You've paid thousands of dollars to go on a cruise, and as you peacefully sail through the likes of Costa Rica and Jamaica while sipping margaritas, life couldn't seem any better. Then, the unthinkable happens, with an outbreak of a highly contagious virus turning your pleasure cruise into an oceanic nightmare.
Gamers might remember when Resident Evil: Revelations saw terrorists hijack the Queen Zenobia cruise ship and release a bioweapon that turned the passengers into flesh-hungry zombies. While this is nowhere near as sensationalist, it's sure to be a terrifying experience for those currently onboard.
Departing Fort Lauderdale on a December 28 round trip, Holland America Line's ship, called Rotterdam, was due to enjoy the sights of Curaçao, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an outbreak of norovirus struck on January 8. This was just one day before the boat's planned return to Fort Lauderdale.
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Of the 2,593 passengers and 1,005 crew onboard Rotterdam, 94 reported symptoms typically associated with norovirus. This included vomiting and diarrhea, which, as anyone whose been on the confines of a cruise will know, isn't exactly the most comfortable place to be struck down.
Norovirus is highly contagious and is said to be the top cause of foodborne illnesses in the USA. Symptoms tend to appear between 12 and 48 hours from exposure, and aside from vomiting and diarrhea, can include stomach pain, headaches, and fevers.
There is no cure for norovirus, but treatment includes drinking plenty of liquids, bed rest, and eating bland foods to try and ease side effects.
In a statement to USA Today, Holland America Line said "cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved," suggesting that the outbreak didn't spread as far as it could've. The cruise liner added: "The health of our guests and crew is a top priority and consistent with CDC protocols, we conducted a comprehensive sanitization of the ship when the cruise ended Friday in Fort Lauderdale."
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In response to the outbreak, Holland America Line crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool samples for testing, isolated the infected, and liaised with the Vessel Sanitation Program on reporting and sanitation procedures.
Previously speaking to USA Today, Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, reiterated: "(Outbreaks are) often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don't know that they're happening.
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"Really, when we have these areas where people...are in really close contact, things like day care facilities, nursing homes and cruise ships, it’s more likely (to be) diagnosed, reported and brought to our attention."
It's reported that the CDC logged 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships that reached the threshold for public notification last year. In 2025, 17 of these 23 were apparently linked to norovirus, which had previously caused 15 out of 18 outbreaks in 2024, and 13 out of 14 in 2023.
Either way, it sounds like a trip on Rotterdam wasn't quite the dream vacation we imagine many were looking for.