Cruise ships with the worst CDC sanitation scores revealed, see which vessels failed inspection

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) does periodic, unannounced inspections of cruise ships in U.S. ports, examining conditions aboard to determine whether vessels comply with federal public health standards, according to the agency.

Several ships have landed near the bottom of the CDC's sanitation scale so far this year.

Norwegian Dawn received a score of 84 during a March inspection - putting it below the CDC's passing threshold of 86.

Carnival Breeze, Kydon and National Geographic Sea Lion each received scores of 86 - while Sun Princess, MSC Meraviglia and Amadea received 89s.

Carnival Breeze, for example, received a perfect 100 earlier in the year before earning a score of 86 during a later inspection.

Fox News Digital reached out to Norwegian Dawn and the CDC for comment.

Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, an infection prevention expert and epidemiologist affiliated with Penn State College of Medicine, previously told Fox News Digital that the federal government's Vessel Sanitation Program plays an important role in protecting passengers and crew.

"The federal government's Vessel Sanitation Program, established in 1975 to work with the cruise industry to protect travelers' health, is critical for the health and safety of passengers, staff and the locations that cruise ships visit," Macgregor-Skinner said.

Inspectors focus on a wide range of areas aboard the ship.

The latest scores come as cruise lines continue to face scrutiny over sanitation and illness prevention aboard vessels carrying thousands of passengers.

"Cruise ships are shared environments where thousands of people touch the same surfaces every day," Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications at the American Cleaning Institute in Washington, D.C., previously told Fox News Digital.

"It is very important not to confuse the wider availability of cruise health data with a higher incidence rate on cruise ships compared to settings like restaurants, hotels and planes," he said.

Meanwhile, on the high side of the spectrum and based on the latest inspection data from the CDC, 42 cruise ships earned a perfect score of 100 - ranking them among the cleanest cruise ships reviewed in 2026.

"Normally, over the course of a year, 25-35 ships will earn a perfect health score," noted the "Cruise Fever" blog. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) for further comment.

Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.