CDC reports salmonella outbreak on Royal Caribbean ship

We now have confirmation that passengers and crew on board Royal Caribbean have been affected by the illness Rays of the sea during his last trip to Alaska was caused by salmonella.

Earlier this week, we reported a gastrointestinal outbreak affecting over 8% of passengers on board.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said the outbreak occurred on Radiance’s Alaska cruise from September 20 to 27, the company’s last Alaska cruise of the season.

Of the 2,172 guests, 180 reported feeling ill and 3 of the 894 crew members experienced symptoms. With 8.29% of passengers and 0.34% of crew affected, 8.63% of the ship’s passengers became ill, exceeding the CDC’s 3% limit for filing an official report.

Containment measures and symptoms

Royal Caribbean took immediate action to contain the outbreak by conducting shipwide announcements, collecting stool samples and increasing cleaning and disinfection protocols throughout the ship Rays of the sea.

It was initially unclear whether the illness was caused by norovirus, a common cause of gastrointestinal problems.

However, the CDC has now confirmed that salmonella, a bacterial infection that primarily affects the intestines, was the culprit.

Salmonella outbreaks on cruise ships are rare. Only one such outbreak was reported to the CDC between 2019 and 2023, making this incident the first in 2024.

Concerns about medical costs on board

Reports from passengers indicate that many have avoided seeking medical care on board due to the high cost of healthcare on cruise ships.

One passenger told our tip: “Many people did not go to the medical center on board for fear of the cost.”

Those who forgo onboard medical care also faced difficulty claiming future cruise credits for passengers who were kept in isolation or confirmed to be seriously ill by the ship’s medical team.

High medical costs at sea have long been a concern for cruise passengers. In December 2023 a passenger from Michigan faced a medical bill It cost thousands of dollars in total before it was evacuated by another Royal Caribbean ship.

This is another incident that shows the importance have travel insurance to cover unexpected medical costs.