The most recent sailing of Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess reported 70 cases of norovirus, a gastrointestinal illness causing diarrhea and vomiting. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires such reports when 3% or more of guests and crew members experience symptoms of an outbreak. On the 31-night transpacific sailing from Singapore to Long Beach, California, 55 guests and 15 crew members reported symptoms consistent with norovirus, totaling 3.02% and 2.6% of everyone aboard, respectively.
Despite the outbreak, the ship continued its voyage, visiting destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Hawaii. Norovirus, a common illness on cruise ships, is highly contagious and transmits easily through infected surfaces. Crew members on Coral Princess increased disinfection cleaning in public areas and promoted thorough handwashing to contain the outbreak. The ship has since departed on its next voyage from Long Beach to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, visiting Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba.
In 2024, there have been seven other norovirus outbreaks reported on cruise ships, including P&O Cruises’ Acadia in September, and Celebrity Summit and Allure of the Seas in May. Other outbreaks have occurred in ships from Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line, and Cunard fleets. While Diamond Princess and Crown Princess in Australia also reported gastrointestinal outbreaks, Coral Princess did not require guests to leave for deep cleaning. The ship underwent thorough cleaning and disinfection before its next cruise.
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