More than 100 passengers and 13 crew members have fallen ill with the vomiting bug
Eliana Nunes and Husna Anjum Senior Live News Reporter
12:10, 09 May 2026
The Caribbean Princess(Image: Handout)
A cruise ship journey turned grim after a norovirus outbreak left over 100 people sick. The incident happened on the Caribbean Princess as a total of 102 passengers and 13 crew members have symptoms of the vomiting bug, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Mirror reports infected passengers have been isolated from other passengers. The cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28 and is due to return on Monday (May 11).
The vessel is currently off the north coast of the Dominican Republic and is scheduled to stop on Sunday in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, CruiseMapper shows. The outbreak of the highly contagious but rarely fatal norovirus comes amid a hantavirus outbreak on another cruise ship, which is far less transmissible but still deadly.
Princess Cruises said in a statement on Friday: “Princess Cruises can confirm that a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades.
“We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage.”
Norovirus and food poisoning can have similar symptoms(Image: GETTY)
The Caribbean Princess will be fully cleaned and disinfected before its next voyage, according to Princess Cruises. It did not say what may have caused the outbreak.
A total of 3,116 passengers and 1,131 crew members are on board the ship, according to the CDC. Norovirus, often referred to as the winter vomiting bug, causes vomiting and diarrhoea, the NHS says.
It spreads through close contact with infected people, contaminated surfaces, infected food or water, and food prepared by someone carrying the virus. While unpleasant, symptoms usually improve in about two days.
The fresh outbreak comes as more than 140 passengers and crew members remain on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship heading for the Canary Islands. The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife early on Sunday.
At least three passengers have died and several other people have been infected. Hantavirus is usually spread through inhaling particles contaminated by rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people.
The World Health Organization has said the risk to the wider public remains low.
Want to see more of the stories you love from CorkBeo? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add us as a preferred source, simply click here.