by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:45 AM ET, Thu February 27, 2025
Holland America Line is grappling with its third outbreak of gastrointestinal illness so far this year.
Nearly 90 people reported being sick during the current voyage aboard the ship Eurodam, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That total includes 79 guests (out of 2,057 total guests) and nine crew members (out of 834 total crew members).
The main symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting. The culprit was norovirus, per the CDC.
Eurodam is in the middle of a 10-day Caribbean cruise. The cruise line “initiated enhanced sanitation protocols in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize further transmission, including continuous disinfection of the ship,” according to a statement shared with USA Today.
Sick guests and crew members were also isolated and the “cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved.”
This is the third time in 2025 that Holland America Line has faced a norovirus outbreak. Earlier this month, Rotterdam experienced an outbreak affecting 185 people. And, in January, 104 people aboard Volendam got sick.
So far this year, eight ships have suffered gastrointestinal illness outbreaks that meet the health agency’s threshold for public notification. In addition to Holland America Line, the other cruise lines to report outbreaks include: Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, Viking, Silversea and Sea Cloud Cruises.
Norovirus has long been associated with cruises. But, according to the CDC, cruise ships make up just 1 percent of all reported norovirus outbreaks.
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