Caribbean Princess Cruise Hit by Norovirus Outbreak

The Caribbean Princess cruise, carrying more than 3000 passengers experienced a norovirus outbreak. More than 100 passengers and 13 crew members were found sick due to this outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the outbreak was reported on Thursday during the ship’s April 28 to May 11 voyage through the Caribbean.

As per the reports, this cruise ship was scheduled to dock at Nassau, Bahamas before returning to Florida. However, the passengers of the cruise were not allowed to get off due to the concerns regarding health surrounding the vessel.

As mentioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100 people who are sick are facing symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a statement on Sunday, 10th May, 2026 mentioning that all the precautionary measures were taken in order to protect port staff, tourism workers and the wider public while transmission onboard remains ongoing.

The officials also reported that one non-resident passenger was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for an unrelated non-infectious medical assistance. The whole process was conducted under strict infection prevention protocols.

During this time one of the passengers named Jan van Milligen who spent his last 21 days aboard the ship with the relatives and friends from South Africa said that the life on board still felt surprisingly normal. He further mentioned, “We went to a show last night, had dinner and breakfast this morning.”

The cruise company said that they disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage. The company also mentioned, “Upon arrival at Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that sick passengers and crew members were kept in isolation and stool samples were collected for testing.

Jan van Milligen said, “The cruise line made all precautions to stop the spread,” and he further added that, “they were very professional.”

After this outbreak the passengers on the cruise also became vigilant and were more cautious about hygiene, as they washed their hands on a more frequent basis now.

The Ministry has stressed that the situation is not related to hantavirus and it has no linkages with MV Hondius. MV Hondius is another vessel which is tied to international concern regarding hantavirus cases.