A cruise ship carrying more than 2,000 passengers is expected to drop anchor in Santa Barbara on Thursday, and not everyone’s thrilled about it.
The AIDAdiva, a German vessel operated by Aida Cruises, is scheduled to spend the day offshore, tendering guests into the harbor. But the ship arrives with baggage: a norovirus outbreak that sickened 95 passengers and six crew members earlier this month, according to a December 4 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The ship is currently sailing up the California coast, with recent stops in San Diego and Los Angeles. Its itinerary includes Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, and now Santa Barbara — a familiar pattern for the city’s cruise calendar. But with memories of the COVID-era Grand Princess debacle still fresh for some, the phrase “outbreak on a cruise ship” was enough to cause anxiety.
“We’re getting calls,” said Waterfront Director Mike Wiltshire. “But the cases on board peaked back in November. There have been no new cases since December 4, and all sick passengers are being isolated on board. This visit isn’t considered a risk.”
Wiltshire confirmed that the city reached out to the county’s Public Health Department as a precaution. “[Public Health Officer] Dr. Henning Ansorg did not express any issue or concern with the visiting ship,” he said in an email. “If cases are declining with no new ones since December 4, there should be no safety concern locally.”
Guests showing symptoms are not allowed to disembark and must isolate for 24 hours after their symptoms resolve. The ship has also implemented increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, and stool samples have been collected for testing, per CDC protocols.
So, no, this should not culminate to become a Grand Princess moment — the 2020 COVID cruise ship that sparked widespread outrage and was ultimately blocked from disembarking in Santa Barbara altogether.
Fast-forward to now, and the pathogen in question is a bit different. It’s gastrointestinal.
Known less romantically as “the vomiting bug,” norovirus is America’s leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. It spreads like wildfire — through contaminated surfaces, food, water, and close contact — and can linger on hands and objects for days.
What’s making headlines this season is a newly dominant strain of the virus, GII.17, which is believed to be 50 percent more infectious than previous strains. The CDC says it has overtaken the long-standing GII.4 variant that caused most norovirus outbreaks for the last decade.
Wastewater data shows norovirus levels are climbing in California, especially in L.A. and the Bay Area, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. Nationally, the test positivity rate for norovirus has jumped from 8.66 percent in September to over 14 percent in the Western U.S. as of late November.
As for Santa Barbara County, there is no exact data on the number of norovirus cases. On the bright side, norovirus is only reportable in the event of an outbreak, according to County Public Health officials, and currently there are no outbreaks in the county.
For vulnerable folks in our community, including immunocompromised, infants, and the elderly, norovirus can be dangerous. For most, it is a disease that should only last one to three days but remains transmissible for weeks after. That’s why Public Health officials stress prevention, especially during the November-April norovirus season. It is the classic wash hands often, clean and disinfect surfaces, and cook food thoroughly.
Santa Barbara’s Public Health Department has not issued any formal advisories, but it’s keeping an eye on trends as the holiday travel season ramps up. Meanwhile, the AIDAdiva will come and go on Thursday, and if your gut says to skip the harbor crowds this week — maybe trust it.
