A norovirus outbreak aboard Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess has sickened more than 120 people, the cruise line’s third gastrointestinal outbreak this year, according to CDC data.
For passengers cruising the Alaska and Canada route, the problem wasn’t the itinerary—it was the bathroom. Princess Cruises says more than 120 people fell ill in a norovirus outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess, making it the cruise line’s third reported gastrointestinal outbreak this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that out of 3,032 guests on the ship, 102 passengers were sick, along with 23 crew members. Diarrhea and vomiting were listed as the main symptoms.
The CDC tied the impacted voyage dates to June 12 through July 2. During that period, the Ruby Princess was operating an Alaska and Canada round-trip from San Francisco.
Princess Cruises responded by stepping up cleaning and disinfection measures, isolating sick passengers and employees, and taking other steps, the CDC said. The cruise line did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The broader picture is grim. The CDC has logged seven gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships that met its threshold for public notification so far in 2026. Two of those outbreaks were due to E. coli; the rest were caused by norovirus, including two outbreaks on other Princess ships.
Princess has also had a heavy load of outbreaks on the CDC’s radar: there were 23 outbreaks that met the threshold in 2025. with 18 caused by norovirus. In the year before that, the illness was behind 15 out of 18 outbreaks. While norovirus is often associated with cruise ships, those cases account for just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
What makes cruise outbreaks so visible is also what makes them hard to fully predict. “(Outbreaks are) often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don’t know that they’re happening,” Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, previously said. She added that outbreaks are more likely to be diagnosed and brought to attention where people are in close contact. mentioning day care facilities. nursing homes and cruise ships.
The CDC’s logs and the cruise line’s own reported actions leave one clear question for travelers: when multiple outbreaks occur close together, what changes do passengers actually feel on board—and how quickly?
Princess Cruises Ruby Princess norovirus outbreak CDC gastroenteritis Alaska cruise Canada cruise San Francisco passenger health cruise ship outbreaks 2026 outbreaks