From buffets to swimming pools, there are plenty of risks of germs when cruising and new research has revealed the cleanest vessels at sea.
All cruise lines have to follow strict health standards and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducts hygiene inspections twice a year on ships that regularly pass through the United States.
The CDC assigns a 100-point sanitation score for cruise ships based on cleanliness in areas including the galleys and dining rooms, kids’ clubs, housekeeping and swimming pools.
Those with a rating of 85 or lower are considered failing.
Cleanliness is important due to the risk of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.
The CDC reported 23 onboard norovirus outbreaks in 2025, a 28 per cent annual increase.
But the data shows no correlation between the number of viral outbreaks and sanitation scores.
The good news is that most cruise lines scored above 85, apart from residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey , which scored 81.
Royal Caribbean had the highest number of ships with a perfect score – five received a rating of 100.
These include Icon of the Seas, which hit the waves in 2024, and older vessels, including Adventure of the Seas, which launched in 2004. The remaining three were Jewel of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.
Other cruise ships with perfect scores include Viking Polaris, Celebrity Apex and Explora I.
Crystal Cruises and Viking received the highest cleanliness scores out of all lines, with both scoring a total of 99 out of 100.
When grouped by parent company, Viking and Virgin Voyages ranked highest with a rating of 98.75 and 97.67 respectively.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent brand for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas was third with a rating of 97.39.
Disney Cruise Line ranked fourth for its ships with a rating of 76.74, while Carnival and Royal Caribbean were fifth and sixth. These ratings could be skewed by cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival – which includes P&O Cruises and Princess – having larger fleets.
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