Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Celebrity Cruises confirmed an outbreak on the Millennium-class vessel during its 7-night journey from Vancouver, Canada, to Seward, Alaska, which took place from May 24 to May 31, 2024. Norovirus, the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the US according to the CDC, affected 68 of the 2,264 passengers and five of the 943 crew members onboard. Despite the contagious nature of norovirus, which typically lasts one to three days and resolves without medical intervention, only a small percentage of passengers and crew experienced symptoms.
Cruise ships are mandated to report potential outbreaks to the CDC when certain criteria are met, including voyage duration longer than three days, more than 100 passengers onboard, and at least 3% of passengers experiencing symptoms. Despite the reported outbreak, many passengers remained unaware and were able to enjoy their voyage to destinations such as Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan in Alaska without concern. While cruise lines implement sanitation measures to prevent outbreaks, passengers can take additional steps to protect themselves, such as frequent hand washing, especially before meals or after touching high-contact surfaces.
Although the ideal scenario is to prevent outbreaks entirely, protocols are in place to swiftly address them, minimizing the spread of disease as much as possible. In summary, the reported gastrointestinal outbreak on the Celebrity Summit underscores t.
