Over 100 passengers and roughly two dozen crew members aboard a Princess Cruises vessel contracted suspected norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak marks the third such incident to strike the company's fleet in 2024.
The Ruby Princess departed San Francisco on June 12 for a two-week voyage to Alaska and Canada. The ship carried 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew members when CDC officials learned of the outbreak more than halfway through the journey. A norovirus outbreak is defined as affecting 3% or more of those aboard.
The vessel returned to San Francisco on Thursday for a full disinfection cycle. Affected passengers and crew have been isolated while cleaning operations take place.
Norovirus spreads rapidly in confined spaces where people live in close quarters. The virus causes severe gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and diarrhea. Transmission occurs through contact with fecal matter or vomit particles, and contaminated surfaces pose a significant risk. Hand-to-mouth contact with infected materials can easily transmit the illness.
Public health officials stress that frequent handwashing with soap and water, especially after bathroom use and before meals, remains the most effective defense against norovirus transmission. The CDC reported six other norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships earlier this year, highlighting a growing problem in the industry.
A Princess Cruises spokesperson has not yet commented on what conditions may have enabled the outbreak to develop and spread across the ship.
Author James Rodriguez: "Three outbreaks on one cruise line in a single year suggests Princess Cruises needs a hard look at its sanitation protocols, not just damage control after the fact."
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