As the world watched, a cruise ship with an outbreak of hantavirus has seen three deaths and several passengers showing symptoms.
➤ Live updates: US passengers head to Nebraska for hantavirus monitoring
Closer to Florida, an outbreak of a different sort has affected a different cruise ship.
The Princess Cruise ship docked early at Port Canaveral May 11 with more than 110 people sick from a norovirus outbreak.
It’s the second time this year a norovirus outbreak has been reported on a Princess Cruises ship, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Here’s what we know about the most recent outbreak.
Norovirus sickens more than 110 on Caribbean Princess
The Caribbean Princess left Fort Lauderdale April 28 for a nearly two-week cruise. It arrived at Port Canaveral early May 11 with more than 110 people sick from a norovirus outbreak.
➤ Princess Cruises ship docks at Port Canaveral after norovirus outbreak
Among the 3,116 guests on the ship, 102 reported being ill, along with 13 crew members (of the 1,131 crew), according to the CDC.
Bahamian port officials declined to grant clearance for the ship to dock at Nassau during the cruise “out of an abundance of caution for their community, particularly as the island prepares for upcoming local elections in the coming day,” according to a Princess Cruises media statement.
What did Princess Cruises do after passengers, crew got sick from norovirus?
According to the CDC, in response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew aboard the ship:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan;
- Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing;
- Isolated ill passengers and crew;
- Consulted with VSP (the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program) about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.
Cruise ships are required to report these cases to the CDC.
What caused the norovirus outbreak?
“VSP is conducting a field response for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak,” the CDC said.
“Norovirus is often a cause of GI illness outbreaks on cruise ships, but we don’t always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation,” the CDC said.
“Finding the agent that caused an outbreak (causative agent) can take time. When an outbreak occurs, people whose symptoms met the case definition are asked to provide stool or vomitus samples. These samples are tested to determine the causative agent.
“Sometimes we can’t determine the causative agent. Reasons can include:
- “People whose symptoms met the case definition did not provide samples
- “Symptoms started after a voyage ended.”
How many outbreaks have there been on cruise ships in 2026?
The CDC reports four outbreaks on cruise ships in 2026:
➤ Cruise outbreaks are making headlines. Are ships a breeding ground?
- Princess Cruises
- Oceania Cruises
- Insignia
- E. coli
- April 7-April 14
- 19 passengers, 3 crew ill
- Princess Cruises
- Star Princess
- Norovirus
- March 7-March 14
- 141 passengers, 52 crew ill
- Regent Seven Seas
How does norovirus spread?
“Norovirus spreads very easily and quickly in different ways,” the CDC said.
You can get norovirus by:
- Having direct contactwith someone with norovirus, like caring for them, sharing food or eating utensils with them, or eating food handled by them.
- Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
- Touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
You can still spread norovirus for two weeks or more after you feel better.
What are symptoms of norovirus?
The predominant symptoms of those who got sick on the ship were diarrhea and vomiting, according to the CDC.
“Norovirus is a very contagious virus … and is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the United States.”
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus.
The most common symptoms are:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
Other symptoms may include:
How can you protect yourself on a cruise ship?
“Traveling on cruise ships exposes people to new environments and high volumes of people, including other travelers,” the CDC said.
“This exposure can create the risk for illness from contaminated food or water or, more commonly, through person-to-person contact.”
“Illnesses can spread through contaminated food or water or from person to person. For example, touching handrails, elevator buttons, shared utensils, and other people can spread illness.”
So how can you protect yourself? Follow these tips:
- Wash your hands often
- Get plenty of rest.
- Drink water to stay hydrated.
- If you get sick, contact the ship’s medical center as soon as possible.
- If you see someone get sick, leave the area and notify cruise staff.
Contributing: Rick Neale, Florida Today
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
