Photo: Nico De Pasquale Photography / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Over 140 people fell ill during a Royal Caribbean cruise aboard the Navigator of the Seas, which departed from Los Angeles and made a round trip to Mexico. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 134 passengers and seven crew members reported symptoms such as vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea during the voyage that concluded on Friday (July 11). The cause of the outbreak remains unidentified.
Royal Caribbean responded by implementing enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, including isolating those who were sick. A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean emphasized that guest and crew safety is a top priority, noting that their ships follow strict sanitation procedures that often exceed public health requirements.
This incident is one of 18 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025 that met the CDC’s threshold for public notification, with most linked to norovirus. The CDC noted that while cruise ships are often associated with such outbreaks, they account for only 1% of all reported cases.
The CDC continues to investigate the cause of the outbreak, which could take time to identify.