Celebrity Cruises reported a norovirus outbreak aboard the Millennium-class vessel Celebrity Summit during her 7-night Alaskan voyage from Vancouver BC Canada, to Seward Alaska (May 24 to May 31, 2024).
The USA's agency CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) identifies norovirus as the primary cause of gastroenteritis in the United States, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. On this cruise, 68 out of 2264 passengers and 5 out of 943 crew members were affected.
Despite the contagious nature of norovirus, which typically lasts one to three days and often resolves without medical intervention, only a small percentage of those on board experienced symptoms. Passenger ships are required to report potential outbreaks to the CDC under specific conditions, including voyages longer than 3 days, 100+ passengers onboard, and at least 3% of passengers exhibiting symptoms.
During the voyage, many passengers remained unaffected and continued to enjoy the scheduled stops at Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan in Alaska.
Cruise lines enforce sanitation protocols to mitigate the risk of outbreaks. Passengers can further protect themselves through frequent hand washing, particularly before meals and after contact with high-touch surfaces. While preventing outbreaks entirely is the goal, established procedures ensure swift management to minimize disease transmission.
The gastrointestinal outbreak on the Celebrity Summit highlights the critical role of preventive measures and rapid response protocols in maintaining passenger safety and enjoyment during cruise vacations.
For more Celebrity Summit incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.