United States: Sickness spread through the Queen Mary 2 luxury cruise vessel when 183 passengers and 14 crew members contracted norovirus.
The CDC confirmed that 7% of ship passengers experienced symptoms while traveling with them.
Major norovirus outbreaks frequently emerge within hospital facilities as well as education settings due to their infectious nature.
A norovirus outbreak on board the luxurious Cunard cruise ship sickened more than 190 individuals among passengers and crew members while causing diarrhea and vomiting symptoms.
Monday released the Vessel Sanitation Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to detail the norovirus outbreak that occurred on the Queen Mary 2 ship.
Board statistics showed that the disease affected 7% of the 2,538 passengers traveling on the voyage through the outbreak period. The report revealed that 14 members among the 1,232 crew members developed sickness symptoms during voyage operations.
https://t.co/RWK0YjnKPn Another norovirus outbreak on a Holland America Line ship left nearly 95 people sick, marking the cruise line's fourth incident this year. With symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea affecting 89 guests and 4 crew members, the cruise line is scrambling to…
— Velvet Rumor (@legitsci) March 23, 2025
Luxury Voyage Turns Unpleasant
CruiseMapper reports that Queen Mary 2 set sail from England on March 8 as it steamed to New York, then onward to Barbados, then St Lucia, and ending in Grenada.
Business Insider obtained an email statement from Cunard indicating that only a minor fraction of shipboard guests developed gastrointestinal symptoms during their time on board the Queen Mary 2.
“We are continuing to closely monitor the guests and, as a precaution, completed a comprehensive deep clean of the ship and immediately activated our enhanced health and safety protocols, which are proving to be effective,” they added.
When it was built the Queen Mary 2 served as Cunard’s principal ocean liner and earned the title of largest passenger vessel ever constructed. Atmospheric are the 15 restaurants, 5 bars, and five swimming pools, while the casino and sea-based planetarium make their debut aboard this vessel.
The Queen Mary 2 travels across the Atlantic Ocean numerous times per year while offering basic tickets for $1,400 and luxurious duplex suites starting from $35,000.
The CDC reports that cruise ship outbreaks represent less than one percent of total reported US norovirus cases despite occasional media references to the virus as a “cruise ship virus.”
Among outbreak sites, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and schools have been found to be more frequent than other locations.
What Is This virus & How Does It Spread?
The highly infectious virus keeps its status as the leading cause of diarrhea and vomiting episodes across the United States. Viral reports sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually total around 2,500 norovirus outbreak cases in the United States.
Humans become infected with Norovirus by direct exposure to surfaces touched by virus-contaminated matter or by consuming food or liquid containing the virus or by bodily contact with an infected person. Pathogens from the virus transmit between people during direct physical contacts.
The highly infectious virus stands as the primary source of vomiting and diarrhea incidents in the United States. The CDC tracks around 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks occurring each year throughout the United States.
The virus spreads through direct contact with people or by consuming food or drinking contaminated substances or by touching surfaces with active virus material.
Not the Only Cruise Incident
Health reports from the CDC indicate that during the Seabourn Encore voyage under Seabourn Cruise Line operation, 7 out of 461 passengers and 22 out of 405 crew members fell ill.
During its inaugural worldwide journey, Cunard’s Queen Anne required passengers to practice safety measures because the ship sailed through piracy-active waters in Southeast Asia, according to BI’s report.
The ship issued directives instructing passengers to close promenade areas while keeping essential lights m6inimal for visibility purposes and advising curtain closure.
Cunard’s fourth luxury cruise ship, the Queen Anne, has space for 2,996 passengers and 1,225 staff members.