Almost 100 people came down with norovirus aboard a Royal Caribbean ship amid a 13-day voyage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this week.
The ship, Serenade of the Seas, departed from San Diego on Sept. 19. The first reports of illness were made on Sept. 28, with four crew members and 94 guests falling ill. The number of sick passengers made up about 5 percent of the 1,874 cruisers on board.
“The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit are our top priority,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement, adding that many of the rigorous cleaning procedures on board “far exceed public health guidelines.”
Crew members were sanitizing and deep cleaning the ship as it was docked in Miami between sailings on Thursday.
According to the C.D.C., in response to the outbreak, the crew aboard Serenade of the Seas isolated the sickened passengers and staff, increased cleaning efforts and contacted the agency’s Vessel Sanitation Program, the division responsible for helping cruise lines “prevent and control public health issues.”
The agency added that the total number of sickened passengers represents the total number of people who got sick during the voyage and does not mean that all affected were ill at the same time. The primary symptoms of norovirus are vomiting and diarrhea.
There have been 19 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far this year, according to the C.D.C. Last year, there were 18 for the entire year. In 2023, there were 14 — the highest level in a decade.
In April 2025, more than 230 passengers and crew on the Queen Mary 2, the flagship of Cunard Lines, contracted norovirus.
Norovirus is very contagious, according to the C.D.C. website. Most people recover within one to three days, but are contagious for a few days after they improve.
Washing hands “well and often” can help prevent the spread of the illness, the agency said, as can isolating for two days if presenting symptoms.
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Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times.
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