Rankings · 2026 vs 2025
Cruise ship CDC scores, 2026 vs 2025
Year-over-year comparison of CDC sanitation inspection scores: averages, perfect scores, failures and outbreaks, by cruise line and by ship.
- Source: CDC public records
- Data checked on October 31, 2026
- Pass mark: 86 out of 100
- Independent site, not the CDC
In 2026 so far (inspections published to October 17, 2026) the average CDC cruise ship score is 96.8, against 96.0 in 2025 (+0.8 points). 25% of 2026 inspections scored a perfect 100 (13% in 2025); 3 inspections failed (1 in 2025). The CDC posted 9 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in 2026 (23 in 2025).
CDC inspection scores year by year
Every CDC Vessel Sanitation Program inspection from 2023, when the CDC records are complete, to October 17, 2026. “Outbreaks” are the gastrointestinal illness outbreaks the CDC posted for that year. 2026 is not over yet.
The CDC does not compare years, cruise lines or ships. These averages and changes are our own calculations from the CDC inspection scores. A score shows how a ship met sanitation standards on the inspection day: it is not a safety rating.
| Year | Inspections | Ships | Perfect 100s | Failed | Outbreaks | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Oct 17, 2026) | 209 | 163 | 52 (25%) | 3 | 9 | 96.8 |
| 2025 | 272 | 179 | 36 (13%) | 1 | 23 | 96.0 |
| 2024 | 194 | 148 | 33 (17%) | 2 | 18 | 96.0 |
| 2023 | 178 | 144 | 33 (19%) | 1 | 14 | 96.1 |
Cruise lines: 2026 vs 2025
Average CDC score of each cruise line with at least 3 inspections in both years, from the biggest improvement to the biggest drop. The number of inspections is in brackets.
| Cruise line | 2025 average (inspections) | 2026 average (inspections) | Change | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival Cruise Line | 95.3 (44) | 97.3 (36) | +2.0 | 97.3 |
| Carnival UK | 91.5 (4) | 93.2 (4) | +1.7 | 93.2 |
| Disney Cruise Line | 97.8 (11) | 99.3 (10) | +1.5 | 99.3 |
| Royal Caribbean International | 96.3 (44) | 97.7 (37) | +1.4 | 97.7 |
| Virgin Voyages | 97.6 (8) | 99.0 (4) | +1.4 | 99.0 |
| Celebrity Cruises | 97.0 (13) | 98.1 (13) | +1.1 | 98.1 |
| Silversea | 95.3 (9) | 96.2 (5) | +0.9 | 96.2 |
| Seabourn | 95.2 (5) | 96.0 (3) | +0.8 | 96.0 |
| Holland America Line | 96.0 (13) | 96.7 (15) | +0.7 | 96.7 |
| Princess Cruises | 94.4 (25) | 95.1 (18) | +0.7 | 95.1 |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | 98.0 (3) | 98.2 (4) | +0.2 | 98.2 |
| Oceania Cruises | 98.6 (8) | 98.7 (6) | +0.1 | 98.7 |
| Margaritaville at Sea | 97.0 (4) | 97.0 (3) | 0.0 | 97.0 |
| MSC Cruise Management | 96.0 (13) | 95.6 (8) | −0.4 | 95.6 |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | 97.1 (31) | 96.4 (22) | −0.7 | 96.4 |
| Viking | 98.1 (10) | 97.4 (5) | −0.7 | 97.4 |
Ships that improved the most
Ships inspected in both 2025 and 2026, by how much their average score went up (ties included). The last column is the ship’s lowest score of 2026.
| Ship | Cruise line | 2025 average (inspections) | 2026 average (inspections) | Change | Lowest 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koningsdam | Holland America Line | 89.0 (1) | 100.0 (2) | +11.0 | 100 |
| Queen Elizabeth | Carnival UK | 89.0 (1) | 100.0 (1) | +11.0 | 100 |
| Carnival Pride | Carnival Cruise Line | 86.0 (1) | 95.5 (2) | +9.5 | 93 |
| Carnival Dream | Carnival Cruise Line | 89.0 (1) | 98.0 (2) | +9.0 | 98 |
| Noordam | Holland America Line | 89.0 (1) | 97.5 (2) | +8.5 | 95 |
| Explorer of the Seas | Royal Caribbean International | 92.0 (1) | 100.0 (1) | +8.0 | 100 |
| Star Princess | Princess Cruises | 91.0 (1) | 99.0 (1) | +8.0 | 99 |
| Carnival Valor | Carnival Cruise Line | 92.0 (1) | 99.0 (1) | +7.0 | 99 |
| Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean International | 91.5 (2) | 98.5 (2) | +7.0 | 98 |
| Mariner of the Seas | Royal Caribbean International | 93.0 (1) | 99.5 (2) | +6.5 | 99 |
Ships whose scores dropped the most
Ships inspected in both years, by how much their average score went down (ties included).
| Ship | Cruise line | 2025 average (inspections) | 2026 average (inspections) | Change | Lowest 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Cruise Line | 96.0 (1) | 84.0 (1) | −12.0 | 84 |
| Zuiderdam | Holland America Line | 99.0 (1) | 90.5 (2) | −8.5 | 90 |
| Norwegian Escape | Norwegian Cruise Line | 99.0 (2) | 92.0 (2) | −7.0 | 88 |
| Sun Princess | Princess Cruises | 96.0 (1) | 89.0 (1) | −7.0 | 89 |
| Oasis of the Seas | Royal Caribbean International | 95.3 (3) | 89.0 (1) | −6.3 | 89 |
| Carnival Freedom | Carnival Cruise Line | 98.0 (3) | 92.0 (1) | −6.0 | 92 |
| Celebrity Eclipse | Celebrity Cruises | 100.0 (1) | 94.0 (1) | −6.0 | 94 |
| Norwegian Encore | Norwegian Cruise Line | 97.5 (2) | 92.0 (1) | −5.5 | 92 |
| Norwegian Gem | Norwegian Cruise Line | 99.5 (2) | 94.0 (1) | −5.5 | 94 |
| Celebrity Solstice | Celebrity Cruises | 100.0 (1) | 95.0 (1) | −5.0 | 95 |
An average over one or two inspections can move a lot with a single result: open the ship’s page for the full history and what the inspectors found. See also the cleanest cruise lines of the last 12 months and every year since 2010.