Think CDC Stopped Cruise Inspections? Actually, They’re Happening More

You might have heard some rumors lately that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had slowed its cruise ship inspections, perhaps due to budget cuts.   In fact, some outlets were reporting that the CDC had stopped cruise ship inspections altogether.

But a closer look at the CDC’s own Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) reports tells a different story. It appears the agency is not only keeping up with its health and safety checks on cruise ships but might even be stepping them up a notch, at least compared to last year.

In 2024, the CDC conducted a total of 171 cruise ship inspections, which averages out to about 14.25 inspections every month.   The highest number of inspections came in November with 16 and the lowest in August with 9.

Now, let’s fast forward to 2025. So far this year, the VSP has already completed 78 inspections. If we break that down by month, we find that April 2025 alone saw 9 inspections, showing a clear continuation of the agency’s work.

When we factor in the four full months of data we have for 2025 – January through April – the average number of inspections per month climbs to an impressive 19.5. This suggests the CDC is doing more than just maintaining its pace; it’s actually picking up the tempo a bit.

Beyond just the quantity, the quality of these inspections remains pretty clear in the scores. For example, in 2025, we’ve seen fantastic scores of 100 for ships with Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Viking and Explora Journeys.

The following ships scored a perfect 100 with the CDC in 2025:

• Disney Magic
• Disney Treasure
• Disney Wish
• Disney Wonder
• Explora I
• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Jade
• Viking Neptune
• Viking Polaris
• Viking Sea
• Valiant Lady

On the other hand, some cruise ships had some problems, with scores like the Carnival Dream’s 89 and the Symphony of the Seas’ 86.

Although a crude comparison, it’s still interesting to note that the total score averages across all cruise ships in 2024 was 95.91 and so far, 2025’s average is 96.17.  A small—perhaps even meaningless– point, but one I find interesting regardless.

It’s also interesting to observe which cruise lines have been under the most review this year. So far in 2025, Carnival Cruise Line has seen the highest number of inspections, with 12 of their ships being checked. Close behind are Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises, each having had 10 inspections to date.

One small point to keep in mind is that while inspections are definitely happening, there can sometimes be a slight delay before the full reports appear on the CDC VSP website. As someone who keeps an eye on this data, I’ve noticed this lag occasionally.   Sometimes a ship’s report won’t show up until more than a month after the date of inspection.

However, the data confirms that the work is indeed being diligently carried out behind the scenes.

So, while discussions about government resources are always part of the conversation, the evidence from the CDC is clear: cruise ships are still being inspected at the normal rate and even above it. 

Of course, that may change in the near future, and I will report back if that happens.