Cruise Line Cleanliness: A Comprehensive Review of CDC Ratings
Cruise vacations are increasingly popular among travelers who value both leisure and luxury. However, the cleanliness standards of cruise lines can vary significantly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts health inspections on cruise ships, rating them on a 100-point scale. A score below 85 is deemed failing. These evaluations, conducted from 2014 to 2025, assess conditions in key areas such as galleys, dining spaces, medical centers, and swimming pools.
Leaders in Cleanliness
Viking Ocean, Viking Expedition, and Crystal Cruises have emerged as leaders in maintaining high cleanliness standards, each boasting an average score of 99 out of 100 for their fleets in U.S. waters. Viking's ability to uphold top performance amidst a large fleet demonstrates that size does not necessarily compromise hygiene scores. Oceania Cruises, known for its luxury, adults-only ships, ranked second. P&O Cruises and Japan Grace shared the third spot, while Virgin Voyages secured fourth place. Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises tied for fifth.
Lowest Scorers and Challenges
On the other hand, Rederij Clipper Stad Amsterdam and Victory Cruise Lines received some of the lowest cleanliness scores, each scoring 86, narrowly avoiding the failing threshold. Villa Vie Odyssey was the only vessel to fail the 2025 inspection with a score of 81. Despite this, a retired teacher chose long-term residency on this ship as a cost-effective living alternative to California.
Overall, the data indicates a significant improvement in health and hygiene standards aboard cruise ships, with a marked decrease in failing inspections compared to 2017 when 14 ships did not pass. Nevertheless, cruise lines continue to battle challenges such as the spread of gastrointestinal illnesses. In 2025, the CDC reported 23 outbreaks of illness on cruise ships, a 28% rise from the previous year, predominantly due to norovirus outbreaks.
The norovirus, notorious for causing vomiting and diarrhea, can rapidly spread in confined spaces like cruise ships. However, it does not necessarily indicate poor cleanliness. For instance, Holland America received a commendable cleanliness score of 95.44 but reported the highest number of norovirus outbreaks, with five incidents in 2025.
Despite these ongoing challenges, the advancements in health and hygiene protocols across the cruise industry emphasize efforts to bolster passenger safety. These improvements make cruising an attractive option for travelers planning future vacations.