Mystery Illness Sickens over 30 people at 2-week Viking Cruise

More than two dozen passengers and several crew members on a Viking cruise ship have fallen ill during their two-week journey, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

CDC found that the outbreak occurred on Viking polaris Cruise ships, which resigned on Friday, April 11 and are scheduled to terminate on Wednesday, April 23. The causing agent for the outbreak, first reported on Friday, April 18, is currently described as “unknown”, per agency.

So far, 28 out of 355 passengers and four out of 260 crew members reported that they felt sick on board, says CDC. The sick passengers reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

In response to the outbreak, Viking polaris The crew members implemented their prevention and response plan that included “increased cleaning and disinfectant procedures”, “isolating passengers and crew”, which consults CDC’s sanitation program on “sanitation procedures” and reports sick cases.

The crew also gathered “stool samples from cases of gastrointestinal diseases for testing” – which will help CDC determine what caused the disease, it says.

Viking expedition operations, which run the cruise, did not immediately respond to people’s request for comment.

According to cruise master, Viking polaris Ship made a port in New York City on Wednesday, April 23, and the ship is currently there after sailing to several different cities in Canada, including Toronto and Quebec City.

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CDC said that the “Norovirus”, which is a “highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea”, is often “a cause of gastrointestinal disease outbreaks on cruise ships.”

Norovirus symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain, which can develop 12 to 48 hours after being exposed, according to CDC. Most people with the disease get better within 1-3 days but can still be contagious, according to the agency.

CDC is currently testing if Norovirus is the cause of this outbreak.

Earlier this month, over 200 passengers and 17 herds aboard a Cunard Line ship reported that they were sick After a norovirus outbreak. A spokesman for Cunard Line Ship told USA Today in a statement that it was careful to monitor the guests and “completed an extensive deep cleaning of the ship and immediately activated our improved health and security protocols.”

Last month also nearly 70 passengers and 13 herds reported that they were sick aboard a princess cruise shipwho planned to stay in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Aruba. A spokesman for the cruise line told People that the crew “quickly adopted improved remediation protocols” in the first signs of illness.

According to CDC, more than 2,400 Norovirus eruptions from August 2024 to 9 April 2025 have been reported.