A relaxing cruise quickly turned into a gastrointestinal nightmare on the Navigator of the Seas.
More than 140 passengers and crew fell ill amid reports of vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea during a week-long voyage from Los Angeles to Mexico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There were 134 passengers impacted and seven crew members on the cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico.
Investigators are still trying to work out what caused the outbreak.
In response to the health crisis, Royal Caribbean quickly implemented enhanced cleaning and safety protocols, which included isolating those affected and increasing onboard sanitation procedures.
“The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told USA TODAY.
They added: “To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”
This outbreak is not an isolated incident.
The CDC has already reported 18 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025 that required public alerts, based on CDC criteria (when 3% or more of all crew and passengers report symptoms).
Most of these have been linked to norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
“Norovirus is often a cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships, but we don't always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation. Finding the agent that caused an outbreak (causative agent) can take time,” the CDC said.
Royal Caribbean has faced similar issues before. In February 2025, over 90 passengers and crew fell ill aboard the Radiance of the Seas.
Though these incidents tend to dominate headlines, they account for only about 1% of all reported gastrointestinal illnesses, CDC data shows.
Health officials are warning that norovirus outbreaks may continue this season, as a newly dominant strain appears to be spreading more aggressively on land and sea.
“CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land,” the agency noted in a statement.
“Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.”