Over 150 Guests and Crew Hit by Norovirus Outbreak on Princess Cruises Newest Ship

It’s the sort of cruise update nobody wants to read while counting down to embarkation day. Star Princess has been hit by a norovirus outbreak this week, with over 150 passengers and crew members reporting symptoms during a Caribbean sailing from March 7-14.

Princess Cruises’ Star Princess sailing at night, illuminated under a clear dark-blue sky.

What Happened on Star Princess

According to the CDC, the outbreak was reported on March 11 during a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing on Star Princess that departed Fort Lauderdale on March 7 and was due back on March 14. The main symptoms reported were diarrhea and vomiting.

The total numbers posted by the CDC were 104 ill passengers out of 4,307 onboard, plus 49 ill crew members out of 1,561. That puts the combined total at 153 people.

Star Princess is Princess Cruises’ newest ship, so this is not exactly the kind of attention the line would have wanted. The ship entered service in October 2025 and carries around 4,300 guests.

Why It Was Officially Posted by the CDC

One detail that often gets lost in the headlines is why some cruise outbreaks make the CDC list and others do not.

The CDC posts an outbreak when a ship is under its jurisdiction and 3% or more of passengers or crew report gastrointestinal symptoms to the ship’s medical staff. On this sailing, the passenger figure came in at 2.4%, but the crew figure reached 3.1%, which pushed the voyage over that reporting line.

There is another small detail worth remembering too. The CDC notes that these case counts are totals for the full sailing. It does not mean all 153 people were sick at the same time.

What Princess Cruises Did in Response

Princess Cruises and the ship’s crew took the usual outbreak-control steps once cases were identified.

The CDC says Star Princess increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool samples for testing, isolated ill passengers and crew, and worked with the Vessel Sanitation Program on reporting and sanitation measures.

Princess also said it disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage while keeping unwell guests separated as a precaution.

When the ship returned, the CDC then carried out a field response, including an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation, to help get the situation under control.

This image shows a healthcare professional wearing a white coat and a stethoscope, holding and using a tablet. The blurred background features warm, glowing bokeh lights, creating a professional yet approachable atmosphere.

Outbreaks are miserable for the people dealing with them, but cruise lines and the CDC do have a set process for handling them once they cross the reporting threshold.

How Common Are Cruise Outbreaks Really?

Cruise ship illness stories always grab attention fast, partly because they sound dramatic and partly because the reporting is public.

Out of the thousands of cruises that sail every year, the CDC recorded 14 reported outbreaks in 2023, 18 in 2024, and 23 in 2025. As of March 12, 2026, the CDC had listed just two cruise ship gastrointestinal outbreaks so far this year in its Vessel Sanitation Program records: Star Princess and Seven Seas Mariner.

Star Princess was the only norovirus outbreak on that 2026 list at the time of reporting. The CDC also says that more than 90% of cruise ship gastrointestinal outbreaks with a confirmed cause are linked to norovirus, which spreads easily in close quarters and can move fast once cases begin to build.

So yes, outbreaks at sea are real, and they are miserable. But they are still rare compared to the number of sailings that operate each year, and they are also monitored closely, which is one reason cruise cases get noticed so quickly.

Should Future Star Princess Guests Be Worried?

Nobody wants to brush off an outbreak, especially for the passengers and crew who spent their vacation feeling awful. Norovirus is nasty, and it can spread quickly once it gets into a shared environment.

At the same time, this does not mean every future Star Princess sailing is headed for trouble. The ship stayed on the CDC’s radar because the crew case rate crossed the reporting mark, and Princess responded with isolation, extra cleaning, and CDC coordination.

For future guests, the usual advice still matters: wash your hands well, report symptoms early, and do not try to power through it just to save your vacation plans. That might feel noble for about five minutes, but it is not doing your cabin neighbors any favors.