Rotterdam

A norovirus outbreak sickened 81 of the ship's 2,593 passengers and eight out of the 1,005 crew members aboard the 'Rotterdam' for the second time in less than a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 89 people reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. The main symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea, with norovirus identified as the cause. The sickened passengers and crew members were isolated, and stool samples were collected for testing. The cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved. Consistent with CDC protocols, the company conducted a comprehensive sanitization of the ship when the cruise ended the port of Fort Lauderdale. The 'Rotterdam' had left Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Dec. 28, 2025. The ship returned on Jan. 9, 2026 after the illness spread on the ship. During a voyage in Feb 2025, 169 people were reported sick just days after the ship departed from Fort Lauderdale.

Ann Evans, 55, , the American passenger who failed to return to the 'Rotterdam' was found alive, officials announced on Nov 28, over a week after her disappearance. She had departed the ship on Nov 20 for an island tour, according to a missing person alert from the Police Force of Sint Maarten. She got off a bus in French Saint Martin and did not return to the bus or the cruise ship. The Police Force of Sint Maarten issued a missing person alert on Nov 26. Law enforcement officials on both the Dutch and French sides of the island were notified of Evans’ disappearance. During the investigation, authorities discovered that a woman matching Evans’ description had checked into a hotel on the French side of the island using her passport. She was seen in the area surrounding the hotel. Report with photo: https://www.newsweek.com/missing-cruise-ship-passenger-found-alive-over-week-after-vanishing-11135577

The passenger Ann Evans, 55, did not return to the 'Rotterdam' during a stop at Port St. Maarten in Philipsburg on Nov. 20, according to the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM). Evans is a U.S. citizen. At approximately 10:00 a.m., she departed the ship on an organized island tour,”the authorities said in a Nov. 26 missing person alert. During the tour, Ms. Evans disembarked the bus in Marigot, French Saint Martin, but did not return to the bus or to the cruise ship. The Holland America Line has notified the local authorities immediately andwere working closely with them to confirm the guest’s whereabouts. The 'Rotterdam' was on a 12-day Caribbean sailing that left from Fort Lauderdale on Nov 16. Authorities on the Dutch and French sides of the island were notified and search efforts were ongoing. Law enforcement asked anyone with information regarding Evans’ location to come forward. The KPSM can be reached at the local number +1 (721) 542-2222, and the French Gendarmerie can be contacted by calling +590 590-29-25-25

The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program has identified the 'Rotterdam' as the latest vessel to experience an outbreak this year. The ship is currently on a 12-night Panama Canal cruise that departed from Port Everglades on Feb 2, 2025, and is set to return on Feb 14. 107 of 2,614 passengers (4.1%) and 12 of 969 crew members (1.2%) have reported symptoms of illness since the first case was identified on Feb 7. These numbers represent cumulative cases throughout the cruise and did not indicate that all individuals were sick at the same time. Reported symptoms included diarrhea and vomiting. In response, the ship’s crew has ramped up cleaning and disinfection procedures in accordance with the cruise line’s outbreak prevention plan. Specimens from both passengers and crew have been collected for testing, and the CDC is remotely monitoring the situation while consulting with the cruise line.

An outbreak of norovirus has affected 83 passengers and 12 crew members of the 'Rotterdam' during its current voyage that started on Dec 8, 2024, and lasts unti Dec 20, The ship departed on its 12-night roundtrip cruise from Fort Lauderdale with calls at Curacao, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. The vessel also transited through the Panama Canal and spent a day at the newly renamed and private RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay, jointly operated by Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line, both owned by Carnival Corporation. While calling in Montego Bay on Dec 18, the medical team aboard the ship reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it was experiencing an outbreak of suspected norovirus. The ship with 2,192 passengers and 953 crew on board was now under close observation by the CDC. Holland America Line has taken immediate steps to contain the outbreak by intensifying cleaning and disinfection procedures as outlined in its outbreak prevention and response plan.

The 'Rotterdam', while bound for the Azores made a detour to Bermuda after a passenger encountered medical difficulties. The RCC Bermuda was contacted by the ship on April 14 at around noon, while it was sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Ponta Delgada. It had diverted to the island to disembark a 75-year-old passenger to receive medical care. In the late afternoon of April 15 the ship arrived offshore, and the patient was transferred to the pilot rescue boat 'St David' along with a member of the ships medical team. The patient was transferred to an ambulance at Ordnance Island along with the ships nurse allowing the cruise ship to continue her passage to the Azores with an ETA at Ponta Delgada as of April 20.