Norwegian Joy: Sanitation Record & Health Report

Norwegian Joy walked out of its 2026-02-16 CDC inspection with a perfect 100, and yes, that's the same 100 sitting in the "Latest CDC Score" field, not a rounded-up flex. The catch — and it's a small one — is that this ship has exactly one inspection on the books, so the "all-time average" and "5-year average" of 99 are basically statistical mirages built on a sample size of one-ish. Score trend is officially "insufficient data," which is our polite way of saying ask again after inspection number two. Still, a food safety score of 100.0 and a "Spotless Galley" grade is a genuinely strong opening statement for a Breakaway Plus–class ship that's been sailing since 2017 and got a 2024 refresh to keep things current.

What we can't tell you is the outbreak history, because CDC's outbreak data was unreachable when we pulled this — so don't take the silence as a clean bill of health, take it as "we don't know yet." That's an honest gap, not a red flag, but it's worth checking back on before you plan your Galveston getaway with total peace of mind. Everything else about the hard numbers, though, backs up the vibe: 3,804 passengers and 1,821 crew across 20 decks and 167,725 tons, built by Meyer Werft and registered in the Bahamas, with a 100 that's currently sitting above the 86-passing line by a wide, comfortable margin and above the roughly 95 fleet average too.

Who it's for: Texas-based cruisers who want a big, splashy mega-ship experience without flying to Florida, plus anyone who wants a recently refurbished ship with an inspection record that, as far as it goes, is spotless. Who should skip it: the one-and-done inspection history and the "outbreak data currently unreachable" note mean if you need a decade of receipts before you'll set foot on a ship, Norwegian Joy hasn't built that paper trail yet — give it a few more inspection cycles if that's your bar.