Norovirus outbreak reported on Fort Lauderdale-based Princess cruise ship

Key Points:

• The CDC is monitoring a norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, which departed Fort Lauderdale on April 28 and is currently on a 13-day Caribbean voyage ending in Port Canaveral on May 11.
• A total of 102 passengers and 13 crew members have reported symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, prompting Princess Cruises to enhance cleaning, isolate ill individuals, and work with the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).
• The VSP is conducting an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to help control the spread, with the outbreak officially reported on May 7.
• This outbreak follows a similar norovirus incident in March on the Star Princess, another ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, which sickened over 150 people during a Caribbean voyage from Fort Lauderdale.
• Norovirus outbreaks are common on cruise ships, with recent cases also reported on a Holland America vessel departing Fort Lauderdale in late December.