CDC Reports 75 Illnesses Linked to P&O’s Arcadia Voyage

This week, upon the Arcadia cruise ship’s arrival in New York, a total of 75 individuals—65 guests and 10 crew members—exhibited gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3.32% (65) of the 1,959 guests and 1.25% (10) of the 799 crew members were affected. The CDC has not yet identified the specific infection responsible for the illnesses.

This year, 75% of reported outbreaks have been associated with the highly contagious norovirus. Out of 12 GI outbreaks documented this year, nine were attributed to norovirus; one involved E. coli, and the pathogens causing two outbreaks remain unidentified.

Once again, the CDC did not determine the cause or source of the outbreak. Both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have consistently indicated that the majority of norovirus outbreaks arise from contaminated food and/or water. Cruise lines often attribute outbreaks to passengers, despite a lack of robust evidence supporting this assertion.

It is important to note that norovirus can also be transmitted through the air, yet cruise lines do not provide N95 masks in response to outbreaks.

The typical discourse surrounding a GI outbreak often sees the public blaming undercooked cruise line food, while cruise lines assert that passengers neglected proper handwashing. However, frequent handwashing may not mitigate the risk of illness if food is contaminated by infected handlers—even more so if the virus is airborne.

One significant weakness in the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is its failure to investigate how GI outbreaks occur. The agency does not conduct scientific assessments to ascertain the specific source of transmission (e.g., contaminated food, water, or the origin of the outbreak). This oversight is likely attributed to the CDC’s limited resources and the rapid turnover of cruise ships in U.S. ports.

The cruise industry typically lacks an interest in uncovering the root causes of outbreaks. Most cruise lines claim that the virus was brought onboard by a guest, who then spread it among other passengers, without examining whether kitchen staff or food handlers were working while ill. Additionally, there is no assessment of what the affected passengers last consumed or whether they were served by the same waitstaff. Unlike cruise lines, major restaurant chains in the U.S., such as Chipotle, take proactive steps to trace the specific sources of norovirus outbreaks, targeting the distributer of the contaminated food items involved.

If you find this matter noteworthy, we recommend reading the article After Years of Decline, Norovirus Outbreaks Surge on Cruise Ships and our previous report on a GI outbreak aboard another Princess cruise ship, the Ruby Princess, which occurred just over a year ago: