Outbreaks on Cruise Ships in VSP's Jurisdiction

At a glance

Learn more about outbreaks of gastrointestinal (GI) illness on cruise ships in the Vessel Sanitation Program's (VSP) jurisdiction, including outbreak details and actions taken in response.

Photo of person clutching their stomach from gastrointestinal illness.

2024 outbreaks

2024 outbreaks
Cruise Line Cruise Ship Sailing Dates Causative Agent
Royal Caribbean International Radiance of the Seas 9/20-9/27, 2024 Salmonella
P&O Cruises Arcadia 9/3-10/3, 2024 Norovirus
Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Summit 5/24-5/31, 2024 Norovirus
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Allure of the Seas 5/20-5/24, 2024 Unknown
Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess 4/5-5/7, 2024 Norovirus
Royal Caribbean International Radiance of the Seas 4/8-4/22, 2024 Norovirus
Silversea Cruises Silver Nova 3/31-4/16, 2024 E. coli
Holland America Line Koningsdam 2/17-3/24, 2024 Norovirus
Cunard Line Queen Victoria 1/22-2/6, 2024 Norovirus
Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Constellation 1/3–1/12, 2024 Norovirus

About outbreak reporting

We post outbreaks when they meet all the following criteria:

  • Ship is under VSP jurisdiction (on voyages including both U.S. and foreign ports)
  • Ship carries 100 or more passengers
  • Voyage is 3-21 days long
  • Voyage has 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting symptoms of GI illness to the ship's medical staff

We may also post information on outbreaks of public health significance that do not necessarily meet the above criteria.

Notes about the data

GI illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE).

Cruise ships report cases that meet our case definition for AGE. We define a reportable case of AGE as

  • three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or what is more than normal for that person OR
  • vomiting along with one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever.

What case totals mean‎

Cases reported are totals for the entire voyage. It does not mean all people are sick at the same time, such as when they arrive or leave a port or ship.

Learn more

Learn how passengers can protect themselves with these tips for healthy cruising.

Find more information on

Read our publication on cruise ship GI outbreaks during 2006-2019.