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CDC Confirms Norovirus on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade as Cruise Outbreaks in 2025 Surpass Last Year

CDC cites 71 passenger cases plus one crew case, with isolation and enhanced cleaning underway under VSP oversight.

Serenade of the Seas cruise ship. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Serenade of the Seas
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Overview

  • The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on Sept. 28 during a 13-night voyage that left San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to end in Miami on Oct. 2.
  • CDC data show 71 of 1,874 passengers and one of 883 crew reported illness consistent with norovirus, with predominant symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
  • Royal Caribbean says it has isolated symptomatic people, increased cleaning and disinfection, and collected stool samples, while CDC’s VSP monitors the response remotely.
  • So far in 2025, the CDC has logged 19 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction, 14 confirmed as norovirus, exceeding 2024’s total.
  • Some outlets and social posts cite higher illness counts for this sailing, but those figures are not verified by the CDC; officials stress soap-and-water handwashing and prompt reporting of symptoms.