⏱️ 5 min read
Here’s something most first-time cruisers don’t know: every cruise ship that sails from a U.S. port gets surprise inspections from the CDC. No warning. No time to prep. Just federal health inspectors showing up with checklists, thermometers, and a deep commitment to swabbing surfaces.
These inspections are public record. And yet, somehow, most people book a $3,000 cruise without spending 30 seconds checking whether their ship passed its last health inspection.
We made that 30-second check ridiculously easy.
How to Look Up Any Ship’s Inspection History
Go to the Inspection Lookup page, type in your ship’s name, and you’ll see its complete CDC inspection history. Every score, every date, every result.
Not sure which ship you’re booked on? Check your booking confirmation — it’ll list the ship name. Then come back here and look it up. We’ll wait.
What the CDC Actually Inspects
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) has been inspecting cruise ships since 1975. Their inspectors check:
- Water supply — is the drinking water safe? Are the systems properly maintained?
- Food safety — galley temperatures, food storage, cross-contamination risks, buffet protocols
- Pool and spa sanitation — chemical levels, filtration, hot tub maintenance
- Housekeeping — cabin cleanliness, public area hygiene, laundry procedures
- Pest management — yes, cruise ships can have pest issues. You’re welcome for that mental image.
- Child activity centers — diaper changing protocols, toy sanitation, handwashing
- HVAC systems — ventilation and air quality
- Medical facilities — medical waste handling, isolation procedures
Ships are scored out of 100. Anything 86 or above is a pass. Below 86 is a fail — and yes, ships do fail.
What the Scores Mean
Here’s the quick scoring guide:
- 96-100: Excellent. This ship is running a tight operation. Minor nitpicks at most.
- 86-95: Passing. Some issues found, but nothing critical. Most ships fall here.
- Below 86: Failed. Significant violations. The CDC publishes detailed reports on what went wrong.
For context, the industry average typically sits in the mid-90s. So a ship scoring 88 isn’t great, but it’s not a health hazard. A ship scoring 78? That’s a conversation.
Going Deeper: Individual Ship Profiles
The inspection lookup gives you the overview. But if you want the full story — violation breakdowns by area, trend analysis, outbreak history, and how the ship compares to its fleet — click through to the ship’s full profile.
Each ship profile breaks down every inspection into violation categories. You can see exactly where the issues were: was it a galley temperature problem? A pool chemical issue? A housekeeping miss? The details matter more than the top-line number.
Should You Cancel Over a Bad Score?
Probably not. A single low score doesn’t mean the ship is a floating petri dish. Ships get reinspected, and most fix their issues quickly. What you’re looking for is patterns:
- Is the score trending down over multiple inspections?
- Has the ship had repeated outbreaks?
- Are violations in the same area every time (suggesting a systemic issue)?
Our rankings page makes these patterns easy to spot. And if you’re comparing two ships for your next trip, the comparison tool puts them side by side.
The point isn’t to scare you. It’s to make sure you’re making an informed decision with the same data the cruise lines have — but don’t always advertise.
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