CDC investigates new cruise ship outbreak after dozens report gastrointestinal illness

05 Feb 2026 By foxnews

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a gastrointestinal illness outbreak aboard a luxury cruise ship.

The outbreak occurred during a voyage from Jan. 11 through Feb. 1 on a Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship.

It sickened 27 people, including 21 passengers and six crew members, CDC data shows.

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The cruise line notified the CDC of the illnesses during the sailing - and the agency listed the cause of the outbreak as unknown.

The outbreak was reported on the cruise line's Seven Seas Mariner.

The vessel departed from Miami and was sailing to Honolulu.

It had scheduled port calls in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and other destinations, according to CruiseMapper.

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A total of 631 passengers were on board the ship at the time.

The CDC said the cruise line took multiple steps to limit the spread of illness on board.

Those measures included increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures and isolating passengers and crew members who reported symptoms. The cruise line also followed the agency's outbreak response and sanitation protocols, the CDC said.

The CDC asked passengers who reported symptoms to provide stool samples, so health officials could test for a possible cause of the outbreak.

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The agency said laboratory testing was still pending.

Fox News Digital reached out to Regent Seven Seas Cruises for comment.

Identifying the source of an outbreak can take time, federal health officials said. Norovirus is often associated with gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships. However, the virus is not always immediately confirmed.

The CDC advises frequent handwashing as a key step in reducing the risk of gastrointestinal illness.

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Fox News Digital previously reported on the first confirmed norovirus outbreak of 2026.

That outbreak occurred on a Holland America Line cruise and left nearly 90 passengers and crew members ill during a voyage that ran from Dec. 28 through Jan. 9.

Ashley DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.