The Center for Disease Control has released its 2025 scores for cruise ship cleanliness. Each year, the CDC visits hundreds of ships to make sure that they are staying compliant with the health and hygiene rules. As a former cruise ship crew member myself, I am extremely familiar with these visits. I worked for Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Regent Seven Seas–and every ship that I’ve ever worked on in these fleets took health and hygiene incredibly seriously.
When the CDC comes onboard a cruise ship to evaluate the conditions onboard, tensions do get a little bit high. You’re probably wondering, what exactly is the CDC inspecting? There are eight main areas that are inspected per the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). Spots onboard like the medical center, kitchen galleys and dining rooms, swimming pools, and children activity centers are checked for cleanliness while the crew members are interviewed for cleanliness protocols. The drinking water, housekeep department, HVAC systems, and the pest control teams are all evaluated as well.
Related: This Fan-Favorite Budget Cruise Line Just Scored a Perfect ‘100’ Health Score
View this post on Instagram
Ships are given scores on a 100 point scale, and if they don’t receive an 86 or higher, that is considered a fail. Any ships that fail must immediately correct any violations in the inspection, and are re-checked usually within about 30 to 45 days. In 2025, only 25 cruise ships out of 191 that the CDC inspected received a perfect score.
Related: This Fan-Favorite Cruise Line Wants Its Next Ship to Be the Best Bar at Sea
To crunch the numbers of perfect scores, here’s how it panned out in 2025: Five ships from Royal Caribbean, four ships in Viking Cruise Line, three ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises, two from Holland America, and one from Disney Cruise Lines, Regent Seven Seas, MSC, Seabourn, and Silversea.
To see the entire list, check it out on the CDC’s website here.
Related: These Are the 10 New Cruise Ships Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026
Soures:
- CDC