More than 100 passengers and crew have fallen ill with norovirus on the AIDAdiva ship during its four-month voyage stopping in the US, England, Mexico, Japan and South Africa
Over 100 passengers and crew members have been struck down by a diarrhoea bug on a 133-day cruise. The AIDAdiva ship, part of the German cruise line AIDA, is currently undertaking a four-month journey with stops in various countries including the US, England, Mexico, Japan and South Africa.
The ship set sail from Hamburg on November 10, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – the US’s national public health agency – a norovirus outbreak was reported on November 30 after the ship docked in Boston, New York, Miami and Charleston.
Following the outbreak, crew members implemented infection control protocols, which included thorough cleaning procedures. They “isolated ill passengers and crew, increased cleaning and disinfectant procedures and collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal cases for testing.”
The CDC revealed that 95 out of 2,007 passengers and six of 640 crew members have reported being ill, with diarrhoea and vomiting being the main symptoms. AIDA Cruises informed the Mirror that after implementing additional hygiene protocols, the number of cases began to decrease.
The voyage is scheduled to end in March 2026 when the ship returns to Hamburg, as per an itinerary on its website. This incident follows just weeks after a Royal Caribbean cruise turned into a nightmare for over 90 passengers due to a norovirus outbreak.
The CDC revealed that out of the 1,874 passengers aboard Serenade of the Seas at the end of September, 94 “reported being ill during the voyage”, whilst four out of 883 crew members also became unwell.
The vessel had set off from San Diego on September 19 and called at ports in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.
The CDC has documented 21 confirmed outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships this year, with 16 of these being attributed to norovirus.
The virus was also responsible for 15 of 18 total outbreaks in 2024 and 13 of 14 in 2023.
The CDC informed USA Today earlier this year: “While the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in the years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend.
“However, CDC data shows a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land. Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.”
Norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, can be extremely unpleasant but typically improves within approximately two days, according to the NHS.
Besides feeling nauseous, vomiting and experiencing diarrhoea, additional symptoms may include a high temperature, headache, stomach pain, and general aches and pains.
The NHS advises that the most effective ways to recover include remaining at home and getting adequate rest, staying hydrated, avoiding spicy or fatty foods, and taking paracetamol if experiencing discomfort. In a statement to the Mirror, AIDA Cruises said: “Seasonal illness peaks between November and April and the AIDAdiva report reflects infection patterns on land. Therefore, we’ve added more hygiene protocols onboard, and cases are already going down.”