CDC inspected cruise ship hygiene and found that three ships failed to meet standards. Maggots were found in some kitchens and food was not properly stored._1

In a recent inspection of 114 cruise ships, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has released a list of the ten dirtiest vessels. Have you been on any of these?

According to the latest version of the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, cruise ships are rated on a scale from 0 to 100 based on cleanliness, with ten ships scoring below 89. The CDC designates scores of 86 or higher as “satisfactory,” while anything below that is deemed unsatisfactory.

The worst-performing cruise ship this year was the Hanseatic Inspiration operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which scored just 62. Following closely, the second dirtiest ship identified by the CDC was Bahama Mama from Balearia Caribbean, with a score of 69. The Safari Endeavour, operated by Un-Cruise Adventures, came in third with a score of 79.

The remaining seven ships on the CDC’s list, although scoring above the “satisfactory” threshold, still exhibited poor performance. These include AIDAaura, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Breeze, Evrima, Kydon, MSC Magnifica, and the National Geographic Sea Lion.

While the scores provide some insight, the report highlighted alarming violations aboard some of these ships. These included dirty beer taps, live or dead insects found in kitchens and pool bars, a barbecue grill housing a maggot-infested rotten bird, missing pool hair filtration disinfection records, and improper food storage and cooling practices. Following the report’s release, several cruise operators stated they would investigate these issues.

Interestingly, the report also pointed out over 20 cruise ships that achieved perfect scores of 100. These include 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 maintain hygiene standards and to prevent and control the spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses that may cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.