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Norovirus Outbreak Sickens 125 on Ruby Princess

Federal testing confirmed the cause after the ship returned to San Francisco for a mandated turnaround clean.

Overview

  • The Ruby Princess reported 102 passengers and 23 crew with acute gastrointestinal illness during a 20‑day Alaska and Canada voyage, a total of 125 cases confirmed by the CDC.
  • The ship carried 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew; the company reported that cases fell after the crew isolated sick people and increased cleaning.
  • The vessel notified the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on June 28 and docked in San Francisco on Thursday, July 2, where it completed a comprehensive disinfection before its next departure.
  • Laboratory testing by federal officials identified norovirus as the cause and the CDC has been remotely monitoring the ship’s response under its reporting rules.
  • This is the third norovirus event on Princess ships in 2026 and one of seven cruise-ship gastrointestinal outbreaks logged so far this year, a pattern that could prompt closer oversight and affect passenger confidence and scheduling.