Outbreak on Silversea Cruise: Nearly 30 Passengers Fall Ill, Sparks Health Concerns

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that passengers who expected to enjoy a gourmet cruise aboard a Silversea luxury liner spent most of their time in the bathrooms on board the ship with a gastrointestinal illness.

The agency reported that at least 28 passengers, including one crew member, fell ill on the 16-day cruise with an Easter theme, which departed from Callao in Peru.

All of them reported the same primary symptoms: diarrhea.

The agency stated that the cause of this outbreak is unknown. However, noroviruses can be spread by consuming contaminated food and drinking contaminated water.

Silver Nova is the newest cruise liner from the company, introduced in 2023. Each suite has butler service, and there’s one crew member per 1.3 passengers.

Silversea’s website states that the crew members aboard the ship are aiming to provide guests with “outstanding cuisine.” The “Top Chef’s Nina Compton” joined the staff at the end of 2012 and gave personal cooking lessons to its passengers.

The CDC reported that sick passengers were quarantined in their rooms. The CDC said that other passengers were informed, and crew members “increased the cleaning and disinfection procedure.”

A spokesperson for Silversea Cruises said to the New York Post that “the health and safety of all our guests, our crew, and the communities we visit is our number one priority.”

According to CruiseMapper, the prices for this voyage that ended on 16 April started at $11,700 per double occupancy room.

The Post reported the Silversea incident as the fourth outbreak this year. This includes one in which 130 passengers were struck by diarrhea and vomiting and another in which 104 passengers fell ill aboard a Holland America cruise ship.

The CDC reported that 14 cruise ship outbreaks occurred in 2023.