While aboard a luxury cruise on the Cunard Liner Queen Mary 2, more than 240 people were infected with the highly contagious stomach bug known as the norovirus. The voyage was a four-week-long trip from the UK to the Caribbean, and the outbreak occurred towards the end of the trip. It is reported that 224 of the 2,538 passengers fell sick with the virus, and 17 out of the 1,232 crew members also become infected.
How did the virus spread on the ship? Norovirus is known as the “cruise ship virus” and is spread through contaminated food or water, or by passengers or crew members who became infected ashore. This virus is highly contagious and will likely spread rapidly in close quarters. According to CNN, a Vanderbilt University professor Dr. William Schaffner reported, ‘“It can persist for days or even a week on environmental surfaces, which means that if you put your fingers on a contaminated surface, you can pick up a few viral particles, touch your mouth and then initiate an infection.”’
As a result of the outbreak, the Cunard Line has increased disinfection and cleaning procedures. Passengers who were infected have been quarantined from others on board. Members of the ship have also conducted tests to confirm norovirus cases. Schaffner also stated, “[The virus] is likely to go beyond all those barriers and interventions that have been put in place by cruise lines.”’ He believes that due to the highly infectious nature of the norovirus, it is likely to spread further.
The Cunard Liner has overall increased their disinfecting procedures as passengers take time to recover from the virus. Since then, no additional cases of the norovirus have been reported.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/travel/norovirus-outbreak-queen-mary-2-cunard-cruise-ship/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norovirus-outbreak-cruise-ship-241-passengers-cunard-queen-mary-2/
