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  "path": "/2026/03/15/150-people-get-grim-vomiting-bug-mega-cruise-ship-caribbean-27453740/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-15T15:52:38.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "US",
    "Cruise News",
    "Health News",
    "cruise ship",
    "CruiseMapper",
    "USA TODAY",
    "Travel",
    "**check our news page**",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "The main symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea (Picture: Princess)\n\nA norovirus outbreak swept through a mega cruise ship leaving more than 150 people stricken by the ‘vomiting bug’.\n\nA total 104 passengers and 49 crew members became ill with norovirus on the Star Princess liner, which only debuted five months ago.\n\nGuests were on a cruise holiday around Central America and the Caribbean when the vomiting and diarrhea took hold.\n\nStaff on the 4,307-passenger vessel first reported the outbreak to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, March 11.\n\nThe Star Princess debuted five months ago and has been labelled a mega ship\n(Picture: Princess )\n\nAccording to cruise ship tracking site CruiseMapper, the Star Princess returned to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday after a week at sea.\n\nThe voyage appears to be offered as either a one- or two-week itinerary, with some passengers boarding on March 7 and disembarking on March 14, while others remain on board for the second leg of a two-week stint.\n\nThe ship is currently en route to Princess Cays in the Bahamas.\n\nThe CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program said in a statement on Saturday it ‘is doing a field response to conduct an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak’.\n\nPrincess told USA TODAY that a ‘limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness’ during Star Princess’ March 7 voyage.\n\nThey said in a statement: ‘We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage.\n\n‘We also separated anyone feeling unwell so they could rest comfortably in private – just an added precaution to help keep the rest of our guests and crew feeling their best.’\n\nThe Star Princess only embarked on its maiden voyage from Europe in October.\n\nThe vessel has a concert venue with a clear dome overhead, as well as 30 bars and restaurants.\n\n##  What is norovirus?\n\nNorovirus can come with intense diarrhea and vomiting (Credits: Getty Images)\n\nNorovirus, also called the winter vomiting bug, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.\n\nNorovirus is highly contagious and symptoms can show within to 12 to 28 hours of the bug being contracted.\n\nPeople usually feel better within one to three days, but can still spread the virus 48 hours after symptoms end.\n\nCruise ships are required to report all such outbreaks to the CDC, in a bid to monitor and stop the spread of infections when they visit ports.\n\nGastrointestinal outbreaks are relatively common on cruise ships, according to Michael Zimring, director of the Center for Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.\n\nThe high density of people in a confined space, with hundreds of people touching the same railings and bathroom doors can promote spreading.\n\nThe CDC have logged two gastrointestinal illness outbreaks so far this year (Picture: REUTERS)\n\n‘In close quarters it doesn’t get away, everything’s concentrated,’ Zimring told National Geographic.\n\nThe CDC has already logged two outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships this year.\n\nThe agency recorded 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships last year, most of which were caused by norovirus.\n\nThe virus also caused 15 of 18 outbreaks in 2024 and 13 of 14 in 2023.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,****check our news page**.\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "More than 150 people get grim ‘vomiting bug’ on mega cruise ship in Caribbean"
}