Royal Caribbean cruise trip turns chaotic as gastrointestinal disease spreads onboard

A vacation trip for tourists travelling onboard a Royal Caribbean International Cruise ship turned chaotic after a gastrointestinal illness broke out over the ship. The ship carrying more than 2164 passengers started sailing from Tampa, Florida on 1st February 2025 for a week long vacation over the Caribbean islands. 

According to reports, more than 90 passengers and crew members fell ill. All the sick people were then isolated from others keeping in check the safety of other passengers. The crew members collected stool samples to check for the disease and test for a gastrointestinal illness.  

CDC’s statement over Royal Caribbean’s disease spread 

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the outbreak happened over Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. However, they cited that there is no clear evidence of what caused the disease on the ship. 

The CDC further stated that they became aware of the outbreak of the disease on Tuesday, halfway through the ship’s journey. The CDC further revealed that the major cause of gastrointestinal disease on cruise ships is Norovirus, which can be identified from Stool samples. 

However, considering the rapid spread of the disease over the cruise ship, the crew members onboard increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection procedures. Currently, the authorities are precisely monitoring the situation, to find out the cause of the disease, including reviewing the ship and its sanitation procedures.  

According to the Cruise Mapper, the ship was set to make a return on Saturday after visiting Cozumel, Roatan Islands, Belize City, and Costa Maya. The Royal Caribbean did not comment on the incident, and hence it remains unclear if the disease outbreak affected the cruises’ sailing.  

What is Norovirus?  

Notably, Norovirus, which is considered to be the cause of the disease outbreak is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. The infection is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. In some cases, the disease may lead to severe headaches and fever.  

The virus can spread through food or water, or from person-to-person contact, making proper sanitation procedures crucial to control the outbreak.