Another gastrointestinal outbreak sickened dozens of passengers on Navigator of the Seas in July, marking the second outbreak this year on a ship operated by Royal Caribbean, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
134 passengers and 7 crew members fell ill during the outbreak. There were 3,914 guests and 1,266 crew members on the 139,999 gross-ton vessel. The outbreak, which was reported on July 11, happened during a 7-night cruise from Los Angeles, California, to the Mexican Riviera.
The causative agent hasn't been revealed by the CDC, though it's been hinted to be norovirus, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Symptoms of the illness include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean implemented enhanced cleaning protocols, collected stool specimens for testing, and isolated sick passengers and crew.
"The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority," a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told USA TODAY.
"To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines," they added.
This year has seen an increase in gastrointestinal cases on cruise ships compared to 2024, which reported a total of 18 outbreaks across all cruise lines between January and December
The first outbreak of the year was aboard Sea Cloud Cruises. The causative agent, however, wasn't norovirus. Instead, it's listed as Ciguatera (presumed).
According to the CDC's website, the first norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship in 2025 happened aboard Holland America Line's Volendam during a 21-night cruise in January.
Only one other Royal Caribbean ship has suffered from a norovirus outbreak this year: Radiance of the Seas. The CDC revealed that the final case counts for the outbreak on Radiance were 160 passengers and 8 crew members.
The affected voyage took place from February 1-8, 2025, with a total of 2,164 passengers and 910 crew onboard. Radiance was sailing from Tampa, Florida, to the Western Caribbean. Ports of call on the itinerary included Cozumel, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya, Mexico.
The February 8 voyage's embarkation was delayed to let the crew have adequate time to deep clean the ship before allowing new passengers onboard.
The CDC shares outbreaks when they meet the following criteria:
- The ship is under VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) jurisdiction on cruises including both U.S. and foreign ports
- Specific voyage has 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting gastrointestinal symptoms to the ship's medical staff
In Navigator of the Seas' case, 3.4% of guests reported being ill during the 7-night cruise. 0.6% of the crew were also sick.
