Dirtiest Cruise Ships in 2026 Based on the CDC’s Health Inspections

All cruise ships that visit or sail from a U.S. port are subject to two surprise health inspections each year. The inspections are carried out by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

So far in 2026, there have been 150 ship inspections through the first six months of the year listed on the CDC’s website. The reports are posted anywhere from four to eight weeks after the inspections take place.

Out of the 150 inspections this year, there have been 42 perfect 100 health scores and one ship that failed its inspection. Three other cruise ships barely passed with an 86. The CDC considers a score of 85 or below as failing.

Normally, over the course of a year, 25-35 ships will earn a perfect health score. The cruise industry having 42 perfect 100s in just six months shows what a great job cruise lines are doing to keep their ships cleaner than ever.

During inspections, the following eight areas of ships are checked to ensure they meet the health standards of the VSP: Medical centers, drinking water, galleys and dining rooms, swimming pools and hot tubs, housekeeping, pest and insect management, child activity centers, and HVAC systems.

Out of the 150 inspections so far in 2026, all but six ships have earned a score of 90 or higher. Four of those ships are from mainstream cruise lines (Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises), and two are lesser-known cruise lines.

Here is a look at these six ships with the worst health inspection scores so far in 2026.

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Dawn is the only ship to fail its health inspection this year. During an inspection that took place on March 29, the ship scored an 84.

The CDC recorded 48 violations during the inspection that ranged from flies in several areas of the ship to “mold-like growth” on the bottom of a soda cabinet.

The report said there were several food service violations with critical public health risks identified. This included refrigerators having ambient temperatures too high and improper storage in food areas. The report did note that the crew reacted quickly and professionally to initiate corrective action for all findings.

Norwegian Cruise Line issued a 34-page report to the CDC five days after the inspection, showing all the corrective measures they put in place after the ship failed.

Carnival Breeze

While Carnival Breeze aced its first health inspection of the year, scoring a perfect 100 on January 17, 2026, the second inspection four months later was a much different story.

During the May 14, 2026 inspection, the cruise ship received an 86, the lowest possible passing score.

A total of 36 deficiencies were found on Carnival Breeze during this inspection, including numerous food safety violations and several minor issues.

You can read all about this inspection here.

Kydon

Kydon is a 1,750-passenger cruise ferry from Ferries Del Caribe that sails between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The ship scored an 86 during an inspection that took place on March 30, 2026. Inspectors found a total of 48 violations that ranged from improper water testing to a crew member not washing their hands after handling raw chicken. Inspectors also found mold-like residue in the ice machine. 

This ship from Ferries Del Caribe has failed its inspection three different times, including the fourth-worst score, a 58, of all time in 2017.

Sun Princess

Sun Princess scored an 89 during an inspection that took place on February 15, 2026. This newer ship has been inspected three times, and this is the first time it did not score in the high 90s.

CDC inspectors found a total of 55 deficiencies that ranged from excessive soiling on sneeze guard supports, mislabeled discard times on grab n Go food, flies in several dining facilities, and no soap in the Americana Diner food employee toilet room.

The cruise line issued an 11-page corrective report to the CDC addressing all 55 violations. While the ship did have 55 deficiencies, most of them were minor, which explains how it passed while other vessels failed with fewer violations.

MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia has scored under 90 during its last two health inspections. After barely passing with an 86 on December 9, 2025, the ship slightly improved to an 89 during its March 10, 2026 inspection.

A total of 36 violations were noted by the CDC, including several hand washing stations not having running water, steaks stored at the wrong temperature, and a cold room out of order for a month.

The report from the CDC said that several critical violations and patterns of lesser violations were noted due to lack of process verification and oversight in the main buffet on Deck 15. This ranged from a major dishwasher not reaching a proper sanitization temperature to a handwashing sink that was also not working during the previous inspection.

Amadea

MS Amadea is a 600-passenger German ocean cruise ship that is operated by Bernhard Schulte Cruise Services GmbH & Co. KG.

During an inspection on February 10, 2026, the ship recorded the lowest possible passing score, an 86.

There were a total of 41 violations, including food not being properly covered by sneeze guards, an excessive number of soiled pots and pans, and the hot tubs and the pool’s chlorine levels being too low.

Amadea has been inspected 10 times over the past 18 years, with scores ranging from 99 down to a putrid 63.

Cruise lines pay for the inspections based on the size of the ship. They do not know ahead of time when the inspections will take place.

The goal of the VSP is to help the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues and to control the spread of illnesses on cruise ships.