The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has launched particulars concerning the current outbreak on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2.
The ship is at present wrapping up a round-trip trans-Atlantic cruise out of Southampton, England.
This voyage departed on March 8, 2025, making 9 stops in eight international locations, together with the US, St Maarten, St Kitts, and the British Virgin Islands.
Sadly, simply 10 days into the 29-night cruise, each company and crew reported having signs of a gastrointestinal sickness. The outbreak was reported to the CDC on March 18, 2025.
Having departed from New York on March 15, the ship was on its option to Philipsburg in St Maarten when the outbreak occurred.
Reported signs included diarrhea and vomiting, and in response, stool specimens have been collected for testing. Moreover, all of these with signs have been remoted and sanitation efforts have been elevated by the crew.
The CDC has confirmed that the gastrointestinal sickness was Norovirus, which affected 224 passengers (8.8%) and 17 (1.4%) crew. These numbers mirror all confirmed instances all through the length of the cruise.
This vessel has a 2,695 visitor capability and a 1,253 crew capability, however on this almost month-long cruise, solely 2,538 passengers and 1,232 crew have been current.
It’s a CDC requirement that any and all vessels working in the US need to report outbreaks when reported instances contain greater than 3% of the crew or passengers onboard. Even when ship departs from one other nation, if it stops within the US this can be a requirement.
Learn Additionally: 10 Causes Why Cruise Ships Are NOT Floating Petri Dishes
The 149,215 gross ton Queen Mary 2 had simply made a cease within the US earlier than the outbreak started, so Carnival-owned Cunard shortly submitted the report after studying concerning the scenario.
As an additional measure, throughout outbreaks like this cruise traces correspond instantly with the VSP to allow them to guarantee sanitation and cleansing procedures are satisfactory to assist forestall the sickness from being unfold.
The ship arrived in St Maarten on March 19, which is when the crew knowledgeable all passengers that the vessel can be receiving a deep cleansing whereas on the subsequent port of name.
When stopping in Barbados on March 22, Queen Mary 2 underwent intensive sanitation from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. whereas most passengers have been off exploring the tropical vacation spot.
This effort was so in depth that it was instructed any company who can be onboard throughout this time ought to think about vacating their cabins if attainable.
In a letter from the cruise line, they detailed, “If you’re unable to depart the ship, please vacate your stateroom when requested and make your self snug in one of many obtainable areas similar to Golden Lion Pub, Sir Samuel’s and Pavilion Pool.”
In addition they knowledgeable company that in the event that they have been remoted because of the outbreak, they need to keep of their cabins. Passengers will disembark from Queen Mary 2 this weekend, thus ending yet one more cruise affected by Norovirus.
Is 2025 the 12 months of Getting Sick on Cruises?
Whereas it’s fairly uncommon to get one thing as critical as Norovirus on a cruise ship, the cruising trade in 2025 isn’t off to the very best begin.
In 2024, the CDC reported a complete of 16 gastrointestinal outbreaks — tying with 2012 for essentially the most to occur in a single yr. Up to now, there have been 10 outbreaks simply 4 months into 2025.
In January, affected ships included Holland America Line’s Volendam, Viking Ocean Cruise’s Viking Mars, and Princess Cruise’s Coral Princess.
Then in February, it was Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, Holland America Line’s Rotterdam and Eurodam, and but once more Princess Cruise’s Coral Princess.
Lastly, in March 2025, there was another on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam, a brand new one being reported on Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Encore, and naturally, the one on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2.
Whereas it’s the first this yr, this current outbreak on Queen Mary 2 comes simply shortly after the ship had two outbreaks in a single month.
In December 2024, the ship noticed two back-to-back voyages with Norovirus — and hopefully, this third one is its final for some time.
With peak outbreak occasions for this explicit virus tending to be between October and April, there’s a good likelihood we’ll see fewer of those occurrences heading into the summer time.
