Cruise Ship Illness Outbreaks Drop 70% and Perfect Health Scores Double in 2026

During the first half of 2026, cruise ship illness outbreaks have dropped 70% compared to 2025, and ships scoring perfect 100 health scores have nearly doubled.

Illness Outbreaks

During the first half of 2026, there have been five outbreaks of gastrointestinal (GI) illness on cruise ships; three were from norovirus and two from E. coli.

This is down from 17 outbreaks that occurred during the first half of 2025, 12 of which were from norovirus. 

All cruise ships that sail from or visit a U.S. cruise port are under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program’s jurisdiction. Every one of these ships must report to the VSP if 2% or more of passengers or crew members have symptoms of a GI illness. If the number crosses 3%, it is officially labeled as an outbreak and listed on the CDC’s website.

Since it is based on a percentage, small ships will report an outbreak even if only a handful of passengers report being ill. In the last outbreak, 9 passengers and three crewmembers on National Geographic Sea Bird reported being ill. It was labeled an outbreak since there were only 66 guests on the ship and 24 crewmembers onboard.

If an outbreak occurs, the ship will report its cleaning and disinfection procedures to the CDC. Those who are ill are isolated, and stool specimens are collected for testing.

The VSP will conduct a field response for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak.

Perfect 100 Health Scores

During the first half of 2025, a total of 15 cruise ships received a perfect 100 health score during surprise inspections. So far in 2026, there have been a total of 29 ships acing their inspections.

What makes this year even more impressive is that most inspections from May and June have yet to be listed on the CDC’s website. It can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks after an inspection for the results to be listed.

12 cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Virgin Voyages, Disney Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises have all had ships score a perfect 100 this year. Royal Caribbean and Carnival, the two largest cruise lines, each have had five ships receive a 100.

All cruise ships that sail out of or visit a U.S. cruise port are subject to two unannounced health inspections that are carried out by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

Cruise lines pay for the inspections based on the size of the ship, and any score that’s 85 or below is considered a failing score. If a ship fails its inspection, it will be reinspected soon after to make sure corrective actions have been taken.

During the inspections, the following eight areas of ships are inspected:

• Medical Centers – Medical documents are reviewed, and staff and crew members are interviewed
• Drinking Water – Water samples are collected to ensure drinking water is safe
• Galleys and Dining Rooms – Food is checked to make sure it is stored properly with equipment being checked to make sure they are well maintained and in good working order
• Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs – Water samples are collected to ensure halogen and pH levels are correct
• Housekeeping – The housekeeping manager is interviewed about prevention and management procedures
• Pest and Insect Management – Ensure the staff is well informed on how to manage pests on a ship
• Child Activity Centers – Make sure toys are clean and staff are informed on what to do if a child is sick
• HVAC – Air conditioning/heating units are inspected to make sure they are clean and water is not collecting inside them

The inspectors also go through logs to ensure the ship is following VSP standards.

All numbers and stats in this article came directly from the CDC’s website.