Over 140 people aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have fallen ill with an unidentified illness, prompting a CDC investigation.
More than 140 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas fell ill with a yet-to-be-identified illness during a weeklong cruise, according to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
The cruise, which departed Los Angeles on July 4 and returned on July 11 after stops in Mexico, reported 134 sick passengers out of 3,914 and seven ill crew members from 1,266 onboard.
Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Royal Caribbean told the CDC it activated its outbreak response plan, increased cleaning protocols, isolated those affected, and collected stool samples for testing.
“The program remotely monitored the situation,” the CDC said.
Investigators are working to determine the illness’s cause, with norovirus often responsible for such outbreaks.
This incident follows multiple cruise-related outbreaks this year, including those on Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Cunard Line vessels, some of which affected more than 200 passengers and crew.
The CDC continues to monitor cruise health incidents closely as investigations proceed.