Four outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness aboard a small cruise ship in Southeast Alaska in less than two months have resulted in its owner cancelling a trip scheduled for July 25-30.
The …
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Four outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness aboard a small cruise ship in Southeast Alaska in less than two months have resulted in its owner cancelling a trip scheduled for July 25-30.
The 62-passenger National Geographic Sea Bird, operated by Lindblad Expeditions, has reported four outbreaks since May 26 to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only vessel reporting more than one outbreak to the agency during 2026.
The most recent illnesses were reported during a voyage July 15-20 between Juneau and Ketchikan, which included a stop in Wrangell on July 18. That follows outbreaks on trips July 10-15, June 25-30 and May 26-31, two of which included stops in Wrangell.
Eight of 57 passengers and five of 26 crew were reported ill during the July 15-20 voyage, according to a CDC report published on July 21. The cause is listed as unknown, similar to the July 10-15 outbreak resulting in 18 illnesses, while the other two voyages with a total of 32 illnesses are listed as norovirus.
The Sea Bird was scheduled to depart Ketchikan on July 20 for a voyage arriving in Juneau on July 25, with a stop in Wrangell on July 22, according to the tracking site. However, the site shows the ship still docked in Ketchikan as of July 23.
Lindblad Expeditions, in a notice to a passenger booked on a July 25-30 trip that was obtained by the Juneau Independent, stated: “We have made the difficult decision to cancel the voyage.”
“Following reports of gastrointestinal illness on recent sailings, and after consulting experts and partners, we determined that cancelling this voyage is the most responsible course of action,” the notice states. “This was not a decision we made lightly.”
Lindblad Expeditions has not responded to requests from the Juneau Independent for comment about the outbreaks. There was no mention of the outbreak or the cancellation as of July 23 on the company’s website.
The company announced last December that this is the final season the National Geographic Sea Bird, originally built in 1982 and refurbished in 2014, will be in service.
