CDC Cruise Ship Inspection Lookup

The CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) conducts unannounced inspections of cruise ships that carry 13 or more passengers and visit U.S. ports as part of a foreign itinerary. Inspectors literally show up at the gangway with checklists, swabs, and thermometers — no warning, no time for the crew to prep.

Each inspection covers eight major areas:

• Water sanitation — potable water, chlorine residuals, cross-connection prevention
• Food preparation and handling — temperatures, storage, cooking methods
• Cross-contamination risk — separation of raw and ready-to-eat food, allergen handling
• Crew personal hygiene — handwashing facilities, illness reporting, glove use
• General cleanliness and maintenance — surfaces, pest control, equipment condition
• Pool and spa operations — disinfection, filtration, cyanuric acid levels
• Child activity center sanitation — toy disinfection, diaper handling
• Outbreak prevention and response — illness logs, isolation procedures, GI surveillance

Each violation deducts points from a starting score of 100. Critical violations (those most likely to cause illness) deduct more — typically 5 points each. The final score, the violations list, and inspector notes are all public record. We aggregate them here so you can search any ship in seconds.

The CDC scores every inspection from 0 to 100. Here’s how to read the number:

• 96–100 — Excellent sanitation. Few or no violations, and none critical. This is the score you want to see.
• 86–95 — Passing, but with violations worth noting. Most ships fall in this range. Read the violations list, not just the score.
• Below 86 — Failed inspection. The ship is required to correct deficiencies and undergo a reinspection. Multiple consecutive failures can lead to a no-sail recommendation.

The score on its own can be misleading. A ship with 92 and zero critical violations is in better shape than a ship with 95 that has two critical violations cleverly offset by minor passes. Always click into the inspection record to see the violation breakdown, not just the headline number.

For an at-a-glance comparison, our cleanest cruise ships ranking sorts every ship by its latest score, broken down by cruise line.

A failing CDC score (below 86) does not automatically ground the ship. Here’s the actual sequence:

1. Immediate corrections. Critical violations must be addressed before the inspector leaves the ship — usually within hours.
2. Written corrective action plan. The cruise line submits documentation of what they’ll change and how they’ll prevent recurrence.
3. Reinspection. The CDC schedules a follow-up, typically within 30–90 days. The ship pays for the second visit.
4. Repeated failures. Two consecutive failures can trigger a no-sail recommendation — not a legal ban, but a strong public warning. Cruise lines almost always comply because the bad press is worse than the lost revenue.

What the score doesn’t tell you: whether passengers actually got sick on that voyage. For that, check our cruise ship outbreak tracker, which documents every gastrointestinal outbreak reported to the CDC.

Most ships covered by the VSP are inspected twice a year. Larger ships and those with prior violations are inspected more frequently — sometimes quarterly. Brand-new ships entering service are inspected before their first U.S. port call.

Inspections are unannounced. Inspectors arrive when the ship docks, request access, and start work immediately. The cruise line cannot reschedule or refuse without forfeiting their right to call at U.S. ports.

If you’re booking a cruise, the most useful score is the most recent one — a ship that scored 100 four years ago tells you nothing about its current state. The recent inspections table above is sorted by date for exactly this reason.

Are CDC cruise ship inspection scores public?

Yes. Every score, violation, and inspector note is published by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program and is freely available to the public. We pull this data and make it searchable by ship name.

What’s a passing score for a cruise ship?

86 out of 100. Anything below that is a failed inspection and triggers a corrective action plan plus a reinspection.

Does a perfect 100 score mean the ship is spotless?

It means the inspector didn’t find any violations during that specific inspection. Sanitation can change between visits, so look at a ship’s pattern across multiple inspections rather than a single number.

Which cruise lines have the cleanest ships?

Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have historically averaged the highest scores. See the full breakdown on our cleanest cruise ships ranking, sorted by line.

How do I look up a specific ship’s inspection history?

Use the search box at the top of this page. Type any ship name (or part of one) and select from the autocomplete. You’ll see the complete inspection log going back several years, plus the latest score, violation counts, and any failures.

Are inspections only for ships visiting the U.S.?

Yes. The CDC VSP only has jurisdiction over ships that call at U.S. ports as part of a foreign itinerary. Ships that exclusively sail in non-U.S. waters aren’t covered. Most major cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian, MSC, Princess) have at least some U.S. itineraries, so most popular ships are inspected.

Should I cancel my cruise if my ship has a low score?

Probably not, but read the violation list. A failing score driven by paperwork issues is different from one driven by repeated food temperature violations. Pair the inspection data with our outbreak tracker to see whether passengers actually got sick.

• Cleanest cruise ships 2026 — ranked by latest CDC score
• Cruise ship outbreak tracker — every reported norovirus and GI outbreak
• Crew treatment rankings — how cruise lines treat their employees
• How CDC cruise ship inspections work — deeper editorial on what the scores actually capture
• Our scoring methodology — how we aggregate CDC data into letter grades