CDC 2026 Inspection Data Reveals Lowest-Scoring Cruise Ships and Perfect Scores
The CDC's 2026 Vessel Sanitation Program inspections identified seven cruise ships with the lowest sanitation scores, with Norwegian Dawn scoring 84, the only vessel below the 86-point passing threshold. Other low-scoring ships include Carnival Breeze, Kydon, National Geographic Sea Lion, Sun Princess, MSC Meraviglia, and Amadea. Conversely, 42 ships earned perfect 100 scores, including Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas and Disney Dream. Experts emphasize that scores reflect compliance at the time of inspection, not necessarily safety, and that lower scores do not automatically indicate illness outbreaks.
