What's sneaky, super contagious and bound to cause diarrhea and vomiting? If you answered "norovirus," you'd be correct. But what is it, and why is it so often associated with cruises?

Last year, there were 16 outbreaks on cruise ships, from norovirus, salmonella, E. coli or other unidentified pathogens that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. That's the largest number of cruise ship outbreaks in 12 years.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States reported a significant increase in norovirus infections.

Norovirus, often coined the “cruise ship virus,” causes more than 90% of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships, according to the CDC. Still, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only a small percentage of all reported norovirus outbreaks.

Alan Forster, a retired teacher from Paignton, England, fell sick with norovirus two weeks into the month-long voyage with his wife, and later died from suspected kidney failure, his family said. The outbreak aboard the Arcadia is part of a larger trend in rising norovirus cases on cruise ships.

Passenger dies after norovirus outbreak on P&O cruiseVarious

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