In December 2025, two cruise ships were hit with outbreaks of norovirus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea.
At least 94 passengers and crew got sick with norovirus during a two-week Carribbean cruise aboard Holland America’s Rotterdam in December 2025.
The Rotterdam departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 28 and returned on January 9, 2026, after a two-week Caribbean voyage.
Health officials said 85 out of 2,593 passengers and 9 out of 1,005 crew members reported “symptoms of gastrointestinal illness,” which necessitated a “comprehensive sanitization of the ship,” officials said.
Holland America said, “During its previous voyage, a number of guests onboard Rotterdam reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. The cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved.”
This is the second norovirus outbreak on the Rotterdam within the past 11 months. Just days after the Rotterdam left Ford Lauderdale on February 2, 2025, at least 169 people were sickened with norovirus.
In response to the outbreak, crew members took action by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures, collecting stool samples from sick people, and isolating sick passengers and crew members.
The predominant symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea, which likely indicates an outbreak of norovirus. The ship underwent sanitization and is under review by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Norovirus is a highly-contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated food, water, surfaces, and direct contact with an infected person’s vomit or feces, including tiny particles of aerosolized vomit.
The Rotterdam was not the only cruise to report an outbreak of norovirus this past holiday. There was also an outbreak aboard the Celebrity Eclipse voyage from December 20 through December 28, 2025, in which at least 104 passengers and crew reported symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Worst Christmas ever?
Source: CDC Vessel Sanitation Program: Rotterdam December 2025
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