A norovirus outbreak was recorded during a recent HAL-Holland America Line voyage, resulting in illness among close to 90 individuals. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 81 passengers out of 2,593 aboard the Rotterdam reported symptoms, along with 8 members of the ship’s crew. The primary clinical signs observed were diarrhea and vomiting.
The CDC identified the affected sailing as operating between December 28th and January 9th. The voyage departed from Fort Lauderdale and included scheduled calls at ports in Curaçao, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and additional destinations.
Holland America Line indicated that the majority of reported cases were mild in nature and resolved quickly. The company stated that, in line with established CDC procedures and its stated priority on passenger and crew welfare, a thorough sanitization of the vessel was carried out following the ship’s return to Fort Lauderdale at the conclusion of the cruise.
CDC surveillance data show that in 2025 the agency has recorded 23 cruise ship outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness that met the criteria for public notification, with norovirus identified as the cause in 17 instances. In comparison, norovirus was responsible for 15 of 18 such outbreaks in the previous year and 13 of 14 in 2023, underscoring its continued prevalence in maritime passenger operations.
For more ms Rotterdam incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.