COVID-19. Norovirus. Hantavirus.
The cruise industry has been seemingly pummeled by illnesses over the last several years, with ships being called “floating Petri dishes” and outbreaks making global headlines. Some of the more notable incidents have been turned into documentaries with names like The Covid Cruise, The Last Cruise and, while not related to an outbreak but still not great cruise PR, Poop Cruise.
When outbreaks happen, they’re intense. Most recently, three people died this week aboard a luxury cruise hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with eight others suspected to have contracted the virus.
The Hondius, with nearly 150 people on board, is heading to Spain after being quarantined off the coast of Cape Verde, and countries around the world are scrambling to trace anyone who left the ship.
At this point, you might be wondering why, given the risks, anyone would willingly choose to board a cruise ship. Yet by all accounts, the cruise industry is thriving, and tourism experts say they don’t see that changing.
“People weigh the risks versus the value and convenience that cruises bring, and many choose to sail despite the public health risk,” Frederic Dimanche, a hospitality and tourism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, told CBC News.
“At the moment, there is no reason for the cruise industry to be affected, other than taking necessary preventive precautions.”
Outbreaks aren’t as common as they seem
Outbreaks on cruise ships are relatively uncommon, Dimanche explained, but when they happen, they are generally amplified because of passengers and their social media posts.
Like in 2020, when about 3,700 passengers were quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess for nearly a month due to a COVID-19 outbreak. More than 700 passengers tested positive and 14 died.
Yes, we are on THAT quarantined ship. But we are keeping calm and positive. We are safe. We are together. We are relatively comfortable with all the amenities we need. Food. Water. Internet. Power. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/diamondprincesscruise?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#diamondprincesscruise</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/quarantine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#quarantine</a> <a href=”https://t.co/HdQxCsPGhU”>https://t.co/HdQxCsPGhU</a> <a href=”https://t.co/3nWFJPN4YL”>pic.twitter.com/3nWFJPN4YL</a>
—qtiepie
There’s also 2014, when 600 people contracted norovirus aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. Or 2009, when 82 passengers aboard an Australian cruise ship were infected with H1N1, also known as swine flu, and 98 others were infected with influenza A.
“The problem is that in a cruise ship, everyone is in close contact and shares space and food. This facilitates the transmissions of viruses,” he said.
Cruises are sold as floating holidays, Vikram Niranjan, an assistant professor in public health at the University of Limerick in Ireland, wrote in an article on The Conversation this week.
But they’re more like temporary cities at sea, he added, and show “how easily illness can spread when people are packed into a single interconnected environment.”
More likely to get norovirus
Norovirus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, is the infection most closely linked to cruise ships, Niranjan wrote.
Last year, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 2024 was the worst year for cruise ship-based gastrointestinal disease outbreaks in more than a decade.
Wally and Diane King want a refund after they, and hundreds others, became ill days into their trip
And just on Thursday, the CDC reported a norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess, with 102 passengers and 13 crew showing symptoms.
Yet even though it’s the most common cause of diarrhea on cruise ships, leading to it being coined “the cruise ship virus,” Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only one per cent of all reported outbreaks of the virus, according to an April report from the CDC.
In industrialized countries, or OECD countries, it’s more commonly caught in health-care facilities, the CDC added.
Thriving industry, record demand
The cruise industry, like all travel, took a major hit during COVID-19. But it’s also rebounded amazingly well, Dimanche noted.
A historic high of more than 37 million people were passengers on ocean cruise ships globally last year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) 2026 report on the state of the cruise industry.
That’s a 7.5 per cent increase from the 34.6 million cruise ship passengers in 2024, and the association said they expect the number will grow to 41.2 million by 2028.
The report, released in April, also noted that 90 per cent of cruisers say they intend to sail again, and that the industry has started attracting younger, more diverse customers.
The top cruise destinations are the Caribbean — where Canadians are the No. 2 market, behind Americans — and the Mediterranean, according to the report.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the CLIA said its thoughts are with those affected by Hantavirus associated with the Hondius, which it noted is not a member.
“CLIA-member cruise lines are required to adhere to comprehensive health, safety, and medical policies designed to detect, prevent, and mitigate illness,” the spokesperson added.
“Available public health data indicates that rates of illness on cruise ships are lower than in comparable land-based settings.”
‘On my bucket list’
In January, Royal Caribbean raised its annual profit forecast supported by strong demand from affluent travellers and a solid start to a key booking season. The company lowered it again in March due to the cost of fuel, but by April said its shares were once again surging.
“Travel remains a top priority, ranking as the No. 1 leisure category where consumers intend to spend more,” said Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty on an April 30 earnings call.
Cruises offer convenience and easy international experiences without the hassle of planning for itineraries, accommodations, food and entertainment, Dimanche said. And yes, there are risks, he added, but there are always risks in travel.
Officials with the World Health Organization said they’ve confirmed five of the eight suspected cases of hantavirus in passengers who travelled on board the MV Hondius cruise ship that sailed from Argentina back in March. The WHO also said what it’s seeing so far isn’t a large epidemic so long as public health measures are followed.
For instance, there are frequent reports of Canadians getting sick at all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. As many as 200 Canadians were reportedly struck with vomiting and diarrhea at a resort in Mexico in 2025. The same thing happened this February in Cancun, reportedly due to E. Coli.
Even Niranjan, the public health professor in Limerick, told CBC Radio’s The Current Wednesday that there’s “no need” to be overly concerned about cruise ship outbreaks, and that he hopes to take a trip himself soon.
“It’s on my bucket list,” he said.
