Last year, there were 16 outbreaks on cruise ships, from norovirus, salmonella, E. coli or other unidentified pathogens that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. That's the largest number of cruise ship outbreaks in 12 years.

Beth Knowles and her family left on a Caribbean cruise in late December, but they missed every port. They got too sick to disembark during a norovirus outbreak on board. Knowles got an email from Cunard Line one day before their Dec.

In December alone five cruise ships from Cunard, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, all Carnival-owned brands, reported norovirus outbreaks affecting hundreds of passengers. An outbreak is declared when 3% or more of a ship's passengers and crew come down with gastrointestinal problems.

In 2024, cruise ships experienced the highest number of gastrointestinal outbreaks in over a decade, with norovirus as the leading cause, according to CDC data.

Norovirus, often coined the “cruise ship virus,” causes more than 90% of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships, according to the CDC. Still, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only a small percentage of all reported norovirus outbreaks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says reported illnesses on cruise ships have hit a 12-year high.

Illnesses on cruise ships have hit a 12-year high. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were outbreaks on 16 different cruise ships in 2024. The majority of the illnesses were norovirus cases.