Nearly 100 Passengers Fall Sick After Gastrointestinal Outbreak On Cruise Ship

In a shocking turn of events, a relaxing cruise has turned into a nightmare after a gastrointestinal illness outbreak sickened nearly 100 people aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas while it was sailing through the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that 89 passengers and two crew members are suffering from symptoms including vomitting and diarrhoea, during the ongoing voyage.

The ship departed from Tampa, Florida, on Saturday for a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean, with planned stops in Mexico, Honduras, and Belize.

The outbreak was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean has intensified disinfection and cleaning procedures, isolated affected individuals, and collected stool samples for testing.

A spokesperson for the cruise line stated that these measures were implemented as a precaution to ensure the well-being of the passengers as well as the crew.

The Radiance of the Seas, a nearly 1,000-foot long, 13-deck ship, is carrying 2,164 passengers and 910 crew members. The illness has impacted about 4% of the passengers, along with two crew members.

The ship was scheduled to return to Tampa on Saturday, according to cruise tracking website CruiseMapper.

The CDC has not yet determined the cause of the illness, though norovirus- a highly contagious virus known to cause vomiting and diarrhoea- is often responsible for similar outbreaks on cruise ships.

This is the sixth gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a cruise ship in 2025 that the CDC has officially reported. In 2024, there were 18 reported outbreaks with most linked to norovirus.

Medical experts stated that such outbreaks occur in crowded settings where food and beverages are shared, including cruise ships, universities, nursing homes, and hospitals.

The Radiance of the Seas continues its journey while health authorities and cruise staff work to contain the spread of the illness.

References: Reuters, NY Post

Source: Maritime Shipping News