The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a list of the ten dirtiest cruise ships following health inspections conducted on 114 vessels this year. Are you on the list?
According to the latest version of the Vessel Sanitation Program, the CDC scores cruise ships on a scale from 0 to 100 based on cleanliness. Ten ships scored below 89, which is considered the cutoff for a “satisfactory” rating. Any score below 86 is deemed unsatisfactory.
The ship with the worst sanitation conditions this year was the Hanseatic Inspiration, operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which received a score of just 62. Coming in second is the Bahama Mama from Balearia Caribbean, with a score of 69. Third place goes to the Safari Endeavour, operated by Un-Cruise Adventures, which earned a score of 79.
The remaining seven vessels on the CDC’s dirtiest list scored above the satisfactory level but still performed poorly: AIDAaura, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Breeze, Evrima, Kydon, MSC Magnifica, and the National Geographic Sea Lion.
While the scores highlight some issues, the reports revealed shocking violations aboard some cruise ships. These include dirty beer taps, live or dead insects found in kitchens and pool bars, a rotting bird with maggots on a barbecue grill, missing pool hair filtration records, and food improperly stored or cooled. In response to the report, several cruise operators stated they would investigate these shortcomings.
It’s worth noting that the report also highlighted over 20 ships that achieved a perfect score of 100, including the Carnival Spirit, Zuiderdam, Viking Orion, Seabourn Odyssey, Norwegian Jewel, Oceania Regatta, Radiance of the Seas, MSC Meraviglia, Norwegian Bliss, MSC Seashore, Norwegian Sky, Brilliance of the Seas, Viking Polaris, Celebrity Equinox, Norwegian Escape, Explora I, Disney Fantasy, Celebrity Ascent, Viking Sky, Celebrity Beyond, Voyager of the Seas, and Carnival Panorama.
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program conducts annual inspections of cruise ship operations to ensure they meet sanitation standards and to prevent the spread of gastrointestinal illnesses that can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.
