How have cruise ships scored with their health inspections in 2024 so far? We examined every CDC inspection report (through October) to get an average score for each cruise line, in addition to revealing how each ship tested has scored.
*Updated on 10/14/24
Cruise ships can be tested twice each year to ensure safety and sanitation. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) helps prevent and control gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on board.
Areas of the ships that are inspected include dining areas, kitchens, swimming pools, spas, water systems, waste management, medical facilities, and cabins.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest VSP inspections, including average scores for each cruise line for all ships inspected since January 1 of 2024.
Cruise lines are listed in order of the highest average scores first. Cruise lines with fewer than 5 ships inspected this year are listed at the bottom of the article.
Summary of results:
- Disney Cruise Lines consistently achieved scores above 95.
- Holland America Line and Norwegian Cruise Lines both had multiple ships with perfect scores of 100
- Royal Caribbean had a few ships with lower scores but had a couple older ships that received a perfect 100.
- Carnival Cruise Line, with the most ships tested this year so far, had several ships with scores below 90. Carnival Spirit, just inspected last month received a 100.
- Celebrity’s scores were overall very high, but one 91 score on Celebrity Constellation this year lowered the average.
- MSC only had 5 ships tested, and with an 86 score on MSC Magnifica lowered the average, even with 2 perfect 100 scores on Meraviglia and Seashore.
Other Cruise Lines
The cruise lines listed below were inspected fewer than five times this year, so we’ve listed their average scores separately.
- Viking Ocean: Average Score: 100, Ships Inspected: 1
- Viking Expedition: Average Score: 100, Ships Inspected: 1
- Seabourn Cruise Line: Average Score: 98.5, Ships Inspected: 2
- Oceania Cruises: Average Score: 98, Ships Inspected: 2
- Silversea: Average Score: 98, Ships Inspected: 3
- Regent Seven Seas: Average Score: 95.5, Ships Inspected: 2
- Virgin Voyages: Average Score: 95, Ships Inspected: 2
- Cunard Line: Average Score: 91, Ships Inspected: 2
- Crystal Cruises LTD: Average Score: 89, Ships Inspected: 1
- Lindblad Expeditions: Average Score: 88, Ships Inspected: 1
- Margaritaville at Sea: Average Score: 87.5, Ships Inspected: 2
- Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: Average Score: 86, Ships Inspected: 1
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Average Score: 62, Ships Inspected: 1
This article will be updated occasionally to keep up with the latest health inspection scores for the year.
Also note that if a cruise ship sails away from the United States for a long period of time you may not see any health inspection reports. But when the ship comes back to a U.S. port it may be subject to an inspection.
You can check out inspection reports in more detail, including why the ship may have failed an inspection, by checking out the CDC’s inspection results.