The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on April 15, 2026 that 19 passengers and 3 crew members were sickened in a gastrointestinal (GI) outbreak on the Oceania Insignia. The outbreak occurred during the ship’s 10-night voyage that started in Panama City on April 4 and ended in Miami on April 14.
Cruise lines are required to report GI illnesses to the CDC as part of the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) when at least 2% of passengers or crew members are sick and the ship is within 15 days of arriving at a U.S. port. The CDC publicly reports outbreaks when 3% of passengers or crew members are sick.
The CDC currently reports that 3.0% (19 of 633) of passengers and 0.8% (3 of 394) were sick on Oceania Insignia’s last voyage.
The causative agent of the outbreak is currently listed as unknown and the predominant symptom is diarrhea. Norovirus is the most common cause of GI outbreaks on cruise ships, accounting for 17 of the 23 outbreaks in 2025.
This is just the third GI outbreak reported by the CDC this year. Last year the CDC reported 14 outbreaks by this point in April 2025.
Oceania Cruises, the company that operates the Oceania Insignia, said in a statement to Cruise Law News, “At Oceania Cruises, the health and safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority. A small number of guests on the current voyage of the Oceania Insignia have reported symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. The ship’s Sanitation Officer has activated the CDC approved protocol and all guests experiencing symptoms are being treated.”
The CDC has not yet responded to a request for comment.