The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a list of the ten dirtiest cruise ships after conducting sanitation inspections on 114 vessels. Have you found your favorites on the list?
In the latest version of its Vessel Sanitation Program, the CDC rates cruise ships on a scale from 0 to 100 based on their cleanliness, with ten vessels scoring below 89. According to CDC guidelines, a score of 86 or higher is considered “satisfactory,” while any score below that is deemed unsatisfactory.
This year’s investigation revealed that the cruise ship with the worst sanitation conditions was the Hanseatic Inspiration, operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which received a mere 62 points. Historically, the second dirtiest vessel identified by the CDC was the Bahama Mama, run by Balearia Caribbean, scoring 69 points. Coming in third was Un-Cruise Adventures’ Safari Endeavour, with a score of 79.
The remaining seven ships on the CDC’s list may have scored above the “satisfactory” threshold, but their performance still raises concerns. They are the AIDAaura, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Breeze, Evrima, Kydon, MSC Magnifica, and National Geographic Sea Lion.
The scores highlight only part of the issue, as the report includes some shocking violations observed on these ships. Notable concerns included dirty beer taps, the presence of live or dead insects in kitchen and pool bar areas, a rotting bird infested with maggots found on a grill, missing records for pool hair filtration and disinfection, and improperly stored or cooled food. Following the report’s release, several cruise operators stated they would investigate these lapses.
It’s worth noting that the report also identified over 20 cruise ships that achieved the highest score of 100, including 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 ship operations to ensure they maintain sanitation standards and to prevent the spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses, which can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.
