{"id":537319,"date":"2026-03-02T11:42:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T00:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=537319"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:47:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T00:47:31","slug":"cruise-ships-just-got-a-whole-lot-cleaner-and-its-about-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/cruise-ships-just-got-a-whole-lot-cleaner-and-its-about-time","title":{"rendered":"Cruise Ships Just Got A Whole Lot Cleaner (And It’s About Time)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illness outbreaks on cruise ships have plummeted 88% in the first two months of this year compared to the same period in 2025. We\u2019re talking one single outbreak versus eight. One. That\u2019s it.<\/p>

The lone offender? A January sailing on Seven Seas Mariner<\/a> where 21 passengers (3.3% of those onboard) went down. For context, the CDC only flags it as an official outbreak when 3% or more of passengers and crew report gastrointestinal illness. So this one barely scraped over the line.<\/p>

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Last year was a different story entirely.<\/strong> <\/h2>

Six cruise lines copped outbreaks in the first two months alone, including Holland America<\/a>, Viking<\/a>, Princess, Royal Caribbean<\/a>, and Silversea<\/a>. Of the eight outbreaks, six were norovirus (the gift that keeps on giving), one was E. coli, and one was a presumed case of ciguatera. For the uninitiated, that\u2019s what happens when you eat reef fish that\u2019s been harbouring toxins. Delightful.<\/p>

And here\u2019s the thing: 2025 racked up 23 total outbreaks across the year, up from 18 in 2024. Most of those hit in the first four months, which tracks. Winter cruising season, enclosed spaces, people treating handwashing like an optional extra.<\/p>

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