NEWS: The CDC Is Reporting ANOTHER Norovirus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship

By Samantha Kendall
Posted on April 28, 2025

Yet another gastrointestinal illness has struck a popular cruise line.

More than 30 people were sick with an outbreak on board a Viking cruise ship in mid-April, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Viking Polaris was the latest cruise ship to be hit by a norovirus outbreak, following a long line of other ships to have an outbreak of the same virus so far in 2025. On the voyage that took place between April 11th and April 23rd, 37 out of 355 passengers reported feeling ill, while 6 of 620 crew members were also impacted.

©Viking

In response to the outbreak, Viking implemented increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated ill passengers and crew, and consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) along the way.

Back in December 2024, more than 300 people contracted the virus on three different vessels. Those who got sick back then were on Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess on a trip around Hawaii, as well as Holland America’s Rotterdam and Zuiderdam cruises.

©Viking

In 2025, seven cruise ships sailing out of the U.S. have reported outbreaks of illness to the CDC so far. Royal Caribbean reported the spread of a “gastrointestinal illness” onboard the Radiance of the Seas, which sailed out of Tampa.

©Princess

This is why cruise ship sanitation practices are important, people! Earlier this year, the CDC released a list of cruise ships with the worst sanitation scores. However, for many of our AllEars readers who book Disney Cruises, you’ll be relieved to know that Disney Cruise Line has received a perfect sanitation score.

That being said, you’ll still want to take precautions if you’re traveling anywhere. You’ll want to wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds. Note that hand sanitizer doesn’t always protect against viruses.

©Celebrity Cruises

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

We’ll be on the lookout for the latest cruise line outbreak updates that could impact your vacation. In the meantime, stay tuned to AllEars for more news.