Celebrity Apex. Photo: Royal Caribbean Group Cruise passengers planning their next vacation may want to look beyond itineraries, restaurants and onboard entertainment and check how their chosen ship performed in its latest health inspection.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program shows a wide range of scores among cruise ships currently listed in its Green Sheet Report. The program conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of cruise ships operating in US ports, examining areas related to public health and sanitation.
Ships are graded on a 100-point scale, with 86 or higher considered satisfactory. A score of 85 or below is classified as unsatisfactory by the CDC.
Looking across all the scores provided in the CDC Green Sheet data, several ships achieved perfect scores, while a small number were much closer to the bottom of the scale.
A large number of ships in the CDC database received a perfect 100, so there is a tie at the top rather than five individual ships occupying the first 10 positions.
For a representative top 10, the following ships all recorded perfect scores in their latest listed inspections.
ICON of the Seas Photo: Royal Caribbean PR
1. Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International)
2. Celebrity Apex (Celebrity Cruises)
3. Disney Dream ( Disney Cruise Line )
4. Norwegian Viva (Norwegian Cruise Line)
5. Queen Elizabeth ( Cunard )
6. Carnival Celebration (Carnival Cruise Line)
7. Anthem of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International)
8. MSC Seascape (MSC Cruises)
9. Seven Seas Explorer (Regent Seven Seas Cruises)
10. Star of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International)
Star of the Seas. Photo: Royal Caribbean
At the other end of the table, the lowest score in the supplied Green Sheet data belongs to Villa Vie Odyssey, although its latest listed inspection dates from 2025 rather than 2026. Among inspections specifically dated in 2026, Norwegian Dawn has the lowest score.
1. Villa Vie Odyssey (Villa Vie Residences) - 81
2. Norwegian Dawn ( Norwegian Cruise Line ) - 84
3. Carnival Breeze (Carnival Cruise Line) - 86
4. Kydon (Kydon) - 86
5. National Geographic Sea Lion (Lindblad Expeditions) — 86
6. Stad Amsterdam (Rederij Clipper Amsterdam) - 86 (last inspection: June 5, 2025)
7. Victory I (Victory Cruise Line) — 86 (last inspection: July 29, 2025)
8. Amadea (Phoenix Reisen) — 89
9. Sun Princess (Princess Cruises) — 89
10. MSC Meraviglia (MSC Cruises) — 89
The CDC scores provide a useful snapshot of sanitation and public health conditions observed during an inspection, but they should not be interpreted as an overall rating of a cruise ship or cruise line.
A perfect score does not mean a ship is completely free of health risks, while a lower score does not automatically mean passengers are unsafe. The inspections examine specific public health and sanitation practices under the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program.
The distinction is particularly important when looking at ships that scored 86, because they technically passed despite being only one point above the unsatisfactory threshold.