Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes sanitation inspection results for cruise ships that visit U.S. ports.
The reports provide a detailed look at health and hygiene standards in an industry where illness can rapidly spread in crowded, shared spaces.
Inspections are conducted under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, an environmental health initiative that evaluates ships on a 100‑point scale.
Categories include food safety, potable water systems, housekeeping, pest management, pools, medical centers and ventilation.
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Ships that score 86 or above are considered “satisfactory” and avoid penalties, while anything below that is considered failing.
In the 2025 reporting cycle, only about 13% of inspected vessels earned a perfect 100 score, a benchmark of near‑flawless sanitation.
Among the dozen cruise lines and hundreds of ships inspected, the following vessels earned perfect scores:
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