Over 200 passengers and crew members aboard the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 cruise ship fell sick after being infected with norovirus. The norovirus outbreak on the ship reportedly occurred on March 18 after a stop in New York City. The ship was sailing from England to the Eastern Caribbean.

People showed symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC stated that 224 passengers and 17 crew members were infected with the norovirus. The ship was carrying a total of 2,538 passengers and 1,232 crew members.

The ship has isolated the infected people and also implemented sanitising and disinfecting procedures. Samples have also been taken for testing.

The luxury cruise ship visited several destinations, including New York, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts, and Tortola, before heading back to Southampton, its final destination, as per reports.

As per the CDC, only a small number of norovirus cases occur on cruise ships – about 1%. It is most likely to happen in schools, nursing homes and hospitals.

In 2025, many norovirus outbreaks have occurred on cruise ships, with five ships already affected. Last year, there were 16 outbreaks.

Norovirus symptoms, treatment and prevention

Norovirus affects the stomach and is hard to cure. Other symptoms include headache, fever and body aches. Symptoms begin 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus and last for about one to three days. However, infected people can be contagious for two more weeks after recovering.

Doctors recommend washing hands for at least 20 seconds, especially before preparing food and using the washroom. Norovirus is contained in a hardy protein shell called a capsid, for which hand sanitisers might not be very effective against the virus.

Norovirus can stay on surfaces for weeks or months, so disinfecting areas while wearing gloves is necessary to get rid of the virus. Bleach should be left in the area for at least five minutes.