Dozens of guests and crew members on Viking Polaris fell ill with gastrointestinal symptoms during an 11-night sailing from Toronto to New York.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28 of the ship’s 355 passengers and four of its 260 crew reported symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea.
The outbreak occurred during the ship’s April 11–23 itinerary, but the exact cause has not yet been identified. In response, Viking Cruises enacted its enhanced sanitation protocols, which included isolating affected individuals and ramping up cleaning and disinfection measures.
Viking Polaris has remained on schedule despite the outbreak and is expected to complete its sailing as planned, arriving in New York on April 23.
Second Viking Outbreak of the Year
This marks Viking Cruises’ second gastrointestinal incident in 2025. In January, Viking Mars reported a norovirus outbreak that impacted several passengers during a two-week voyage. Viking had no reported outbreaks in 2024, making this year’s uptick notable.
Read More: The 25 Cleanest Cruise Ships in 2024
Overall, this is the 13th cruise ship outbreak tracked by the CDC in 2025. Ten have been confirmed as norovirus cases, with others linked to E. coli or presumed Ciguatera.
By comparison, 18 outbreaks were reported in 2024 and 14 in 2023.
VSP Hit by Mass Layoffs
The recent news comes after the CDC laid off civilian staff in its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which is the federal agency responsible for monitoring health and sanitation on cruise ships.
Although operations continue with support from the remaining commissioned officers, former staff are concerned about the program’s ability to manage its workload as more cruise ships continue to homeport from the United States.
Passengers are reminded to wash their hands frequently, especially before eating, and to report any norovirus-like symptoms to the ship’s medical center.
