Norovirus Sickens 3.4% of Passengers on Ruby Princess Alaska Voyage

The Ruby Princess carried 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew on a 20-day round-trip voyage to Canada and Alaska that departed San Francisco on June 12. New York Post reported that 102 passengers and 23 crew members developed norovirus symptoms during the trip.

The ship's captain announced the outbreak over the public address system around dinnertime on June 15 after the vessel had stopped in Ketchikan but before reaching Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord.

Infected passengers were required to remain in their quarters for at least 24 hours after symptoms ended, and gloved crew members served food at the buffet while delivering meals to quarantined rooms. The CDC received the outbreak report on June 28. The ship docked in San Francisco on July 2, after which Princess Cruises conducted comprehensive cleaning and disinfection.

The company stated that a limited number of guests reported mild gastrointestinal illness and that enhanced sanitation protocols reduced cases. Peter Korer, a 60-year-old passenger from Las Vegas on his first norovirus-affected cruise in more than 40 voyages, said the captain directed passengers to report symptoms immediately and ordered deep cleaning of rooms.

Korer avoided illness by staying away from crowds and wiping surfaces.

This marked the third norovirus outbreak on Princess Cruises ships since March 2026. The Caribbean Princess had earlier sickened over 100 passengers and more than a dozen crew on a 14-day Eastern Caribbean voyage.