After Cruise Ship Quarantine, How Can You Avoid Catching Norovirus?

It’s been about five years since the travel industry was stopped dead by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in that time, so many travelers and travel advisors have become quasi-experts in dealing with potential viruses and illness during travel.

While the fears of COVID-19 halting the travel industry have subsided, illnesses that can disrupt a trip remain a concern. This year, perhaps no illness has captured travelers’ attention more than norovirus.

Dr. Jim Evans, MD is a practicing emergency medicine physician and Senior Medical Consultant at Allianz Partners, where he oversees aeromedical patient transportation and provides medical direction for travelers in need of care or evacuation. TMR recently spoke with Dr. Evans about norovirus and travel, including tips for avoiding the virus.

What Is Norovirus, and How Does it Spread?

Norovirus, commonly known as a “stomach bug” or the “stomach flu,” is not your typical respiratory virus like COVID-19 or the flu. It’s far more resilient and significantly easier to spread.

Due to its protein shell, norovirus is much harder to kill than COVID-19 or the flu, surviving on surfaces for days or even weeks. COVID-19, Dr. Evans said, is a “brittle virus” compared to norovirus. “If someone contaminates a surface with norovirus, it will stay on that surface for weeks,” he said.

Not only is norovirus harder to kill, but it’s also far more contagious than viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. It only takes a small number of particles to infect someone. Surface transmission is the primary way people get infected, although there is some risk of airborne infection from individuals who are actively symptomatic. Those infected can shed billions of particles at a time for up to two weeks after recovering, Evans added.

Is Norovirus Increasing?

While it might seem like norovirus cases are increasing, and there is some data to suggest this winter season has been particularly severe, much of it has to do with how the virus interacts with populations.

Norovirus is highly contagious and easily spread, making it especially effective at moving through groups of people in shared spaces. During the winter months, cases often rise as people in colder climates stay indoors and gather in large groups for holidays or conferences.

This seasonal trend contributes to an increase in case numbers and reports of outbreaks on cruise ships during the winter.

Still, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the past few months have been among the worst for norovirus outbreaks since tracking began in 2015. For the week of Dec. 5, 2025, the CDC reported 91 outbreaks—significantly higher than the previous maximum of 65 for the same week in prior years, though similar to other high December figures in years past.

How Much Should Travelers Worry?

The last five years have shown travelers how much illness and viruses can impact plans. Shared spaces, like airplane bathrooms, armrests, tray tables, or window shades, are all opportunities to pick up viruses that linger on surfaces, such as norovirus.

The most vulnerable spots for travelers are those shared spaces where you’re either shaking hands or touching surfaces that many others have touched. Because travel often involves being in close quarters—whether in an airplane cabin, on a cruise ship, or in a tour bus—it makes travelers particularly susceptible to infection.

Most consumers might assume a cruise ship is the place they’re most likely to contract norovirus. And while the environment does lend itself to infection—shared public bathrooms, dining venues, buffets, and more—cruise companies are among the only travel providers required to report outbreaks.

As a result, stories about cruise ship outbreaks are far more common than those about hotels, resorts, trains, or planes, even though the risk of infection is just as likely in those places.

However, there are steps travelers can take to protect themselves.

Tips for Avoiding Norovirus During Travel

The best way to avoid getting norovirus is avoiding touching a surface that has the virus, so avoiding high-touch areas in public spaces, which is a difficult task during travel. There are some other ways travelers can put themselves in the best position to travel illness-free.

The first is making sure that your disinfectant is bleach based and not alcohol-based, Dr. Evans said. Norovirus, because of that protein shell, is unaffected by alcohol-based disinfectants, which are most the bottle of hand sanitizer that you might get a drug store.

“The typical drug store hand sanitizers are not going to helpful for these viruses because of the protein shell. You have to use bleach base stuff or soap and water. Anything that has Clorox in it as far as a wipe or cleaning solution is going to be your best bet,” Dr. Evans said.

If you are using soap and water, make sure to wash your hands 20 to 30 seconds with the water running. “That’s going to get you cleaner than any of the alcohol-based products,” he added.

There’s also a personal responsibility element for when you are traveling in a group or amongst other people in a shared setting. Alerting a cruise ship’s crew if you do fall ill, and avoiding spreading it amongst fellow guests, is going to help curtail outbreaks. Be honest on pre-boarding questionnaires on cruise ships, too, which are designed to stop guests who may be infected coming onboard.