At a glance
Learn about the gastrointestinal illness outbreak on Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Seas in May 2024, including outbreak details and actions taken in response.
Outbreak details
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
Cruise Ship: Allure of the Seas
Voyage Dates: May 20–May 24, 2024
Voyage number: 31795
Number of passengers who reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 121 of 6,364 (1.90%)
Number of crew who reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 3 of 2,143 (0.14%)
Predominant symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps
Causative agent: unknown
Actions in response to the outbreak
In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.
- Isolated ill passengers and crew.
A large number of cases were reported in a 12-hour period during the voyage, and many passengers reported similar symptoms and symptom onset times after travel. VSP reviewed the ship’s AGE logs and questionnaires detailing activities and meal locations for the 72 hours before that 12-hour period.
More information
Cases
Gastrointestinal illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Cruise ships report cases that meet our case definition for AGE. We define a reportable case of AGE as
- Three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or what is more than normal for that person OR
- Vomiting along with one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever.
Case totals
Cases reported are totals for the entire voyage. It does not mean all people are sick at the same time, such as when they arrive or leave a port or ship.