Cruise Ship Inspection Scores
Every U.S.-port ship is inspected twice a year, unannounced. Here is how to read the results.
Get Free Quotes From a Cruise AdvisorCruise ship inspection scores are among the most useful public records in travel, and few cruisers know they exist. Every ship under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program receives two unannounced inspections a year, and the results — score, date and every item cited — are published online.
Which Ships Are Covered
The program covers cruise ships carrying 13 or more passengers on a foreign itinerary that includes U.S. ports. That takes in the ships sailing from Florida, Texas, California, New York, Seattle and other U.S. homeports, and foreign-based ships that call at U.S. ports. It does not cover a ship that never calls in the United States.
How to Look Up a Ship
- Open the CDC cruise ship inspection search.
- Choose the ship name (or the cruise line to see its fleet) and run the search.
- Open an inspection to see the score, the inspection date and the detailed report of what inspectors found.
- For a quick overview of many ships, use CDC’s Green Sheet report, which lists recent scores together.
What the Score Means
Inspections are scored out of 100. Points are deducted for each item found out of line with the program’s standards, more for items with greater health risk. A score of 86 or higher passes; 85 or lower is not satisfactory. Inspectors look across the ship’s public health systems: food storage, preparation and service, potable water, pools and whirlpools, housekeeping, child activity centers, ventilation and pest management, and the ship’s outbreak prevention plans.
Reading a Report Like an Advisor
- Look at the trend. One middling score matters less than a pattern across several inspections.
- Read the items, not just the number. A deduction for paperwork is different from one for food temperatures.
- Check the corrective actions. Reports include the ship’s response to what inspectors found.
- Note the date. A score from many months ago says less about the ship today.
Inspection Scores and Outbreaks Are Different Things
A high cruise ship inspection score does not make a ship immune to norovirus, which spreads person to person, and a gastrointestinal outbreak does not mean a ship scored poorly. CDC keeps a separate public list: CDC’s outbreak list shows voyages on VSP ships where 3% or more of passengers or crew reported symptoms to the medical center. Ships log and report gastrointestinal cases to the program throughout each voyage, so the list is a genuine signal of how often outbreaks reach that level.
What to Do With the Information
Use cruise ship inspection scores as one input among several. If a ship you like has a recent low score, read the report and look at the follow-up inspection. If you are choosing between two similar ships, the record can be a fair tiebreaker. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise check these reports when clients ask.
Inspection Score Questions
What is a passing cruise ship inspection score?
CDC inspections are scored out of 100. A score of 86 or higher passes; 85 or lower is not satisfactory.
How often are cruise ships inspected?
Ships under the Vessel Sanitation Program are subject to two unannounced inspections each year, plus follow-up inspections when needed.
Are all cruise ships in the CDC database?
Only ships under VSP jurisdiction: those carrying 13 or more passengers on a foreign itinerary that includes U.S. ports. A ship that never calls at a U.S. port will not appear.
Want a Ship Checked for You?
Name the ships you are considering. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will look at their recent inspection history and send free quotes.
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