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Cruise ships are cesspools of disease And miseryand yet for some reason people continue to shell out for sitting on a boat for months or even years. It should come as no surprise that people get sick on cruises, but two ships made headlines by infecting their guests with an unexpected illness: Legionnaires’ disease.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covered Legionnaires’ outbreaks on two unnamed ships between November 2022 and July 2024, and traced both to “private balcony spas.” According to the CDC, private spas are subject to lower cleanliness standards than their public counterparts, which has allowed Legionella bacteria to infect:
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. Between November 2022 and June 2024, the CDC was informed of 12 cases of Legionnaires’ disease among travelers on two cruise ships; eight on Cruise Ship A and four on Cruise Ship B. The CDC, in collaboration with the cruise lines, initiated investigations to determine potential sources of onboard exposure following notification of the second potentially associated case for each ship. Epidemiological data collected from patient interviews along with environmental assessment and sampling results identified private spas located on balconies of selected cabins as the most likely source of exposure. […] Private spas on cruise ships are not subject to the same maintenance requirements as public spas located in common areas. Given the range of spa-like devices offered as equipment in the cruise industry, in order to reduce the risk of growth and transmission of legionella, it is important that spa management program staff members Cruise ship water inventories and evaluates private balcony spas and adapts public spas. maintenance and operating protocols for use on private outdoor spas.
It turns out that the ships’ private spas were not, as I had assumed, filled with condensation from window unit air conditioner instead of chlorinated water. On the contrary, simple maintenance elements such as the frequency of cleaning and emptying allowed the legionella bacteria to take root. The CDC report says the ships in question underwent cleaning and mitigation measures after the outbreaks were reported, although it appears one ship is still working to repair its remaining spas. Maybe stay away from cruise ships for a bit until this is sorted out.
With the large number of reports of illnesses and problems on cruise ships, it is surprising that anyone would still spend money to board such a ship. Why not invest that money in something safer, like motorcycling school?
