Royal Caribbean brings in extreme rule changes after 'serious' health warning issued as passenger falls ill
Royal Caribbean cruises have brought in some extreme rule changes after issuing a ‘serious’ health warning.
Cruise ships can be breeding grounds for diseases at times, with one sick person sometimes being enough to leave an entire ship full of sick people.
This is not the first health crisis to take place on a cruise liner, with a luxury cruise ship recently returning to the UK with over 200 Norovirus positive passengers on board.
In this case, however, it was not Norovirus that has led to rule changes, but Legionnaire’s disease. This is an uncommon type of pneumonia which can take place after Legionella exposure.
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Legionella is a rare type of bacteria that, when found in water droplets, can lead to a very serious disease.
One person who recently sailed on a Royal Caribbean cruise fell foul to this rare disease, which reportedly led to passengers on multiple ships sailing between March and April of 2025 receiving an email update - although it did not specify a particular cruise ship sailing or that the passenger had been diagnosed upon the ship.
Within this update, Royal Caribbean informed cruisegoers of 'heightened sanitation protocols'.
Per Royal Caribbean blog, a passenger posted into a private Facebook group with the email. This informed passengers that someone had contracted the disease on a recent voyage called the Symphony of the Seas, leading to the heightened sanitation as a ‘precautionary measure’.
The company reassured passengers that they were following all CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines.
They went on to say: “It is important to know that Legionella is not contagious from person to person.
“It is contracted by inhaling water droplets from a source containing the bacteria, which can be found throughout the world in any environment containing water.”
The statement pointed passengers to potential symptoms from the disease, including headaches, coughs, shortness of breathes, and muscle aches.
Exposure to Legionella does not guarantee someone will contract the disease, but amongst those that it does it can be a potentially fatal experience.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that Legionnaire’s disease ranges from 'a mild cough to a rapidly fatal pneumonia'.
They went on to say: “Death occurs through progressive pneumonia with respiratory failure and/or shock and multi-organ failure.”
Whilst the death rate can range depending on whether someone is immune-compromised or untreated, the WHO state it is thought to be as high as 5-10 per cent.
Royal Caribbean finally stressed in their email to passengers: “We apologise for any concern and inconvenience this may cause. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.”
LADbible Group has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.
Topics: Royal Caribbean, Cruise Ship, Travel
Michael Slavin