Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

CDC Confirms Norovirus Outbreak on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas

The case reflects a year of elevated cruise gastrointestinal outbreaks that have already surpassed 2024, CDC data show.

Serenade of the Seas cruise ship. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Serenade of the Seas
Image
Royal Caribbean Cruises liner Serenade of the Sea leaves the access channel from Le Havre harbour, northern France, on May 8, 2019.

Overview

  • Seventy-one passengers and one crew member reported illness with vomiting and diarrhea on the 13-night voyage that left San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Oct. 2.
  • Testing confirmed norovirus as the cause, with about 3.8% of passengers affected, according to the CDC.
  • Royal Caribbean isolated sick individuals, increased cleaning and disinfection, and collected stool samples as the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program monitors remotely.
  • The incident marks the 19th cruise gastrointestinal outbreak reported to the CDC in 2025, including 14 confirmed norovirus outbreaks.
  • Health officials urge soap-and-water handwashing and prompt reporting of symptoms, noting cruise ships account for a small share of total norovirus outbreaks.