Over 70 individuals aboard a P&O Cruises ship have fallen ill due to a gastrointestinal illness outbreak.

On the Arcadia ship, which has 1,959 passengers, 65 guests and 10 crew members reported feeling unwell during the voyage. The predominant symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea, as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The health agency has yet to determine the cause of the outbreak.

The cruise, which began on September 3, is a month-long round trip departing from Southampton, England, to the U.S. and Canada, as noted by CruiseMapper.

According to a representative from the cruise line, “Before boarding, all passengers received an advisory notice outlining precautionary health measures for both onboard and onshore activities, which is standard for our fleet.” Furthermore, “in response to reports of gastrointestinal symptoms among guests, P&O Cruises promptly instituted approved, enhanced sanitization protocols to ensure the safety of everyone on board.”

Additionally, the cruise line communicated alerts to both passengers and crew about the outbreak, urged reporting of cases, and promoted good hand hygiene practices, according to the CDC.

So far in 2024, the CDC has recorded nine outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises that reached their notification threshold. In six cases, norovirus was identified as the cause.

While illnesses are frequently associated with cruise ships, they only represent about 1% of all reported outbreaks, as per the CDC.

Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, a hospital epidemiologist and head of infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital, noted in April, “Cruise ships do not have unique problems; it’s any crowded setting that can experience such outbreaks. These incidents also occur within communities, albeit on a smaller scale among families, which often go unnoticed by public health authorities.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for YSL News based in Nashville.