The last thing anyone wants is to get sick during their cruise vacation or to come home with an illness.

But now that 2025 has officially come to a close, the data shows that the number of reported cruise ship outbreaks are on the rise compared to previous years.

For context, US-based cruise ships are required to report outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) once 3% of the passengers and crew onboard show gastrointestinal symptoms.

This year, a total of 22 outbreaks were reported and monitored by the VSP, which is up from 18 reported outbreaks in 2024 and 14 reported outbreaks in 2023.

Reports of illness have also trended higher throughout the year, with the number of outbreaks already reaching 18 – the total number for 2024 – by July 2025.

While it’s understandably unnerving to see the total number of outbreaks rise year-over-year, keep in mind that only 22 sailings out of thousands made the VSP’s list. From this perspective, the risk of getting sick is actually quite low.

Which Cruise Lines Were Most Impacted in 2025?

The year started with Sea Cloud Cruises’ Sea Cloud Spirit, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Ray, and Holland America Line’s Volendam experiencing simultaneous gastrointestinal outbreaks during their January 4, 2025, sailings.

The final outbreak of the year unfolded onboard Celebrity Eclipse, during the Celebrity ship’s Christmas cruise that embarked on December 20, 2025. Over 100 people experienced gastrointestinal distress and the cause is still unknown.

Which Cruise Line Had the Most Outbreaks?

Throughout the year, Holland America Line suffered the most outbreaks, with the cruise line reporting gastrointestinal illness to the VSP six different times.

Eurodam and Rotterdam each experienced two outbreaks, while Volendam and Zuiderdam were each impacted once.

Princess Cruises, which is a sister-brand to Holland America, made the list twice, while brands like Royal Caribbean experienced three outbreaks on three different ships.

Which Cruise Lines Had No Outbreaks?

Brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line are noticeably absent, which is a positive for these brands.

It will be interesting to see how these patterns change in the year, with all cruise lines of course taking steps to prevent and mitigate illness onboard.

Just because a brand had several outbreaks one year does not mean they will the next, or vice versa with cruise lines that reported no outbreaks.

What is Causing More Outbreaks?

Compared to 2024, the number of outbreaks in 2025 have increased by approximately 22% year-over-year. So, what is causing this rise in illness?

Some of this simply comes down to luck, such as an ill passenger ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time to facilitate the spread of the highly contagious norovirus, which is often the culprit.

An ultra-contagious variant of norovirus, GII.17, has also been on the rise in the US, and easily spreads when people are in close quarters – such as winter holiday gatherings.

This spread can also occur from the natural closeness that comes with staying on a cruise ship, especially if guests have already picked up the bug elsewhere and didn’t realize they were bringing it onboard.

The popularity of cruising has also risen tremendously, with a record 37.7 million people cruising in 2025, and more people onboard can mean greater risk.

Changes to the VSP

And as a final barrier, the CDC experienced mass layoffs this year, which significantly downsized the VSP team.

While mandatory cruise ship inspections and outbreak tracking have not stopped, operations within the VSP are much more strained.

But with 2026 gearing up to be another record-breaking year for the cruise industry, it’s clear that most passengers haven’t been deterred just yet.

Cruise Ship Outbreaks are On the Rise – Should Cruisers Worry?