Recently, the CDC released a list of the ten dirtiest cruise ships after conducting health inspections on 114 vessels. How does your cruise stack up against them?
In its latest Vessel Sanitation Program report, the CDC rated cruise ships on a scale from 0 to 100 based on cleanliness, with ten ships scoring below 89. According to the CDC, a score of 86 or higher is deemed “satisfactory,” and anything below that is considered unsatisfactory.
The ship with the worst health conditions according to this year’s inspection was the Hanseatic Inspiration, operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which received a dismal score of 62. Coming in second was Bahama Mama from Balearia Caribbean, with a score of 69. The Safari Endeavour operated by Un-Cruise Adventures ranked third with a score of 79.
While the remaining seven ships on the CDC’s list scored above the “satisfactory” threshold, their performances were still notably poor. These included AIDAaura, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Breeze, Evrima, Kydon, MSC Magnifica, and the National Geographic Sea Lion.
The scores tell only part of the story. The report highlighted some alarming violations on several of these ships, such as dirty beer taps, the presence of live or dead insects in kitchens and pool bars, a rotting bird covered in maggots on a barbecue grill, missing disinfection records for pool hair filters, and food that was improperly stored or not cooled adequately. Following the report’s release, several cruise operators pledged to investigate these issues.
It’s important to note that the report also highlighted over 20 ships that scored a perfect 100. These ships include Carnival Spirit, Zuiderdam, Viking Orion, Seabourn Odyssey, Norwegian Jewel, Oceania Regatta, Radiance of the Seas, MSC Meraviglia, Norwegian Bliss, MSC Seashore, Norwegian Sky, Brilliance of the Seas, Viking Polaris, Celebrity Equinox, Norwegian Escape, Explora I, Disney Fantasy, Celebrity Ascent, Viking Sky, Celebrity Beyond, Voyager of the Seas, and Carnival Panorama.
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program conducts annual inspections of cruise ships to ensure they maintain hygiene standards and prevent the spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses that could cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.
