Norovirus Outbreak Affects Nearly 120 Cruise Passengers

Nearly 120 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Florida earlier this month have fallen ill with norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program has identified MS Rotterdam, operated by Holland America Line, as the latest vessel to report an outbreak this year.

The ship is currently on a 12-night Panama Canal cruise, which left Port Everglades on February 2 and is scheduled to return on February 14.

According to the CDC, 107 of 2,614 passengers (4.1%) and 12 of 969 crew members (1.2%) have reported symptoms since the first case was identified on February 7.

These figures represent the total number of cases throughout the cruise rather than individuals being sick at the same time. Reported symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting.

In response, the crew has intensified cleaning and sanitation protocols, following the cruise line’s outbreak prevention plan. Samples from affected passengers and crew have been collected for testing, and the CDC is monitoring the situation remotely while providing guidance to the cruise line.

The MS Rotterdam is the seventh cruise ship to report an outbreak to the CDC in 2025, and the fourth confirmed to be caused by norovirus.

This follows a recent outbreak of an unidentified illness with similar symptoms aboard Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, which departed from Tampa. That outbreak impacted 160 of 2,164 passengers (7.4%) and eight of 910 crew members (0.9%) before the ship returned on February 8. The CDC has not yet determined the cause of that incident.