Beth Knowles and her family left on a Caribbean cruise in late December, but they missed every port. They got too sick to disembark during a norovirus outbreak on board. Knowles got an email from Cunard Line one day before their Dec.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified 2024 as the worst year for stomach illness outbreaks on cruise ships in over a decade as Norovirus cases surged in the U.S.

So far this year, there have been 16 outbreaks on cruise ships, from norovirus, salmonella, e. coli or other unidentified pathogens that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. That's the largest number of cruise ship outbreaks in 12 years.

Cruise ships saw the highest number of stomach bug illnesses since 2012 with 16 outbreaks that impacted 1,894 passengers.