Princess Cruises Reports 115 Sick on Caribbean Princess Norovirus Cruise Ship

Princess Cruises said 115 people fell ill on the norovirus cruise ship Caribbean Princess during a 14-day Eastern Caribbean voyage that departed from Port Everglades on April 28. The outbreak included 102 passengers and 13 crew members, and the ship was set to arrive at Port Canaveral on May 11 for comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before its next voyage.

Caribbean Princess illness count

The CDC said 102 of the 3,116 passengers aboard the Caribbean Princess reported falling ill, along with 13 of the 1,131 personnel onboard. The outbreak was first reported to the CDC’s vessel sanitation program on Thursday, after passengers and crew experienced diarrhea and vomiting on the 948-foot-long vessel.

Princess Cruises said: "Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades" and added, "We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage."

CDC vessel sanitation response

The cruise liner isolated sick passengers and workers, increased cleaning and disinfection measures, and collected stool samples for further testing. Those steps leave the sailing under active sanitation handling while the ship finishes the voyage and prepares for cleaning in port.

Star Princess outbreak earlier

This was the second norovirus outbreak to hit a Princess Cruises ship this year. In March, the Star Princess had a norovirus outbreak that sickened 141 passengers and 52 crew members during a week-long voyage in the Western Caribbean.

Princess Cruises said, "Upon arrive to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage." For passengers and crew who were on board, the practical next step is the ship’s full cleaning before it sails again.