Over 100 People Got Sick on a Celebrity Cruise, the Cause Is Still a Mystery
Key Aspects:
104 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported aboard Celebrity Eclipse’s Christmas sailing.
Vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps were the most common symptoms, but no causative agent has been confirmed.
Enhanced cleaning, isolating ill individuals, and other measures were immediately implemented.
A Christmas cruise can be an amazing getaway not only to enjoy all the amenities and relaxation of a typical cruise, but also to experience the magic of the holiday season in a unique and memorable way without all the seasonal stress.
For many guests aboard Celebrity Eclipse‘s Christmas Day cruise, however, the voyage has been memorable for all the wrong reasons. No one likes to be sick over vacation, and to be sick with a stomach bug on a holiday sailing is even worse.
The illness outbreak has been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as it involved enough guests and crew members to cross the 3% mandatory reporting threshold.
A total of 95 guests out of the 3,042 onboard, along with 9 crew members of the 1,235 on the team, reported vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps during the ship’s December 20, 2025, sailing. This represents 3.1% of guests and just .7% of crew members reporting symptoms.
The 8-night cruise departed Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, December 20, for the Eastern Caribbean itinerary with visits to Antigua, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC when the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, December 28. No delays have been noted, and the 121,900-gross-ton, Solstice-class ship has already departed on her next sailing.
Read Also: Think Cruise Ships Are Floating Petri Dishes? These 12 Facts Say Otherwise
To be clear, the number of cases reported to the CDC is for the entire voyage. It is possible different guests were sick on different days, not necessarily that all 104 reported cases were at the same time.
Onboard Response to Celebrity Eclipse Outbreak
Once the illness was reported, crew members on Celebrity Eclipse immediately implemented various measures to minimize any further spread or ongoing contamination. This included:
Increased cleaning and disinfection, particularly for public areas
Collecting samples for testing to find a causative agent
Isolating any guests or crew members reporting related symptoms
While the exact causative agent for this particular outbreak has not yet been identified, most bacteria or viruses that cause these gastrointestinal symptoms are spread through direct contact and contaminated surfaces.
Enhanced cleaning protocols can be very effective at controlling outbreaks of norovirus and similar illnesses. Guests can protect themselves by thoroughly washing their hands after using the restroom and before eating, and trying to avoid excessive touching of high-contact surfaces such as railings, door handles, buffet serving utensils, and elevator buttons.
Previous Outbreaks This Year
The current outbreak aboard Celebrity Eclipse is the first reported outbreak for a Celebrity Cruises ship in 2025, but the twenty-second outbreak across all cruise lines.
Most have been norovirus, though several outbreaks did not have a causative agent confirmed. One outbreak was determined to be E. coli, while another was confirmed as ciguatera.
The most recent previous outbreak was aboard AIDAdiva, with 114 guests and crew members succumbing to norovirus in late November and early December.
While there is a misconception that cruise ships can be floating petri dishes, the fact that hundreds of cruises have set sail in 2025 without any significant outbreaks disproves that idea.
Furthermore, outbreaks can occur on ships from any line and vessels of any size. Throughout 2025, vessels from luxury lines like Silversea, Oceania Cruises, and Sea Cloud Cruises have had outbreaks, as have major mass-market lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line.
Before this outbreak on Celebrity Eclipse, the most recent Celebrity Cruises outbreak reported to the CDC was aboard Celebrity Summit in May 2024, when 78 guests and crew members were impacted by norovirus.
Over 100 People Got Sick on a Celebrity Cruise, the Cause Is Still a Mystery