Celebrity cruise ship breaks away from dock in Juneau, Alaska
Strong winds broke loose a Celebrity Cruises ship from its moorings in Juneau, Alaska. The captain maneuvered the ship back to the dock.
More than 100 people recently got sick in a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a Celebrity Cruises ship.
Among the 3,042 guests on board Celebrity Eclipse, 95 reported being ill during a voyage that ended on Dec. 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with nine crew members. Their main symptoms were vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
The health agency listed the causative agent as unknown. The ship was sailing an eight-day Caribbean cruise round-trip from Fort Lauderdale at the time, according to CruiseMapper.
The cruise line implemented heightened disinfection and cleaning measures and isolated sick passengers and employees, among other steps, the CDC said. Celebrity did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The CDC has logged 22 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises that met its threshold for public notification this year, 16 of which were caused by norovirus. The illness caused 15 out of 18 total outbreaks in 2024, and 13 of 14 the year before.
While the illness is frequently associated with cruises, those represent only 1% of reported outbreaks.
“(Outbreaks are) often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don’t know that they’re happening,” Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, previously told USA TODAY. “Really, when we have these areas where people … are in really close contact, things like day care facilities, nursing homes and cruise ships, it’s more likely (to be) diagnosed, reported and brought to our attention.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].
