Norovirus and Hantavirus outbreaks on cruise ships raise alarms. Here's what you need to know

By Denise Dador
Monday, May 11, 2026 8:13AM PT

As norovirus cases rise and hantavirus lingers on cruise ships, health officials advise passengers to take precautionary measures against sicknesses.

Cruise ships are drawing attention not only for a rare strain of hantavirus, but also for more common illnesses such as norovirus while health officials monitor outbreaks and remind travelers to take precautions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a norovirus outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess, a cruise ship bound for Florida. The report comes as many travelers prepare for upcoming trips, including families departing from the Port of Los Angeles.

Passengers said they are looking forward to their vacations despite the risks associated with close quarters at sea. Still, many travelers acknowledge illnesses can spread easily on cruise ships and say they are taking steps to protect themselves.

"We're washing our hands if we have something available. If not, we have hand sanitizer on us all the time," one traveler said.

Health experts emphasize basic precautions remain effective in preventing the spread of disease.

Norovirus outbreak reported on Princess cruise ship that departed Fort Lauderdale

By Matthew Ablon

Updated on: May 9, 2026 / 1:04 PM EDT / CBS Miami

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports it is monitoring a norovirus outbreak on board a Princess Cruises ship that departed Fort Lauderdale more than a week ago.

A report from the agency said the outbreak unfolded on the Caribbean Princess, which departed from Port Everglades on April 28. Data gathered by CruiseMapper shows the Caribbean Princess is currently on a 13-day voyage in the Caribbean, with stops in the Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. The ship is set to end its one-way cruise by docking at Port Canaveral in Orlando on May 11.

The CDC report indicates that 102 of the ship's 3,116 passengers reported ill, while 13 of the ship's 1,131 crew members reported ill. The main symptoms shared have included diarrhea and vomiting. The agency said Princess Cruises has responded to the norovirus outbreak by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures; collecting specimens for testing, isolating ill passengers and crew; and consulting with the agency's Vessel Sanitation Program about cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.

The CDC notes the VSP is conducting a field response for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to help control it. The outbreak was reported on Thursday, May 7.

The outbreak on the Caribbean Princess comes more than a month after another norovirus outbreak was reported on another Princess ship. In March, the Star Princess faced an outbreak that sickened more than 104 guests and 49 crew members. That ship also left Fort Lauderdale and made stops in the Caribbean, albeit in Honduras, Belize and the Mexican Riviera. The Star Princess returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale at the conclusion of that voyage. When the outbreak was reported, the Star Princess would have been sailing from Belize City to Cozumel, according to that itinerary.

In early January, the CDC reported that an outbreak on board a Holland America cruise ship had sickened more than 80 people after departing from Fort Lauderdale at the end of December.

In February, the agency said 27 people were sickened in an outbreak of an unknown gastrointestinal illness on board a luxury cruise ship, the Regent Seven Seas, which was sailing from Miami to Honolulu.


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