A new virus emerges.
It has a high infection rate, sickening dozens almost immediately after its discovery.
The Trump administration underplays the threat.
Sound familiar?
History is repeating itself, this time with some new twists and, thankfully, a virus that isn’t as deadly as Covid-19—but is still capable of doing a boatload of harm.
Since the beginning of the year, a new strain of norovirus has been responsible for a dozen outbreaks on cruise ships.
That’s notable because in all of 2024 there were only 18 outbreaks in total. And this type of virus is so infectious that hundreds have been sickened. The disease causes vomiting, abdominal cramps, and severe diarrhea.
How has the Trump administration responded to this evolving crisis?
Late last week, all of the full-time employees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program were fired. This includes not just the people tasked with inspecting all the major cruise ships, but also the epidemiologist in charge of outbreak response.
It’s a puzzling move.
For one thing, the folks who were working on two of the latest outbreaks are now off the job with no one to replace them. For another, the program wasn’t even federally funded. The work these inspectors do was covered by a fee paid by cruise lines. So any claim that this was a cost-saving move is hokum.
A spokesperson for the CDC issued a statement saying that the work will be continued by U.S. Public Health Service officers. But a number of CDC officials have told the press that it will be difficult to carry out necessary inspections and outbreak monitoring due to severe understaffing.
So what should you do if you’re thinking of booking a cruise vacation?
Don’t book a ship cruising from Florida.
This year, 10 of the 12 norovirus outbreaks have happened aboard ships that have home ports in Florida. It’s probable that the disease has taken root on land and is getting transferred onto the ships—wastewater samples from across the state have been showing high levels of the virus.
Consider sailing from another country entirely.
There has been no gutting of the health inspection workforce in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the European port countries, or other major destinations that host cruise ships. For the time being, it may be wiser to book a ship that will be inspected by those nations rather than the United States.
Take hand hygiene seriously, and consider masking in crowded public areas.
Cruise ships are densely populated, which is why they’re especially conducive to norovirus. The illness spreads when people touch bacteria-laden surfaces or inhale droplets emitted by an infected person.
While you’re on the ship, wash your hands frequently, carry hand sanitizer, and consider wearing a mask when you’re at the casino, in a theater, or in other crowded areas indoors.
Avoid touching your face.
The eyes, nose, and mouth are all portals for norovirus. Touching an infected surface and then touching one of those areas is one of the most common ways for people to catch the disease.
Avoid self-serve food options.
Because so many folks touch the tongs at the buffet, those utensils can become a major source of infections.
We have more advice on how to avoid norovirus at sea here.
The bottom line? Travel options are shrinking, thanks to the Trump administration’s short-sighted policies. Hundreds of National Park Service rangers have been fired and dozens of leases let go, making outdoor adventures at national parks, forests, and monuments less safe, and, in some cases, less available.
The seriously understaffed Federal Aviation Administration has seen its workforce cut, as the number of crashes and runway near misses grow to levels we haven’t seen in decades.
And now cruise ships are becoming less safe.
None of this is normal or acceptable.
If you care about your rights as travelers and want to keep our economy strong—roughly 1 out of every 10 jobs on the planet are in the travel industry—call your representatives in Congress. Make your voice heard. Silence is complicity, and now is the time to push back.