But another statistic in the world of cruising is on the up, and it’s not a good one: the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests 2024 was the worst year for cruise ship-based gastrointestinal outbreaks in over a decade.

Cruises are gross. With so many people in a confined space, vacation-goers play a game of illness roulette anytime they step on a cruise ship. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 16 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks aboard vessels in 2024,

A virus known as the stomach bug that has surged across parts of the country is the cause of nearly all diarrhea outbreaks reported on cruise ships that docked at U.S. ports in 2024, federal data shows.

(CNN) - Illnesses on cruise ships have hit a 12-year high. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were outbreaks on 16 different cruise ships in 2024. The majority of the illnesses were norovirus cases. More than 2,000 passengers and crew were impacted.