The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the cruise ships with the lowest sanitation scores for 2026, based on unannounced health inspections. These inspections, conducted under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), evaluate compliance with federal public health standards on a 100-point scale, requiring a score of 86 or above to pass. Seven vessels landed near the bottom of the scale: Norwegian Dawn, Carnival Breeze, Kydon, National Geographic Sea Lion, Sun Princess, MSC Meraviglia, and Amadea. Notably, Norwegian Dawn received a score of 84, falling below the passing threshold, while Carnival Breeze, Kydon, and National Geographic Sea Lion scored exactly 86, and Sun Princess, MSC Meraviglia, and Amadea scored 89. While a lower score indicates a vessel did not meet CDC standards at the time of inspection, it doesn’t automatically mean a ship is unsafe, as scores can fluctuate; Carnival Breeze, for instance, previously achieved a perfect 100. Norwegian Cruise Line has reportedly submitted a corrective action report following Norwegian Dawn’s inspection. Experts emphasize the VSP’s critical role in protecting passenger and crew health across various ship areas, including galleys, medical facilities, and recreational spaces. This scrutiny comes as cruise lines face ongoing attention regarding sanitation and illness prevention in densely populated onboard environments, where robust hygiene practices are essential to curb germ transmission. Despite these lower scores, cruise lines often report illnesses more readily than other travel sectors, and a lower sanitation score doesn’t necessarily predict an outbreak. On the other end of the spectrum, 42 ships achieved a perfect score of 100, including notable vessels like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas and Disney Dream, significantly exceeding the typical number of perfect scores annually.
Adapted from: Travel News Today on Fox News
