ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A cruise ship that sailed out of Tampa earlier this month had an unwelcome passenger onboard its voyage to Los Angeles — a stomach bug made its way around the deck.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas had a norovirus outbreak in April that left 69 people sick. All but two of the cases were passengers, with the rest being crew members.
Meanwhile, a cruise taking people on a tour of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands had an outbreak and is set to return home on May 7. The Sapphire Princess ship from Princess Cruises saw the "stomach flu" spread to 114 passengers, the CDC investigation said.
10 Tampa Bay has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment on this story.
What is norovirus?
Commonly called the "cruise flu," "stomach flu" or a "stomach bug," the CDC describes norovirus as "the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea and foodborne illness in the United States." The gastrointestinal illness is extremely contagious and spreads when an infected person's bacteria is shared through food, drinks or touching surfaces.
People infected with norovirus experience an inflamed stomach or intestines, leading to symptoms like pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Why is it associated with cruises?
The CDC says the main reason the nickname for norovirus has to do with cruises is because illnesses on cruise ships are closely monitored and because of a cruise's enclosed environment.
Health officials from the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program work to track the number of passengers and crew who report symptoms of the "stomach flu." A cruise's medical staff is required to share that information with the CDC if at least 3% of those on board are sick. That threshold goes down to 2% if the ship is set to arrive at a U.S. port within 15 days.
Close living quarters on cruises also raise the likelihood of infection because there are more chances for cross-contamination.
Since the start of 2024, there have been six recorded outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships.