Royal Caribbean issues serious health warning to passengers
The cruise line is taking preventative measures after a passenger was diagnosed with a severe illness after their cruise.
Although cruises offer many benefits to vacationers, they do come with some health risks that all travelers should take into consideration.
Cruises bring a large number of people together into a semi-enclosed shipboard environment, making it easy for illnesses to spread through person-to-person contact. This is why passengers are constantly encouraged to wash their hands throughout their cruise, especially when entering restaurants.
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In addition to person-to-person contact, it’s also possible for passengers to be exposed to communicable diseases through the air and through inhaled water droplets while on board a cruise ship.
Cruise lines must take special care to minimize the growth of Legionella bacteria in water systems to prevent transmission of the bacteria to passengers through inhaled water droplets, especially when using hot tubs.
On rare occasions, cruise passengers become sick with Legionnaires’ disease, a serious type of pneumonia, after returning from a cruise as a result of Legionella exposure.
This was the case for one person who recently sailed on a popular Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
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Royal Caribbean notifies passengers of Legionnaires’ disease case
Passengers on multiple sailings in March and April 2025 received emails from Royal Caribbean to notify them of a recent case of Legionnaires’ disease, according to RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, an unofficial fan blog not affiliated with the cruise line.
“The CDC has advised that while they are unsure where exposed, a guest who recently sailed on Symphony of the Seas was later diagnosed with Legionella,” the letter stated.
Royal Caribbean explained that heightened sanitation protocols were implemented as a precautionary measure, and that the cruise line followed all CDC guidance to protect the health of passengers and crew.
The cruise line also explained how Legionella spreads and the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.
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“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 — ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, as well as municipal water systems, fountains, and whirlpools.”
Not all people who are exposed to Legionella become sick. Most healthy people do not, but certain people are at an increased risk of getting sick from Legionella exposure — current and former smokers, adults over 50, and people with specific health issues or conditions.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, and headaches. Royal Caribbean advised passengers to reach out to a medical professional if they experience these symptoms and have concerns.
This is not the first case of Legionnaires’ disease potentially linked to the ship
In January 2025, Royal Caribbean sent this same type of notification to Symphony of the Seas’ passengers after two other passengers fell ill with Legionnaires’ disease after sailing on the ship. One of the passengers had sailed on the ship in October 2024, while the other sailed in December 2024, according to the CDC.
Past CDC investigations conducted between November 2022 and July 2024 linked previous outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease to private outdoor hot tubs on cruise ships.
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These private balcony hot tubs are popular amenities, but passengers should be aware that they are more likely to experience Legionella growth than public hot tubs in common areas. This is because private hot tubs are not typically subject to the same rigorous maintenance requirements as public ones.
“Given the range of hot tub–type devices offered as amenities across the cruise industry, to reduce risk for Legionella growth and transmission, it is important for cruise ship water management program staff members to inventory and assess private balcony hot tubs and adapt public hot tub maintenance and operations protocols for use on private outdoor hot tubs,” the CDC recommended in its 2024 investigation report.
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