A dozen people sick in expedition cruise norovirus outbreak

A dozen people got sick in a norovirus outbreak during a National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions sailing.

Among the 66 passengers traveling on the National Geographic Sea Bird vessel, nine reported being ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with three crew members.

Their main symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting.The CDC listed the voyage dates as May 26 through May 31. The ship is currently operating in Alaska, according to CruiseMapper.

The ship’s crew implemented heightened disinfection and cleaning measures and isolated sick guests and employees, among other steps, according to the health agency. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program is also "conducting a field response for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak on" the ship's May 31 and June 5 voyages because of continued cases.

The CDC has logged five outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships that met its threshold for public notification this year. Two were caused by E. coli, while the others were caused by norovirus.

There were 23 outbreaks that were publicly notified in 2025, including 18 caused by norovirus, and the illness caused 15 out of 18 total outbreaks the year before. Norovirus is often associated with cruise ships, but those cases account for only 1% of outbreaks reported.

"(Outbreaks are) often taking place within the community, and oftentimes we don't know that they're happening," Sarah R. Michaels, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, previously told USA TODAY. "Really, when we have these areas where people … are in really close contact, things like day care facilities, nursing homes and cruise ships, it’s more likely (to be) diagnosed, reported and brought to our attention."

This story was updated to add new information.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].