Illness Precautions Activated on Cruise Ship After Guests Fall Sick

Guests onboard a recent Silversea sailing of Silver Muse were asked to undertake greater sanitation precautions following multiple reports of gastrointestinal illness. The ship’s August 26, 2025, departure was affected by changes in onboard procedures.

While this did not have an overall impact on the ship’s 11-night itinerary, afflicted guests were asked to quarantine in their staterooms. Furthermore, rigorous cleaning protocols were initiated throughout the ship.

“During this sailing, some guests onboard have experienced gastrointestinal illness,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms noted. “In an abundance of caution, we have implemented enhanced sanitizing procedures onboard.”

The nature of those activities was not detailed. The cruise line did clarify that the procedures are recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and other public health agencies.

The CDC outlines a variety of sanitation measures to prevent the spread of norovirus, one of the most common worldwide causes of gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Typical steps include:

• Thorough handwashing with soap for at least 20 seconds after using the restroom and before eating.
• Using hand sanitizer in conjunction with, but not as a substitute for, handwashing.
• Proper food handling and sanitizing kitchen surfaces and food prep areas.
• Enhanced laundry procedures with the hottest possible water and highest dryer settings.
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The cruise line also urged guests to report any possible symptoms during the sailing.

“If you experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea – commonly associated with a gastrointestinal illness – at any time during your cruise, we request you contact the ships medical facility for a complimentary consultation and treatment,” the letter stated.

Guests who did report symptoms were not charged for their treatment. If guests needed to be briefly quarantined, refunds were processed for any missed shore excursions.

While no official cause of the illness has been disclosed, norovirus is the most common cause of such outbreaks on cruise ships.

Silver Muse has not reported any outbreak to the CDC, as the affected sailing was not in US waters at any point. This means that no such report is necessary, though local authorities in Greece may have been notified.

The August 26 sailing was a detailed exploration of the Greek Isles roundtrip from Athens that also included stops in Kusadasi and Istanbul in Turkey. Grecian ports included Santorini, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Volos, and Mykonos.

Though the cruise line has not disclosed exactly how many cases of illness were reported onboard Silver Muse nor precisely when they were reported, the ship can welcome 596 guests when fully booked. Also onboard are more than 400 international crew members.

Silver Muse has already departed on her next sailing, a 7-night Greek Isles trip. Enhanced sanitation may continue during this sailing as a further precaution against any recurrence.

Previous Illness Outbreaks in 2025

While this is the first significant outbreak aboard Silver Muse this year, it is not the first outbreak for Silversea guests. In February, an outbreak impacting 43 guests and crew members aboard Silver Ray was reported to the CDC.

In that situation, laboratory testing identified the cause as E. coli, which can easily contaminate food and water. In April 2024, an outbreak aboard Silver Nova was also identified as E. coli.

Of the 18 different outbreaks reported to the CDC so far in 2025, only five have not been caused by norovirus. In addition to the E. coli outbreak aboard Silver Ray, a ciguatera outbreak was reported aboard Sea Cloud Spirit in January.

Three other outbreaks in 2025 have unknown causes. These were aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Sea Lion (April), Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam (January-April), and Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Explorer (April-May).

Undoubtedly, lab samples from Silver Muse will be tested to determine the cause of the outbreak. This will help improve sanitation measures and response actions to minimize further contamination and possible future illness outbreaks.

Melissa Mayntz

Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.