The Cleanest Cruise Ships on the Sea, According to CDC Inspections
Cleanliness matters a lot when you’re spending days or weeks on a cruise ship. Here’s some good news — many ships recently earned perfect health inspection scores.
How Cruise Ship Health Inspections Work
Cruise ships go through health inspections, just like restaurants and hotels on land. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program handles these checks. Inspectors visit ships while they’re docked at U.S. ports.
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Most cruise ships get inspected twice a year. But what if a ship spends a long time sailing outside the U.S.? The CDC explains: “If a ship sails outside of the United States for an extended period, it may not be inspected twice a year, but it will be inspected again when it returns to the United States.”
What Do Inspectors Look At?
Inspectors check many areas of the ship. This includes kitchens, swimming pools, and pest control systems. The goal is to make sure everything meets strict health and safety standards.
Ships need a score of 86 or higher to pass. That score is considered “satisfactory.” But some ships go far beyond that — earning a perfect 100.
Cruise Ships That Scored a Perfect 100
These ships all received a perfect inspection score in their most recent CDC inspection over the past year. That’s a big deal and worth knowing before your next sailing.
Virgin Voyages
- Brilliant Lady
Carnival Cruise Line
- Carnival Breeze
- Carnival Luminosa
Celebrity Cruises
- Celebrity Apex
- Celebrity Eclipse
- Celebrity Silhouette
- Celebrity Solstice
Disney Cruise Line
- Disney Fantasy
Explora Journeys
- Explora I
Royal Caribbean
- Enchantment of the Seas
- Grandeur of the Seas
- Icon of the Seas
- Jewel of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
Holland America Line
- Koningsdam
- Rotterdam
- Westerdam
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
- National Geographic Venture
Norwegian Cruise Line
- Norwegian Encore
- Norwegian Gem
Oceania Cruises
- Oceania Allura
- Oceania Insignia
- Oceania Vista
Seabourn
- Seabourn Encore
Regent Seven Seas
- Seven Seas Grandeur
Silversea Cruises
- Silver Ray
Viking
- Viking Neptune
- Viking Orion
- Viking Polaris
Why This Matters for Your Cruise Vacation
A perfect CDC score tells you a lot about how a cruise line runs its ship. It shows that the crew takes cleanliness and food safety seriously. That kind of commitment makes for a healthier, more enjoyable trip.
You can check any ship’s current inspection score on the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program website. It’s a smart step to take before any cruise vacation.
