After a sea-sickening 2024, scores of people across two different cruise ships reported suffering from a gastrointestinal illness just days into the new year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday confirmed a virus outbreak was reported aboard the Holland America’s Eurodam on Jan. 4, just days after it departed Florida’s Port Everglades on Dec. 30.
Of the 2,139 passengers onboard, 86 reported falling ill during the cruise, according to the CDC. In addition, eight crew members also suffered from the gastrointestinal illness. Most faced symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea.
Those cases “were mostly mild,” a Holland America spokesperson told USA Today. “We initiated enhanced sanitation protocols in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize further transmission, including continuous disinfection of the ship.”
The Eurodam is slated to return to port in Florida on Wednesday.
A second outbreak was reported on Jan. 3 aboard Oceania Nautica, in which 15 of 639 guests were sickened along with 16 crewmembers, the CDC said.
“The health and safety of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit is our top priority,” an Oceania spokesperson told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.
“We operate at the highest public health and sanitation standards and encourage our guests to practice good hygiene and to report any illness-related symptoms to the onboard medical team immediately.”
The cruise ship departed from Miami on Dec. 23 for a 16-day “New Year” cruise, which is slated to wrap up in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
News of the outbreaks comes after the CDC declared 2024 the worst year for cruise ship-based gastrointestinal outbreaks in more than a decade. Most of the cases have since been linked to the highly contagious norovirus, which can spread even more quickly on a cruise ship, given the limited space and the close proximity of passengers.
