Third gastrointestinal illness outbreak hits National Geographic Sea Bird this season

18 of 88 people affected during July 10-15 voyage from Sitka to Juneau, cause unknown, according to CDC; ship is only one in U.S. ports with more than one reported outbreak in 2026

The National Geographic Sea Bird cruise ship. (Doug Knuth / Wikimedia Commons)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

The third gastrointestinal illness in less than two months has hit the National Geographic Sea Bird cruise ship, infecting 18 of 88 people aboard the five-day voyage from Sitka that ended in Juneau on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 152-foot-long ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions also had 12 of 90 people infected during a voyage May 26-31 from Juneau to Sitka, and 20 of 95 people on a June 25-30 trip between Juneau and Ketchikan. The cause of the most recent outbreak is unknown, with abdominal cramps and vomiting reported as the main symptoms, although norovirus is the listed cause of the first two outbreaks.

There have been eight outbreaks on cruise ships making stops in U.S. ports in 2026, with the Sea Bird the only vessel with more than one, according to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program website.

Lindblad Expeditions has not responded to requests from the Juneau Independent for comment about the previous outbreaks. A message sent to the company’s media relations office Saturday morning did not receive an immediate response.

The most recent outbreak infected 18 of 62 passengers and none of the 26 crew members, according to the CDC. The agency reports Lindblad Expeditions and the ship’s crew performed standard procedures including increased cleaning and disinfection, isolating ill passengers, and consulting with the CDC.

A fourth viral outbreak on a cruise ship stopping in Juneau was reported at the beginning of July, when norovirus infected 125 of 4,176 people aboard the Ruby Princess during a round-trip voyage between San Francisco and Alaska from June 12 to July 2 that included an overnight stop June 17 in Juneau.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.