Key Aspects:
- Oceania Insignia has reported a norovirus outbreak on its current 11-night Canada and New England cruise.
- Seventy-four passengers and one crew member are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.
- This marks the 20th gastrointestinal outbreak of 2025, according to the CDC’s reporting system.
A fall foliage cruise along the Canadian and New England coastline has taken an unpleasant turn after more than 70 passengers reported gastrointestinal illness mid-voyage.
The outbreak occurred aboard Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Insignia, which departed Montreal on October 16, 2025, for an 11-night itinerary scheduled to end in Boston on October 27.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that norovirus was identified as the cause, with 74 of 637 passengers and one crew member out of 391 reporting symptoms by October 20, 2025.
Oceania Insignia’s route includes port calls throughout Quebec, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, with stops such as Quebec City, Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Corner Brook, Sydney, Halifax, and Saint John before calling in Portland, Maine, and finishing in Boston.
The outbreak was reported just as the ship was sailing along the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Once cases were identified, the crew began implementing its outbreak prevention plan, including confining ill passengers to their cabins.
Public areas have received increased sanitation, especially high-touch surfaces like railings and elevator buttons, and dining services have shifted to reduce guest contact with shared utensils to try to contain the outbreak.
As required, Oceania Cruises notified US health officials as illness totals crossed reporting thresholds with 11.6 percent of guests affected.
“VSP [Vessel Sanitation Program] is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” the CDC stated.
Photo By: Oceania Cruises
Reporting requirements also mean counts are cumulative throughout the voyage and numbers may change if passengers and crew members continue reporting symptoms.
While norovirus typically resolves within a couple of days for most people, the virus spreads easily in confined spaces where passengers gather.
A Troubling Year for Cruise Outbreaks
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines, according to the CDC. It is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illnesses in the US.
Norovirus spreads easily in close-contact environments such as cruise ships, as well as restaurants, public events, and schools. The virus can pass from person to person or through contaminated surfaces with little exposure required.
This outbreak aboard Oceania Insignia adds to a series of norovirus detections that CDC has reported in 2025 across multiple cruise lines. In fact, there have been 15 outbreaks in the US where norovirus was confirmed.
Holland America Line experienced the first outbreak in January 2025 aboard Volendam with cases extending monthly through May.
Although June was illness-free, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas reported an outbreak in July, followed by the recent outbreak on Serenade of the Seas in late September that worsened before the voyage ended on October 2, 2025.
The Oceania Insignia incident is the first norovirus outbreak publicly recorded this year for Oceania Cruises.
Read Also: How to Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Cruise Vacation
The CDC has also recorded three additional outbreaks with unconfirmed causes, an E. coli outbreak, and one Ciguatera outbreak, a seafood poisoning, making 2025 one of the busiest years on record in outbreaks at 20 total incidents by press date.
In 2024, there were 18 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships in the VSP system.
Passengers still sailing with Oceania Insignia and other vessels can take steps to reduce their risk. The CDC recommends washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the restroom. Alcohol-based sanitizers are less effective against norovirus.
Guests who begin experiencing vomiting or diarrhea are urged to report their symptoms immediately to the ship’s medical team and to remain in their cabins.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
