A Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Radiance of the Seas, recently experienced an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, affecting nearly 100 people on board. The ship, which was on a week-long journey from Florida to the Western Caribbean, had 2,164 passengers and 901 crew members. Of these, 89 passengers and two crew members reported symptoms of an unknown illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the affected individuals experienced symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown, although norovirus is often associated with gastrointestinal symptoms on cruise ships. The nearly 1,000-foot-long ship had set sail from Tampa, Florida, on Saturday.
In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean Group has implemented enhanced measures on board the ship. A spokesperson for the company stated that these measures were taken to ensure the health and comfort of all guests and crew. The measures include increased cleaning and disinfection, isolation of sick passengers and crew members, and collection of stool samples for further testing.
The Radiance of the Seas, a 13-deck ship, is scheduled to return to Florida on Saturday. The ship made planned stops in Mexico, Honduras, and Belize during its voyage. The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s vessel sanitation program on Tuesday.
This incident marks the sixth reported outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on a cruise ship in 2025. The CDC has linked two of these cases to norovirus. In 2024, a staggering 18 cases were reported, with norovirus identified as the cause in most instances.