Here’s How To Avoid Contracting Norovirus on a Cruise and Why It Is So Common

The Royal Caribbean cruise company boasts the world's biggest cruise ship — with the world's largest emissions. Along with the detrimental environmental impact that Royal Caribbean has on the planet, their latest gaffe is a Norovirus outbreak that has impacted nearly 100 people.

What, exactly, is a Norovirus outbreak, and how do you catch Norovirus? Why are such outbreaks so common on cruises, and is there anything that Royal Caribbean is doing to make itself so vulnerable to outbreaks?

These are all incredibly important questions to ask, as going on cruises is a popular hobby for countless people around the world. Staying safe and avoiding a quad-demic is imperative to protect vulnerable populations of cruise passengers.

Below, we explore the reasons why Norovirus outbreaks are so common on cruise ships so that you can stay safe and prepared if you plan to go on a cruise. Let's dive into why Norovirus is common on cruise ships, and how to protect yourself and your family.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) "Cruise Ship Illness Frequently Asked Questions" page, passengers can do their part to prevent the spread of Norovirus by immediately reporting to the cruise ship's medical staff if they are feeling sick, washing their hands often, and immediately leaving an area where someone has gotten sick (e.g. vomiting or having diarrhea).

Because Norovirus is so contagious, its passage from one person to the next makes sense in an environment like a cruise ship, where people are often closely huddled together and likely not wearing masks.

According to the CDC, "Gastrointestinal illnesses, like those caused by norovirus, are very contagious. They can spread quickly in closed and semienclosed environments, such as cruise ships. People joining the cruise ship may bring the virus to other passengers and crew."

It makes sense, then, how the Norovirus can easily be brought onto a ship by careless passengers who are already sick, and then spread through exposure to sick passengers, those who somehow still don't wash their hands, and other common areas of neglect.

Unfortunately, the lack of cooperation from passengers can delay the identification of the cause of the outbreak, as well.

"It takes time to find the specific germ that caused an outbreak (also known as the causative agent)," per the CDC. "When an outbreak occurs, people are asked to provide stool or vomitus samples if they have certain symptoms. These samples are tested to determine the causative agent. Sometimes we can't determine the causative agent because people did not provide samples or their symptoms started after a voyage ended."

Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas cruise ship was the site of a Norovirus outbreak that affected dozens of passengers. According to NBC News, the international cruise ship departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Oct. 2.

Per the CDC's "Serenade of the Seas September 2025" outbreak information page via the Vessel Sanitation Program, the outbreak was reported to the CDC on Sept. 28.

A total of 94 passengers have reported being ill, while four additional crew members reported falling ill, as well. The "predominant symptoms" experienced by those who reported being ill include diarrhea and vomitting.

Ill passengers and crew members have been isolated from the rest of the healthy passengers and crew, and stool specimens were collected for testing by the CDC.