2024’s nastiest cruise ships revealed based on viral outbreaks, food safety and hygiene: CDC
These ships are cruisin’ for a refusin’ — from customers who value their health and well-being.
On the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program review, scoring 85 out of 100 is considered a failure, per Business Insider.
The CDC conducts random surprise sanitary inspections on cruise ships, scoring the ship on a scale from zero to 100. The review looks at common spaces such as pools and activity centers, buffet hand-washing stations, food storage and cooking equipment.
In 2024, the agency reported 13 bacterial and viral outbreaks on cruise ships, with a majority being norovirus, also known as the “winter vomiting bug,” a highly contagious virus that’s the leading cause of foodborne illness, vomiting and diarrhea in the US.
Norovirus also tends to cause stomach cramps, nausea, low-grade fever or chills, headache and muscle aches.
Over the course of the year, the CDC conducted 151 inspections, including repeat inspections on 23 ships.
Of the over 100 ships inspected, the average score came to about 95.9 — and 27 ships received a perfect 100. Two of the ships initially failed, but passed in later follow-up reviews.
However, nine of the ships didn’t break the 90 mark. These ships include:
- 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)
A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd told Business Insider that Hanseatic Inspiration’s initial score of 62 was a “very unfortunate incident” that didn’t properly reflect the company’s “strict hygiene requirements.”
The cruise line addressed the ship’s “operational aspects” to meet the standards, prompting the increase in score in a follow-up inspection. The spokesperson added that any lingering issues are “being addressed and will be completed in a timely manner” in accordance with CDC requirements.
There were two ships that didn’t initially break into the 90s range but were bumped on later inspections. The Crystal Serenity received an 89 on Feb. 2, but seven months later received a score of 90.
On May 1, the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise failed with a score of 83 — but a later inspection on July 2 earned the cruise ship a passing score of 92.
