Overview
- The National Geographic Sea Bird had 18 of 62 passengers report abdominal cramps and vomiting during a July 10 Alaska voyage, a CDC Vessel Sanitation Program report shows.
- This July incident is the ship’s third GI outbreak since late May after norovirus was confirmed on May 28 and June 28, but the cause of the July event remains listed as unknown pending test results.
- Lindblad Expeditions and the Sea Bird crew responded by isolating sick passengers, ramping up cleaning and disinfection, and working with the CDC to collect stool samples for laboratory confirmation.
- The CDC has logged eight cruise-associated gastrointestinal outbreaks so far in 2026 that met its public-notification threshold, with five attributed to norovirus and two to E. coli.
- Norovirus spreads easily through contaminated food, water, surfaces, and close contact, so investigators and travelers will be watching test results and onboard infection controls to see if the pattern on this vessel continues or is contained.