Key Aspects:
- Silversea Cruises’ Silver Dawn has experienced a gastrointestinal outbreak during her current 12-night sailing that embarked in Southampton on September 3, 2025.
- Increased sanitation protocols have been enacted onboard, and the ship will receive a “super sanitation” between voyages when she returns to Southampton on September 15.
- Guests of the upcoming voyage have been asked to reschedule if they are sick, have compromised immune systems, or otherwise feel uncomfortable cruising at this time.
Passengers currently onboard Silversea Cruises’ Silver Dawn have unfortunately been plagued by stomach upset, and the luxury cruise line is making sure future passengers can make informed decisions in light of the current situation.
Interestingly, the current outbreak onboard Silver Dawn comes just about a week after its sister vessel, Silver Muse, reported a gastrointestinal outbreak of her own.
The cruise line wrote to the up to 596 guests booked on Silver Dawn’s 12-night voyage that is due to embark from Southampton, UK, on September 15, 2025, to alert them to the situation.
Just like the current sailing that embarked on September 3, the sailing will visit a variety of destinations throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
Although the crew members quickly enacted enhanced safety and sanitation protocols, guests with compromised immune systems may want to reconsider their vacation out of an abundance of caution.
“During the previous voyage, Silver Dawn experienced a number of guests who presented to the medical facility with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness,” Silversea Cruises wrote.
The cruise line has not confirmed the cause of the outbreak, but the culprit is often the infamous Norovirus.
“This type of GI illness is common worldwide and typically runs its course in 24 to 48 hours without serious health effects,” the Royal Caribbean-owned brand continued.
“However, people with chronic illnesses and those who are immune compromised may want to consult their physician.”
The cruise line implored future passengers who have experienced stomach upset within the last three days or who are uncomfortable sailing for any reason to speak with Silversea representatives at the Southampton cruise terminal to reschedule their vacation.
“…If you are uncomfortable taking your cruise at this time for reasons related to personal health or otherwise, our staff can assist you in rescheduling your sailing for another time,” the letter states.
Typically, guests would forfeit 100% of their cruise fare to cancel or reschedule at the last minute, but the cruise line appears to be making an exception for this unique circumstance.
Increased Sanitation Onboard
Of course, the approximately 411 crew members onboard aren’t just letting the illness spread.
While the crew members always strive to keep the ship clean, increased sanitation measures have already been put in place.
“Please know that the safety and comfort of our guests and crew is always our top priority,” the cruise line reassured passengers.
“In an abundance of caution and to help prevent any spread of illness, we did immediately implement enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures during the previous voyage as recommended by public health agencies worldwide.”
Additionally, a deep cleaning of the ship, which the cruise line calls “super sanitizing,” will occur between the two voyages when the Muse-class vessel returns to Southampton on September 15.
The cruise terminal will also be deeply cleaned as part of this exercise.
Relatedly, the 298 suites onboard Silver Dawn won’t become available to newly arrived passengers until 2 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. on embarkation day.
Read Also: How to Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Cruise Vacation
Guests can also play a role in keeping everyone safe and healthy onboard.
In the letter, Silversea Cruises offered guests some best practices to follow, prioritizing thorough handwashing and using hand sanitizer.
Unfortunately, some current guests have shared that handwashing is not something that everyone onboard has been doing.
“Silversea have been very thorough in the cleaning of the ship,” one current guest confirmed.
“Unfortunately I have seen passengers not washing their hands after visiting the toilet, not sanitising when boarding,” he observed.
Getting enough sleep and covering your coughs and sneezes are also simple ways to protect you and everyone around you.
