CDC Investigation Uncovers the World's Cleanest Cruise Ships
New research has revealed the vessels with the highest hygiene standards at sea, based on rigorous inspections by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Cruise ships that regularly travel through the United States undergo these sanitation checks twice a year to ensure compliance with strict health protocols.
How CDC Sanitation Scores Are Calculated
The CDC assigns a 100-point sanitation score to cruise ships, evaluating cleanliness in critical areas such as galleys, dining rooms, kids' clubs, housekeeping, and swimming pools. A rating of 85 or lower is considered failing, emphasizing the importance of maintaining top hygiene standards to prevent health risks like norovirus outbreaks.
In 2025, the CDC reported 23 onboard norovirus outbreaks, marking a 28 per cent annual increase. However, data shows no direct correlation between the number of viral outbreaks and sanitation scores, suggesting that other factors may influence infection rates.
Top-Performing Cruise Lines and Ships
The good news is that most cruise lines scored above the passing threshold. Royal Caribbean led the pack with the highest number of ships achieving a perfect score of 100. These include:
- Icon of the Seas (launched in 2024)
- Adventure of the Seas (launched in 2004)
- Jewel of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
Other vessels with perfect scores include Viking Polaris, Celebrity Apex, and Explora I. When evaluating overall cleanliness by cruise line, Crystal Cruises and Viking both scored an impressive 99 out of 100.
Parent Company Rankings and Fleet Considerations
Grouped by parent company, Viking and Virgin Voyages ranked highest with ratings of 98.75 and 97.67 respectively. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which oversees Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas, came in third with a score of 97.39.
Disney Cruise Line placed fourth with a rating of 76.74, while Carnival and Royal Caribbean were fifth and sixth. It is important to note that these ratings could be skewed by larger fleets from companies like Royal Caribbean and Carnival, which includes P&O Cruises and Princess, as more ships may present greater variability in scores.
The only vessel to fall below the passing score was the residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, which received a rating of 81. This highlights the overall high standards maintained across the industry, despite isolated cases of lower performance.
