A highly contagious stomach virus has caused over 120 people on board an American cruise line’s ship to fall ill during a recent 20-day round trip, according to U.S. health officials. The ship’s itinerary indicated that it had made a stop at a Canadian port during the voyage, which took place from June 12 to July 2.
The Ruby Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, was on its journey from San Francisco to Canada and Alaska when 102 passengers and 23 crew members reported sick due to a norovirus outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was reported June 28 to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which helps the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues.
The Ruby Princess was carrying 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew members at the time, the U.S. health agency said on its website July 1, adding that the affected people predominantly showed symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
According to CruiseMapper, a platform that provides free cruise information to travellers, including itineraries, the Ruby Princess docked at Prince Rupert, B.C., on June 29, before returning to San Francisco on July 2, at 6 a.m. local time, as scheduled.
The CDC noted that Princess Cruises and the ship’s crew had responded to the outbreak by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures, collecting stool specimens for testing, isolating ill passengers and crew, and consulting with VSP about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.
“VSP is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” the CDC said. VSP posts outbreak notices for illnesses such as gastrointestinal illness when the percentage of ill passengers or crew surpasses its 3 percent reporting threshold aboard ships under its jurisdiction. The 102 affected passengers on the Ruby Princess constituted 3.4 percent of the total 3,032 passengers.
Princess Cruises said in a statement to media on July 2 that the Ruby Princess’s crew responded promptly and implemented “enhanced sanitation protocols across the ship.”
The ship will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before departing on its next trip later Thursday, the company added.
Another itinerary posted on CruiseMapper’s site showed that the Ruby Princess departed San Francisco on July 2, at 3 p.m. local time, this time for a 10-day round trip that will see it return to Prince Rupert on July 9 prior to heading back to San Francisco again on July 12.
The Epoch Times reached out to Princess Cruises for comment but did not immediately hear back.
‘Spread Easily’
There have been seven illness outbreaks reported on cruise ships in the jurisdiction of CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program since the start of the year. Five were caused by norovirus and two were caused by E. coli bacteria. The latest outbreak on board the Ruby Princess marks the third ship operated by Princess Cruises that was stricken by norovirus in 2026.
Norovirus, first identified as a virus in 1972 after an outbreak in Norwalk, Ohio, is “very contagious and can spread easily from person to person,” Health Canada said on its website.
The virus can be contracted from an infected person through sharing of food or utensils. It can also be spread by eating contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. Infected people will experience a range of symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Health Canada says symptoms can occur as early as 12 hours after exposure, and people can remain contagious long after their recovery.
“People infected with norovirus can be contagious, from the moment they start feeling ill, to at least three days after they have recovered. Some people may be contagious for as long as two weeks after recovery,” the federal department says.
The department notes that washing hands often and thoroughly will mitigate the risk of contracting the virus. Other ways include disinfecting contaminated surfaces with chlorine bleach and practicing sound food safety habits.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
