10 May 2026 – A norovirus outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess left more than 100 passengers and crew members sick during an April 28–May 11 Caribbean voyage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — though passengers say life on board remained largely normal throughout.
The CDC confirmed 102 of the ship’s 3,116 passengers and 13 crew members fell ill, with vomiting and diarrhea as the primary symptoms. The outbreak was officially reported on Thursday.
As of Saturday, the ship was heading toward Nassau, Bahamas, after sailing north of the Dominican Republic.
Princess Cruises described the situation as “a limited number of individuals” experiencing mild gastrointestinal illness, and said the ship would undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection upon its May 11 arrival at Port Canaveral before its next departure. The company said it rapidly disinfected all areas of the ship and added extra sanitizing measures throughout the journey.
The CDC noted that sick individuals were isolated and stool samples collected for testing.
Passengers onboard confirmed the heightened safety measures. Jan van Milligen praised the cruise line’s response, saying staff were “very professional” and kept passengers informed promptly. He noted that self-service at the buffet was suspended and that guests became more diligent about handwashing.
Fellow passenger Donna Leonte, who boarded in Fort Lauderdale with her husband and friends to mark her 21st wedding anniversary, told NBC News on Saturday that she felt safe. “Safety precautions are in place but nothing deadly,” she said, adding that hand-washing stations were staffed to ensure compliance and that hand sanitizer was widely available across the ship. She noted that onboard activities continued without interruption.
This is not the first such incident for the cruise line this season. In March, a separate Princess Cruises ship sailing the Caribbean reported a norovirus outbreak affecting more than 150 people.
Norovirus spreads rapidly in enclosed environments like cruise ships. Under CDC rules, cruise lines must report outbreaks when at least 3% of passengers or crew show gastrointestinal symptoms.
