal followed earlier operations that cleared the military tugboat Mazapeta in January 2024.
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently leading efforts to remove the sunken minesweeper Chaleur. Meanwhile, the former Coast Guard tender Fir remains moored in the slough, with no confirmed plans yet for its removal.
The Chaleur is removed from the Little Potato Slough section of the San Joaquin River in Stockton, CA on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Annie Barker/ Stocktonia / CatchLight Local / Report for America)
With the Aurora gone, city officials hope the waterway can return to safe navigation and healthier ecological conditions. City staff reported that the intake pump station was brought back to service after the ship’s disposal was completed in May.
The council approved the resolution ratifying the costs on a 7-0 vote.
Josh Susong of Stocktonia contributed to this report.
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