A norovirus outbreak sickened dozens of passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas cruise ship during a two-week voyage, federal health officials confirmed Monday.
The ship is scheduled to arrive at PortMiami on Thursday, Oct. 2.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 71 of the 1,874 passengers, about 3.8%, and one of the 883 crew members reported gastrointestinal illness with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.
The outbreak occurred during a two-week voyage that left San Diego, California, on Sept. 19 and is set to conclude in Miami, Florida. The cruise line reported the outbreak to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on Sept. 28.
Royal Caribbean said it increased cleaning and disinfection measures under its outbreak prevention and response plan, isolated ill passengers and crew, and collected stool samples for testing. The company also consulted with federal officials on sanitation and reporting protocols.
The VSP confirmed it is remotely monitoring the situation, reviewing the ship’s response measures and sanitation procedures.
According to the VSP, an outbreak is defined as when 3% or more of a ship’s passengers or crew experience gastrointestinal illness symptoms. Cruise lines are required to report such cases.
Previous outbreak reported on Royal Caribbean ship
In July, more than 140 passengers and crew members fell ill during a voyage aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, according to the CDC.
The weeklong cruise departed Los Angeles on July 4, stopping at three ports in Mexico before returning on July 11, when the outbreak was reported.
Health officials said 134 of the 3,914 passengers and seven of the 1,266 crew members experienced gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Tracking gastrointestinal illnesses aboard cruise ships
Gastrointestinal (GI) illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE).
According to the CDC, reporting these illnesses is considered essential because it helps detect outbreaks quickly, allowing cruise lines and health officials to take steps to limit the spread.
Medical staff onboard evaluate passengers and crew who report symptoms to determine if they meet the case definition for AGE, which includes three or more loose stools within 24 hours or vomiting combined with another symptom such as diarrhea, muscle aches, headache, abdominal cramps, or fever.
Cruise ships must report cases to the CDC, which tracks totals for the entire voyage. Officials note that reported figures do not mean everyone is sick at the same time.
