Norovirus Cases Reported on Princess Cruises’ Star Princess

A norovirus outbreak has been reported aboard Star Princess, the newest and largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, during its most recent voyage.

According to a report submitted to U.S. health authorities on March 11, 2026, slightly more than 150 people out of roughly 5,800 onboard became ill. The cases included 104 passengers out of 4,307 guests and 48 crew members from a total crew of 1,561, prompting the cruise line to implement response measures.

The ship’s crew reacted by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures, testing passengers and crew members with gastrointestinal symptoms for norovirus, and isolating those who were sick.

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming weeks, offering guidance on hygiene measures if required and recording any reported illness cases. An environmental review and outbreak investigation are also being conducted onboard to support efforts to control the virus.

These actions follow standard protocols used during illness outbreaks on cruise ships. Because the cases occurred during the voyage from March 7 to 14, 2026, the scheduled passenger turnaround in Fort Lauderdale may already have helped stop further spread.

Guests from the previous sailing disembarked, the vessel underwent extensive cleaning, and new passengers boarded for the next voyage. Star Princess is currently sailing on a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

Outbreaks aboard cruise ships that visit U.S. ports often become public because health authorities publish official reports. In many other parts of the world, such notifications are not routinely issued, meaning information about similar incidents can be less visible.

Regardless of location, cruise ship crews regularly monitor onboard health conditions and hygiene standards in order to respond quickly to illnesses when they occur.