Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
When asked to name the germiest surfaces on cruise ships, one might think about commonly touched areas such as doorknobs, stair railings or elevator buttons.
While these places have been known to transfer illness-causing germs such as norovirus — as the CDC warned earlier this year — a microbiologist has revealed a far more surprising source of contamination.
Microbiologist Jason Tetro told the Reader’s Digest that private hot tubs on ships are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. In October 2024, these private hot tubs on the balconies of guests were linked to multiple outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease on cruise ships. These outbreaks were linked back to two cruise ships on different cruise lines.
