National Geographic Sea Bird hit with third gastrointestinal outbreak in two months, CDC says
If you're booked on the National Geographic Sea Bird, note this is the ship's third gastrointestinal outbreak since late May, most recently reported July 12 during its July 10-15 Sitka-to-Juneau sailing. Eighteen of 62 passengers aboard that voyage reported vomiting and abdominal cramps. Lindblad Expeditions did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment, so check directly with the operator before your sailing for the latest sanitation updates.
Three outbreaks in two months on a single 62-passenger ship is a pattern, not a fluke, and that's the number that should worry Lindblad more than any single headline. The National Geographic Sea Bird's small size and shallow draft are its selling point for reaching remote Alaska fjords, but tight quarters also make it easier for a stomach bug to spread through nearly a third of the guest list, as happened with the 18 sick passengers reported July 12. The CDC's VSP says the cause is still pending lab confirmation, so I wouldn't jump to norovirus yet even though it's the usual suspect on ships. Lindblad hasn't responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment, which tells me they're not getting ahead of the story publicly. If I had a Sea Bird booking, I'd call the line directly rather than wait on a press statement.