Overview

• The CDC reports 71 passengers and one crew member fell ill with norovirus on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea during a Sept. 19–Oct. 2 voyage.
• This incident is the 19th gastrointestinal outbreak on cruises to meet the CDC’s public reporting threshold in 2025, surpassing last year’s total, with 14 attributed to norovirus.
• Royal Caribbean increased cleaning and disinfection, isolated sick individuals, consulted the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, and collected stool samples for testing.
• CDC surveillance indicates cruise outbreaks often track community patterns, with 2,675 norovirus outbreaks reported by NoroSTAT states from Aug. 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025, exceeding prior seasonal ranges.
• Experts advise soap-and-water handwashing, prompt reporting of symptoms to ship medical staff, and self-isolation, noting alcohol-based hand sanitizers are less effective against norovirus.