It turns out that putting thousands of people on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean might not be the cleanest idea. While overall cruise ships keep things sanitary, they can also be a breeding ground for germs. I would think of it like a restaurant food grade. If you're eating at a place that has an A then everything will be fine. But if you're eating at a place with a C rating then you may want to go ahead and grab a vomit bag.
It turns out that cruise ships have ratings as well. Not just customer reviews either. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program review determines how clean and sanitary a cruise ship is. While it's on a score of 100, if you get an 85 then you're pretty much failing. At least, that's Business Insider puts it.
Cruise Ships List
Sadly, several cruise ships couldn't muster to get that 90 or above score. They ended up coming close to flunking that sanitation score. The CDC performs these inspections randomly. They examine everything from food storage to the pools and hand-washing safety. In 2024, it conducted 151 inspections. Overall, the average score was 95.9. Meanwhile, 27 overachievers scored a perfect 100 on their scores.
But we're not here to talk about those. Instead, let's take a look at the 9 ships that didn't quite meet their sanitation scores.
These ships include the following:
- Hanseatic Inspiration: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, scored 89 (inspected Oct. 28, previously received a 62 on Sept. 29)
- Carnival Elation: Carnival Cruise Line, scored 89 (inspected March 14)
- Adventure of the Seas: Royal Caribbean International, scored 89 (inspected Jan. 23)
- National Geographic Sea Bird: Lindblad Expeditions, scored 88 (inspected July 25)
- Carnival Miracle: Carnival Cruise Line, scored 88 (inspected April 21)
- MSC Magnifica: MSC Cruises, scored 86 (inspected May 17)
- Evrima: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, scored 86 (inspected Feb. 9)
- Carnival Breeze: Carnival Cruise Line, scored 86 (inspected March 21)
- Caribbean Princess: Princess Cruises, scored 86 (inspected March 20)
Meanwhile, Hapag-Lloyd initially scored just a 62 in its first inspection after a "very unfortunate incident." It later scored higher. A spokesperson said, "We have been consistently meeting strict hygiene requirements worldwide for many years with exemplary results."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MSC Cruises said that it had an improvement plan to score higher. It said the score "is not a true reflection of the ship as it is today." They would "welcome any future inspection."
