Latest news with #VesselSanitationProgram
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Health
- Time Out
Norovirus cases are surging on cruises—here's how to stay safe
If you're planning a cruise this summer, you'll have to worry about more than just auto-gratuity increases: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a significant uptick in gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025. So far, 16 outbreaks have been reported—10 of them caused by norovirus. That's the highly contagious bug that can turn your dream vacation into a queasy nightmare. In the most recent outbreak, more than 150 passengers and crew aboard Holland America Line's Eurodam fell ill. And with the year not even halfway through, 2025 is already trending worse than 2024, which saw 18 outbreaks in total. Why are cruise ships such hotspots? Tight quarters, shared buffets and lots of contact with new people. Cruises are one big petri dish for norovirus. The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), despite recent staffing cuts, is still tracking outbreaks and encouraging transparency from cruise lines. The CDC says you can still cruise, but offers tips for protecting yourself. Start with the basics: wash your hands. A lot. Before eating, after using the restroom and anytime you touch shared surfaces. Hand sanitizer is helpful, but soap and water are your best defense. If you're feeling sick, report it to the ship's medical center right away. Early detection helps staff contain outbreaks before they spread. And don't be shy about steering clear of passengers who seem under the weather—social distancing isn't just for pandemics. Finally, disinfect your cabin's high-touch surfaces with bleach-based wipes, and skip the buffet if it looks suspect. Norovirus may be a more common part of cruise life this summer, but with a little vigilance, you can make sure you enjoy smooth sailing.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why cruise ships are battling so many norovirus outbreaks
Pam Feinstein's cruise was different than usual even before she boarded. Princess Cruises delayed boarding of the September voyage to do a deep-clean of the ship, following cases of gastrointestinal illness on its previous voyage, she said. When the 75-year-old embarked for a 12-day European cruise with her family, she noticed crew members aboard the Caribbean Princess ship were serving guests at the buffet, for example, and staff carefully wiped down containers or salt, pepper and sugar – which were only available upon request – between each use. Those measures continued for the first few days. About a day and a half after, she said operations went back to normal. But then, the captain announced there were active cases on board. He advised guests to wash their hands and avoid using public bathrooms, according to Feinstein. 'I'm a little paranoid ... I'll admit,' the Seattle-area resident told USA TODAY. 'So it's something always in the back of my mind anytime we get on a ship, regardless. So, you know, having the outbreak was kind of a whole different thing.' The stricter sanitation protocols returned, along with small tables in front of cabin doors that denoted a quarantined passenger was inside. Even so, she said she 'felt pretty good' about their disinfection measures and she and her family did not get sick. The pandemic changed travel forever: How air travel, cruises are different 5 years later The incident was the first of its kind in a dozen cruises she's taken with Princess. Princess did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gastrointestinal illness has continued to plague cruise ships in recent months. Less than five months into the year, a steady string of norovirus cases has sickened guests and crew members on cruise ships. There have been 16 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on those vessels that met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's threshold for public notification so far in 2025. Most recently, there was an outbreak aboard Holland America Line's Eurodam, where more than 60 guests reported abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Twelve of those 16 outbreaks were caused by norovirus. For comparison, there were 18 in all of 2024 and 14 the year prior, with norovirus listed as the causative agent in 15 and 13 of those, respectively. With the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which inspects cruise ships, impacted by recent staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, public health officials said they continue to track gastrointestinal illnesses at sea. Here's what travelers should know as the industry remains on pace to surpass last year's total well before this year's halfway point. The recent outbreaks represent an increase from before COVID-19 shut down the cruise industry for over a year. There were 10 gastrointestinal outbreaks in 2019, and 11 each in 2018 and 2017, according to CDC records. Norovirus was also the cause in many of those cases. 'While the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend,' the health agency told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'However, CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land. Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.' On land, for comparison, there were 2,407 norovirus outbreaks reported between August 1 and April 9 by the 14 states that participate in the NoroSTAT network, the CDC said on its website, up from 1,230 during the same period in the previous seasonal year. The agency also found a 'possible overreliance on hand sanitizer on ships' during a preliminary review. Those are not as effective against norovirus as washing hands with soap and water, the CDC added in the emailed statement. Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) incidence rates aboard cruise ships 'decreased significantly' from 2006 to 2019 among voyages reviewed, according to a 2021 CDC report, declining from 32.5 cases per 100,000 travel days to 16.9. among guests. For crew members, the figure dropped from 13.5 to 5.2. 'Among passengers, AGE incidence rates increased with increasing ship size and voyage length,' the report stated. 'For crew members, rates were significantly higher on extra-large ships (19.8 per 100,000 travel days) compared with small and large ships and on voyages lasting 6–7 days.' The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program will continue, however, as it 'is primarily staffed by USPHS commissioned officers who were not subject to the reduction in force,' an agency spokesperson told USA TODAY earlier this month. Norovirus survival guide: How to get through the stomach flu With passengers and crew in relatively small, confined areas and often eating together, cruise ships are conducive to the spread of norovirus, according to Dr. David J. Weber, the Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine. However, only 1% of all norovirus outbreaks reported take place on cruises. 'So, most of them are not occurring on cruise ships, but the cruise ships are a perfect setting for it,' Weber, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, told USA TODAY. Other common sites include daycare facilities, hospitals and nursing homes. When an outbreak does occur, cruise lines must activate their prevention and response plans, according to the CDC's website. The ships take steps to control the outbreak, such as increasing cleaning, isolating sick guests and crew, and notifying others on board about the cases. The CDC may also request that cruise lines disinfect cruise terminals and delay the embarkation of the ship's next voyage. The VSP investigates gastrointestinal outbreaks on ships sailing in the U.S. – or within 15 days of their arrival in the country – in which at least 3% of the guests and crew report being ill. 'We may also conduct an outbreak investigation if an unusual gastrointestinal illness pattern or characteristic is found, even if the illness rate is less than 3%,' the CDC's website reads. Investigators may board ships to conduct epidemiological and environmental health assessments. 'For example, if water is suspected as the source of illness, we give more attention to reviewing places on and off the ship where people could have been exposed to contaminated water,' the CDC said. The process could also involve collecting samples, such as vomit or stool, to send to a shoreside laboratory to confirm the causative agent. Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's leading trade group, said illness on cruise ships is 'extremely rare,' and noted that employees follow strict sanitation procedures developed with public health authorities, including the CDC. 'Cruise lines do their part to help ensure a healthy cruise experience and that passengers and crew maintain good hygiene onboard,' the organization said in an email. The CDC recommends frequent hand washing, particularly before eating and drinking, and after using the bathroom. If travelers don't have access to soap and water, Weber said alcohol-based hand sanitizers are 'better than doing nothing.' In the event a guest develops symptoms, he recommended they isolate themselves from others and clean their space with a disinfectant. Cruise guests should also 'promptly' report illness to the ship's medical staff and follow their guidance, according to the CDC. As for what appears to be a high outbreak rate this year, Weber also noted that people may be more relaxed about hand hygiene and surface disinfection than during the pandemic, but that it's ultimately 'hard to say.' 'Things go in cycles.' This story was updated to add new information. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Norovirus is making waves on cruises, and travelers are feeling it
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC cruise inspectors stretched thin as layoffs hit outbreak watchdogs
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said cruise ship inspections will continue amid government layoffs, an official said the task will be more challenging for remaining workers. The agency's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) was among the initiatives impacted by recent staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. 'It really compromises everything and makes it difficult for them to travel globally and do those inspections in Europe or wherever it might be,' said Erik Svendsen, the Director of the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. CDC says cruise ship cleanliness checks aren't going anywhere, even after mass layoffs On April 1, Svendsen was placed on administrative leave until early June, at which point he will be terminated. VSP is in his division. The news comes after a recent string of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks. Twelve of those met the agency's threshold for public notification so far this year. Most were caused by norovirus. The CDC logged 18 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in all of 2024 and 14 the year before. A CDC spokesperson told USA TODAY last week that cruise ship inspections would continue amid the staffing cuts. 'This work has not stopped, as the VSP is primarily staffed by USPHS commissioned officers who were not subject to the reduction in force," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. However, according to Svendsen, support staff at the VSP were part of the force reduction. CBS News previously reported on the cuts. While USPHS officers boarded the ships and handled in-person aspects of the inspection process, civilian employees were 'helping to support that mission with all of the logistics (and) administration,' according to Svendsen. The leader of the outbreak response team was among the latter category, he added. The CDC did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry's leading trade organization, said its members continue to follow guidelines set out by the VSP as a condition of their membership. 'Our current understanding from the CDC is that the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which is voluntary and funded by the cruise industry, will continue to operate,' CLIA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'Additionally public reports have noted that the program is administered and staffed primarily by commissioned US Public Health officers, so we expect programmatic activities to continue in some capacity.' HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier this month that some programs and personnel were mistakenly cut and would be reinstated. However, Svendsen said he hasn't received any updates on his role or VSP. The program 'helps the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues,' according to the CDC's website. That includes inspecting ships' dining rooms, galleys, potable water systems, swimming pools, whirlpools, child activity centers and more; investigating outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness; and reviewing ship designs. 'They're essentially a public health department for the cruise ship industry,' said Svendsen. While VSP inspects ships in U.S. ports, there are similar programs in other countries. VSP inspects vessels twice a year. 'If a ship sails outside of the United States for an extended period, it may not be inspected twice a year, but it will be inspected again when it returns to the United States,' the CDC's website said. According to the current fee schedule, the ships' owners pay fees for inspections and reinspections, ranging from about $8,000 to nearly $65,000, depending on the vessel's size. Cruise ship inspection reports are publicly accessible online. Svendsen noted that the remaining officers working at VSP are 'committed to the mission.' 'They're public health soldiers, and they will find a way, even if they have to sacrifice and do extra work, they'll get it done,' he said. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruise ship sanitation inspections hit by government cuts
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nearly 25 guests, crew sick in luxury cruise gastrointestinal outbreak
Nearly 25 people got sick in a gastrointestinal outbreak on a Regent Seven Seas Cruises sailing that ended Wednesday. Among 666 guests on board its Seven Seas Explorer ship, 22 reported being ill, along with two crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their main symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea. The health agency listed the causative agent as unknown. The ship departed from Tokyo on April 26 for a cruise through Japan and Alaska before arriving in Vancouver, according to CruiseMapper. The cruise line consulted with the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program and isolated sick guests and crew, among other measures, the agency said. Regent did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. There have been 17 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships that met the CDC's threshold for public notification so far this year, most of which were caused by norovirus. There were 18 outbreaks in all of 2024, and 14 the previous year. The CDC told USA TODAY in April that although 'the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend.' 'However, CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land,' the agency said in an emailed statement. 'Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.' The illness is frequently associated with cruises, but those make up just 1% of all outbreaks reported. Dr. David J. Weber, the Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine, previously told USA TODAY that the vessels are conducive to the spread of norovirus since passengers and crew are confined to relatively small spaces and often eat together. 'So, most (outbreaks) are not occurring on cruise ships, but the cruise ships are a perfect setting for it,' Weber, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, said in April. Seven Seas Explorer wasn't the only ship with illness on board this month. A number of passengers aboard Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady had stomach flu symptoms during a cruise from Greece to Croatia and Montenegro that ended May 11. 'Out of an abundance of caution, our medical team isolated these travelers and immediately enacted enhanced sanitization procedures, including additional cleaning of cabins and high-contact areas around the ship,' the cruise line said in an emailed statement. 'We are working closely with health officials and their medical professionals.' The number of impacted passengers and cause of illness were not immediately available. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 20+ people sick in Regent Seven Seas cruise gastrointestinal outbreak
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Nearly 25 guests, crew sick in luxury cruise gastrointestinal outbreak
Nearly 25 guests, crew sick in luxury cruise gastrointestinal outbreak Show Caption Hide Caption Norovirus: Symptoms and prevention of 'stomach flu' When norovirus cases spike, these are symptoms you should watch out for and measures you can take for prevention. Twenty-four people reported gastrointestinal illness on a recent Regent Seven Seas Cruises sailing. The CDC is investigating the outbreak, but the cause is currently unknown. This incident is part of a larger trend of gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships this year. Nearly 25 people got sick in a gastrointestinal outbreak on a Regent Seven Seas Cruises sailing that ended Wednesday. Among 666 guests on board its Seven Seas Explorer ship, 22 reported being ill, along with two crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their main symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea. The health agency listed the causative agent as unknown. The ship departed from Tokyo on April 26 for a cruise through Japan and Alaska before arriving in Vancouver, according to CruiseMapper. The cruise line consulted with the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program and isolated sick guests and crew, among other measures, the agency said. Regent did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. There have been 17 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships that met the CDC's threshold for public notification so far this year, most of which were caused by norovirus. There were 18 outbreaks in all of 2024, and 14 the previous year. The CDC told USA TODAY in April that although 'the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend.' 'However, CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land,' the agency said in an emailed statement. 'Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.' The illness is frequently associated with cruises, but those make up just 1% of all outbreaks reported. Dr. David J. Weber, the Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine, previously told USA TODAY that the vessels are conducive to the spread of norovirus since passengers and crew are confined to relatively small spaces and often eat together. 'So, most (outbreaks) are not occurring on cruise ships, but the cruise ships are a perfect setting for it,' Weber, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, said in April. Seven Seas Explorer wasn't the only ship with illness on board this month. A number of passengers aboard Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady had stomach flu symptoms during a cruise from Greece to Croatia and Montenegro that ended May 11. 'Out of an abundance of caution, our medical team isolated these travelers and immediately enacted enhanced sanitization procedures, including additional cleaning of cabins and high-contact areas around the ship,' the cruise line said in an emailed statement. 'We are working closely with health officials and their medical professionals.' The number of impacted passengers and cause of illness were not immediately available. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
