More than 100 passengers and 13 crew members on board the Caribbean Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, have fallen ill in a norovirus outbreak
07:26, 09 May 2026Updated 07:58, 09 May 2026
A norovirus outbreak has hit the Caribbean Princess (file)(Image: Handout)
More than 100 people on board a cruise ship have been sickened in a norovirus outbreak.
A total of 102 passengers and 13 crew members on the Caribbean Princess have symptoms of the vomiting bug, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those infected have been isolated from other passengers.
The cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, set off from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28 and is due to return on Monday. The vessel is currently off the north coast of the Dominican Republic and is scheduled to stop on Sunday in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, CruiseMapper shows.
The outbreak of the highly contagious but rarely fatal norovirus comes amid a hantavirus outbreak on another cruise ship – a far less transmissible virus that can prove deadly.
Health personnel board the cruise ship MV Hondius as it is stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 6(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades,” Princess Cruises said in a statement on Friday.
“We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage.”
The Caribbean Princess will be fully cleaned and disinfected before its next voyage, according to Princess Cruises. It did not say what may have caused the outbreak.
A total of 3,116 passengers and 1,131 crew members are on board the ship, according to the CDC.
At least three passengers on board the MV Hondius have died(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Norovirus, often referred to as the winter vomiting bug, causes vomiting and diarrhoea, the NHS says. It spreads through close contact with infected people, contaminated surfaces, infected food or water, and food prepared by someone carrying the virus. While unpleasant, symptoms usually improve in about two days.
The fresh outbreak comes as more than 140 passengers and crew members remain on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship heading for the Canary Islands.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife early on Sunday. At least three passengers have died and several other people have been infected.
Hantavirus is usually spread through inhaling particles contaminated by rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. The World Health Organization has said the risk to the wider public remains low.