Image by Alessandro Danchini from Pixabay
While the Queen Mary 2 has experienced the worse cruise ship norovirus in March, it is not the only outbreak of note on a cruise vessel last month.
In fact, the Encore, the Rotterdam, and the Coral Princess all had norovirus outbreaks during their voyages.
Now that is a different type of sea sickness!
How bad was the Queen Mary 2 norovirus outbreak, and why are norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so common lately?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) received reports of gastrointestinal illness aboard the Queen Mary 2 on March 18th.
The Cunard Line vessel, owned by the Carnival Corporation, left Southhampton on Mach 8, 2025 on a four week excursion to the Caribbean. At least 224 passengers returned to the English Port on April 6th with an unplanned souvenir.
A norovirus outbreak story and a medical bill.
In addition to the sick passengers, 17 crew members aboard the Queen Mary 2 also fell sick.
According to reports, the most common symptoms included diarrhea and vomiting and the outbreak was attributed to the norovirus germ.
In response to the outbreak, officials aboard the vessel reported to VSP they increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated sick crew and passengers, and collected samples from those reporting illness.
The crew worked with VSP on the outbreak response.
The month of March was a busy one for VSP. In addition to the Queen Mary 2 norovirus outbreak, three other cruise ships reported similar situations.
Seabourn Cruise Lines ship, Seabourn Encore reported gastrointestinal illness cases to VSP on March 21st less than a week after it left port on March 16th. By the time the Seabourn Encore returned to port on April 9th, 12 passengers and 22 crew members were sick.
Common symptoms included diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
The germ responsible for those illnesses?
Norovirus.
Yes. Another norovirus outbreak.
Holland America Line’s Rotterdam also reported an outbreak to VSP in March. Just before the vessel was scheduled to return to port, VSP was notified was an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.
At least 89 passengers and four crew members were sick. Most symptoms involved diarrhea and vomiting.
Norovirus was indicated as the “causative agent.”
Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess also reported an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness just before returning to port. VSP was notified on March 7th that passengers were sick with vomiting and diarrheal symptoms.
Overall, at least 69 passengers and 13 crew members reported illness.
Reports indicated that norovirus was also the germ responsible for these illnesses.
You may be wondering. Why are we seeing so many norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this spring?
The short and the long answer is practically the same.
The short answer? Norovirus is the most common outbreak on cruise ships. So seeing an outbreak of outbreaks, shouldn’t be that surprising.
The long answer? Norovirus is the most common foodborne illness. What are cruises most known for? Aside from scenic views?
Food.
More specifically, the famous 24-hour buffets!
Combine that with people confined to close quarters and a highly contagious virus, and you have the makings of a norovirus outbreak on your hands.
Cruise ships aren’t the only high-risk norovirus incubators. Hotels, camps, dormitories, and other confined spaces where a lot of people congregate are common places for norovirus outbreaks.
We determined that norovirus is the most common outbreak. Period.
But why is that?
If the Corona virus outbreak taught us anything, it is that people do not wash their hands.
Scary, right?
I can’t tell you how many times I see people leaving public bathrooms without stopping at the sink. Or only running their hands under water if they do attempt to look as though they are washing their hands.
Sadly, like many outbreaks, norovirus is transmitted through “fecal-oral” route.
When an infected person does not properly wash their hands after bathroom activities, they can spread the illness to others, simply by touching things in their environment. When someone touches a contaminated object and eats without washing their hands, the illness spreads.
Norovirus is often called “the stomach bug” or “stomach flu” despite being an entirely different virus from the influenza virus. This is likely because it shares quite a few symptoms with the flu virus and many times a source cannot be identified.
Besides, people really don’t want to think about how they actually got sick. If we called it the “poop flu virus,” though, maybe people would start washing their hands.
So, how do you know if you have norovirus?
Common symptoms of norovirus infection include:
Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment protocol for norovirus. Antibiotics are not effective against this type of infection, so your best course of action is to hydrate and rest until symptoms subside. Seek medical attention if symptoms become severe or you become dehydrated.
You are most contagious and likely to transmit your illness to others while you are feeling sick through the first few days of feeling better.
If you have been impacted by this norovirus outbreak on the Queen Mary 2 or another cruise ship outbreak and want to file a legal claim, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a norovirus lawyer that can help!
Foodborne illness is inconvenient, disruptive to your personal and professional life, and in some cases serious or life-threatening. Most of the time foodborne illness is completely preventable. Lapses in food safety or sanitation protocols result in consumers becoming sick. And vacations being ruined. Not to mention, most health insurances do not cover illnesses on international water.
Call (833) 330-3663 or send an email for a free, no obligation consultation to go over the details of your situation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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