Passengers that sailed on a Royal Caribbean ship have gotten a notice someone on their sailing later were sickened by Legionnaires' disease.
Guests across various sailings in March and April 2025 received emails from the cruise line to inform to inform them of a possibility to be aware of, and the preventative measures the cruise line is taking.
To be clear, the guests were not diagnosed onboard the cruise ship, nor has there been a recognized outbreak linked to a specific sailing.
In the Symphony of the Seas Facebook group, Jenn Yazzetti, posted a copy of an email she received from Royal Caribbean after the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Royal Caribbean about the case.
The letter was sent to passengers booked on the April 30th sailing.
The CDC said one passenger was later diagnosed with Legionella after sailing on Symphony of the Seas.
"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."
"As a precautionary measure, we implemented heightened sanitation protocols and followed all CDC guidance."
No other information was shared related to who the person is, or other details.
Other people that were on recent Symphony of the Seas sailings received similar emails:
- March 9
- March 16
- April 6
- April 13
Another Legionella incident
This is the second time this year such letters were sent to passengers.
In January, a similar letter was sent to passengers about two past passengers later were sickened by Legionnaires' disease after sailing on Symphony.
In that case, one passenger had sailed on Symphony of the Seas in October 2024 and the other in December 2024, according to the CDC.
How it spreads
Legionella is not easily spread from person to person, but it's still something that could occur because cruise ships have pools and hot tubs.
According to Royal Caribbean, 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.
Moreover, most healthy people exposed to Legionella do not get sick.
Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, and headaches. It's often confused with pneumonia.
Legionnaires' on cruise ships
Legionnaires' is a rare condition to begin with, but it has happened on cruise ships in the past.
During November 2022–June 2024, the CDC was notified of 12 cases of Legionnaires disease among travelers on two cruise ships. The CDC did not disclose the cruise line names or ships.
According to the CDC, their investigation revealed private hot tubs on selected cabin balconies were the most likely exposure source.
Some cruise ship cabin suites have a hot tub on the balcony, which is for the exclusive use of the guests staying in that cabin. The CDC says, "private hot tubs on cruise ships are not subject to the same maintenance requirements as are public hot tubs in common areas."
They recommended to cruise lines modification of the operation and maintenance of these devices by removing the heating elements, draining water between uses, and increasing the frequency of hyperchlorination and cleaning.
