More than 150 people on board a Princess cruise ship touring the Caribbean became ill with norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week.
The total number of people who fell ill was 153, 104 of whom were passengers and 49 of whom were crew members, the CDC said in a report on the outbreak Thursday.
The vessel, the Star Princess, was on a one-week voyage that ended Sunday, the CDC said. Passengers and crew members were stricken with diarrhea and vomiting, it said.
Princess Cruises reported that additional rounds of cleaning and disinfection were done, ill passengers and crew members were isolated until they could disembark, and staff members consulted with the CDC on best practices for eliminating the highly contagious, long-lasting virus, the agency said.
Princess Cruises did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
The outbreak was reported Wednesday to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, whose members went to the ship to investigate, the CDC said.
According to cruise ship tracking site CruiseMapper, the 4,307-passenger vessel returned to Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday before it embarked on a new voyage that had it headed to Princess Cays in the Bahamas on Sunday evening.
Norovirus is the leading cause of diarrhea and vomiting outbreaks in the United States, according to the CDC. It can spread through direct contact with others, consuming food and liquids contaminated with the virus, and touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus can be prevented by disinfecting surfaces and washing hands frequently, the CDC says.
The Star Princess, with a clear dome over its concert venue and 30 bars and restaurants, embarked on its maiden voyage, from Europe, in October, and was christened the next month by actor Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila, who were designated its godparents, according to a statement from Princess Cruises last year.
CORRECTION (March 15, 2026, 1:18 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the proportion of people aboard the Star Princess who became sick with norovirus. It was about 2.6%, not nearly 10%.
classicjuice on March 15th, 2026 at 10:18 UTC »
Man, I had norovirus once in Thailand…holy literal shit, that was probably the worst 3 days of my life.
The ship’s sewage system will be put through hell with over a 100 people experiencing the symptoms.
barelyasysadmin on March 15th, 2026 at 10:15 UTC »
I had this once with my kids at the same time. Wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy lol. Shitting with a bucket to throw up in at the same damn time.
Saerdna0 on March 15th, 2026 at 09:32 UTC »
For anyone wondering the Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness commonly known as the “stomach bug” or “stomach flu” (though it’s unrelated to influenza).