Thu Jan 01 19:20:00 UTC 2026: ## Celebrity Cruise Ship Hit by Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak
Fort Lauderdale, FL – A recent Celebrity Cruises voyage was marred by a gastrointestinal illness outbreak, leaving over 100 passengers and crew members sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 95 of the 3,042 guests aboard the Celebrity Eclipse, along with nine crew members, experienced symptoms including vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea during the eight-day Caribbean cruise which concluded on December 28th.
The CDC has not yet identified the causative agent of the illness. The ship was sailing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale when the outbreak occurred.
In response, Celebrity Cruises implemented enhanced sanitation protocols, including heightened disinfection and cleaning measures. They also isolated affected passengers and crew to limit further spread, according to the CDC. Celebrity Cruises has not yet responded to requests for comment.
This outbreak is one of 22 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruises that met the CDC’s threshold for public notification this year. While cruise ship outbreaks are often publicized, experts emphasize that they represent only a small fraction of reported outbreaks.
“Outbreaks are often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don’t know that they’re happening,” explained Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, in a previous interview with USA TODAY. She noted that close-contact environments like day care facilities, nursing homes, and cruise ships are more likely to experience diagnosed and reported outbreaks.
This year, norovirus has been the primary cause of cruise ship gastrointestinal outbreaks, accounting for 16 of the 22 reported incidents.
The CDC continues to monitor the situation and work to identify the source of the illness on the Celebrity Eclipse.
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