Clean Cruises

Written By Jodi Oechsle

Hello Travelers!

Do you love a nice relaxing cruise but wonder how clean those ships really are?

The CDC has published their findings for cruise ship cleanliness, the VSP or Vessel Sanitation Program has a list and chart to help us see how clean our favorite cruise lines are.

"Inspections usually take 6-8 hours, depending on the number of inspectors, ship size, amount of time the ship is in port, and issues identified during the inspection," the CDC states on it’s website. "These inspections are periodic and unannounced.”

The VSP looks at 8 ship areas: medical, water sanitation, swimming pools and whirlpools, alleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, hotel accommodations, ventilation systems and common areas.

For the past 12 month period 29 ships scored perfectly! Here are the top 20 ships!


 Cleanest Cruise Ships in 2024

  • Carnival Spirit 

  • Viking Orion

  • Seabourn Odyssey

  • Norwegian Jewel

  • Oceania Regatta

  • Radiance of the Seas

  • MSC Meraviglia

  • Norwegian Bliss

  • MSC Seashore

  • Norwegian Sky

  • Brilliance of the Seas

  • Viking Polaris

  • Celebrity Equinox

  • Norwegian Breakaway

  • Norwegian Escape

  • Explora I

  • Disney Fantasy

  • Celebrity Ascent

  • Norwegian Gem


Many people worry about the amount of illness and germs aboard a cruise, but it is nice to know how strict the inspections are and how clean the ships are overall.


Specific to cruising, the CDC recommends frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing (more often than on shore) and wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated areas. Hand washing and sanitizing is particularly effective, the CDC notes, in preventing norovirus, which causes a gastrointestinal illness characterized by vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

So book that cruise, but be sure to get enough rest, drink some water and wash those hands!

Jodi Oechsle
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