PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Thousands of people who were trapped on a Port Canaveral-bound cruise ship Sunday amid a norovirus outbreak will finally be allowed off Monday after the ship docks at Port Canaveral.
The CDC said the outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess was noticed around May 7 and has infected more than 100 people.
Sunday, passengers were told by Nassau authorities they would not be allowed to leave the ship.
Passengers said other than the closure of all buffets and frequent sanitizing, they hadn’t noticed a significant difference aboard the ship.
“I’ve been very impressed with the sanitation practices and that they have been implemented with minimal if any negative impact on passenger experiences,” Karen Palmer wrote in a message, adding that she will remain on the ship for its next cruise that sets off Monday. “The staff has been wonderful.”
The reported number of infections number just 3% of the ship’s population, though there could be others who have not reported symptoms to the ship’s crew.
Norovirus is not an uncommon event on a cruise ship, where thousands of people are confined in close quarters. The CDC reported that 18 ships had outbreaks numbering more than 3% of passengers or crew in 2025, with 11 of them already happening by early May.
Dr. Salma Elfaki said the virus circulates on land as well, and is commonly lumped into the “24-hour bug category.” She said it sets in quickly, leading to violent illness, and then dissipates, though she said an infected person can remain contagious for two days after their symptoms clear up.
“The main concern with the Norovirus is dehydration, especially in people who are vulnerable, children, older adults,” Elfaki said. “There are medications that help with vomiting and to make and that can alleviate some of the symptoms. And the main thing is just to stay hydrated.”
Caribbean Princess notified passengers on its next cruise that it was pushing back check-in times to 1 p.m. Monday to give the staff time to disinfect the ship.
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