• Posted October 3, 2025

Nearly 100 Sickened Aboard Royal Caribbean Ship with Norovirus

Nearly 100 people aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas contracted norovirus during a two-week voyage from San Diego to Miami, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The highly contagious gastrointestinal illness affected 94 of the 1,874 passengers, with four crew members also reporting symptoms. The ship docked at PortMiami early Thursday.

Norovirus is the most common cause of diarrhea and vomiting, and foodborne illness in the United States, leading to sudden vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain, according to the CDC. It recommends regular hand washing with soap and water over hand sanitizer alone for prevention.

The outbreak began a few days after the ship's stop in Mexico. Passenger Joshua Pettit and his father, Bob, were among those who fell ill. In an interview with CBS News, Joshua recalled the sudden, violent nature of the illness and how it affected his father.

“Saturday night after dinner he started to feel nauseous. And it came out of him very suddenly,” Joshua recalled. “We were at a lounge. And he threw up before he could even get into the bathroom in the lounge. So it just comes that quick.” His father, Bob, added, “It's very fast. Violently.”

Bob Pettit was given medication and placed in isolation within his stateroom, a standard protocol to prevent further spread of the virus.

The ship’s crew quickly ramped up safety measures, like serving passengers at the buffet instead of allowing them to serve themselves, Joshua Pettit said.

Beyond the dining hall, the cleaning efforts intensified across the vessel. 

“It's fairly normal to see someone always cleaning on a cruise ship,” Joshua noted. “But now we're seeing four to six people fanatically wiping every handrail, chair, when someone would get up. Wiping the arms. They had been doing all the handles in the hallway. Tables, anything anybody touches, they're out in full force.”

Norovirus outbreaks are common on cruise ships and often begin when a single infected person boards the vessel. Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease professor at Florida International University in Miami, said rapid fluid loss is the primary concern.

“You're going to be losing fluids up and down. And that lead due to a situation where you can become severely dehydrated,” she said. This fluid loss can be particularly serious for those with compromised immune systems, the very old, or infants, Marty added.

Royal Caribbean reported the outbreak to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on Sept. 28. 

The CDC defines an outbreak as an instance where 3% or more of a ship’s passengers or crew report gastrointestinal illness symptoms, a threshold easily exceeded on the Serenade of the Seas.

The company implemented its outbreak response plan, which included isolating the sick, extensive disinfection and collecting samples for testing.

The CDC is monitoring the situation and reviewing the ship's procedures remotely. This marks the year’s second norovirus outbreak for Royal Caribbean, following a similar one on the Navigator of the Seas in July.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information on norovirus prevention and symptoms.

SOURCES: CBS News, Oct. 2, 2025