These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year
- The CDC randomly inspects cruise ships to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses.
- The agency has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year.
- These are the cruise ships with the best and worst sanitation report cards in 2023 so far.
There's nothing like a stomach virus to ruin your vacation, as hundreds of cruise ship passengers have unfortunately learned this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023. The last time the industry's yearly gastrointestinal illness outbreak total was that high was back in 2016 — and it's only July.
For the agency to report a cruise-ship outbreak, 3% or more of passengers or crew members must report symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, such as vomiting and diarrhea, to the ship's medical staff. During the most recent outbreak, a 14-day cruise aboard the Viking Neptune in June, slightly over 13% of passengers (110 of 838) reported being ill with predominant symptoms of abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
The nasty stomach bug isn't just a cruise-ship problem, though. Norovirus cases have spiked across the United States this year, which some experts say is the result of ending COVID-19 restrictions .
"People often associate cruise ships with acute gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus, but acute gastrointestinal illness is relatively infrequent on cruise ships," the CDC says on its website. "Health officials track illness on cruise ships. So outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land."
To try to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses at sea, the CDC randomly inspects cruise ships and scores them on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Vessel Sanitation Program . Inspection scores of 85 and lower are considered "not satisfactory" by the agency.
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Most vessels have received scores in the high 90s — only one cruise ship, the MSC Seaside, has failed the CDC's sanitation inspection so far this year. The vessel received an unusually low score of 67 , nearly 20 points below the agency's passing grade.
An MSC Cruises representative told Insider at the time that the cruise line had launched an internal investigation based on the inspector's concerns and taken immediate corrective actions.
"MSC Cruises rigorously adheres to health protocols, and the results of this inspection do not reflect the brand's high standards," the person added.
In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show. Violations can include something as small as not posting a raw-eggs advisory on the omelet station or a single fly hovering in a food area. But before going on your next cruise adventure, it doesn't hurt to check out the ship's most recent sanitation rating.
These are the cruise ships with the highest and lowest sanitation scores so far this year:
The 15 cruise ships with perfect scores of 100
The 15 cruise ships with scores below a 95.
Correction: July 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misstated how many passengers and crew members aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam reported being ill during a May voyage. It was 284 people, not 539.
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Norovirus outbreaks surging on cruise ships this year
By Emily Mae Czachor
July 12, 2023 / 10:33 AM EDT / CBS News
Norovirus outbreaks spiked on cruise ships this year, with data showing more outbreaks happened between January and June than over the course of any other full calendar year in the last decade. Thirteen norovirus outbreaks have been reported on cruises so far in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which keeps a record of annual case counts dating back to 1994.
The most recent outbreak hit passengers and crew members on board a Viking Cruises trip from Iceland that docked in New York on June 20. More than 13% of passengers on the Viking Neptune — 110 of 838 in total — reported being ill while onboard, according to the CDC. Nine crew members reported being ill as well. Health officials at the CDC determined that norovirus caused the outbreak after Viking Cruises collected and sent specimens to the agency's laboratory for testing.
Those cases in June came after multiple norovirus outbreaks in previous months that affected a range of cruise lines.
In May, two outbreaks were reported on voyages led by Celebrity Cruises and Holland America. In March, Celebrity Cruises reported two norovirus outbreaks, as did Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises reported its first outbreak of the year in February, and Royal Caribbean International reported two the previous month. P&O Cruises also reported an outbreak on its Arcadia cruise ship this year.
The CDC's tally of norovirus outbreaks so far confirmed on cruise ships in 2023 is already higher than any annual outbreak tallies since 2012, when the health agency recorded 16 outbreaks.
Symptoms of norovirus
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, which is inflammation in the stomach or intestines, according to the CDC . Health officials say norovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea as well as the most common type of foodborne illness .
Norovirus is often referred to as a "stomach bug" or "stomach flu" (although it is not a form of flu). It causes a variety of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. People infected with the virus may also have headaches, fevers and body aches, and are at risk of dehydration.
The virus spreads easily and is typically contracted when someone accidentally ingests tiny particles of vomit or feces from someone who is infected with it. The CDC writes that people who are infected "can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can't see without a microscope," and exposure to just a few norovirus particles can make someone sick.
Symptoms typically emerge within 12 to 48 hours of being exposed. Most people get better after a few days, but severe cases may require hospitalization.
Studies have shown that norovirus can continue to spread for two weeks or more after an infected person stops having symptoms of the illness, according to the CDC.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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Cruise lines have reported 13 outbreaks of norovirus through June
It's the most norovirus outbreaks over the first six months of a year since 2012. The reports come from ships under Carnival and Royal Caribbean brands, according to the CDC.
Cruise lines are reporting that the frequency of norovirus outbreaks has reached its highest point in a decade.
In the first half of 2023, 13 outbreaks were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Miami Herald reports.
That's the most since 2012 when there were 16 confirmed outbreaks.
That marks the highest number since ships started sailing again in 2021 after COVID-19 restrictions kneecapped the cruise industry.
The outbreaks affected Royal Caribbean and Carnival lines, on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America, Princess and P&O ships, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most recent outbreak occurred during a June 6-20 voyage of a Viking Cruises voyage from Iceland that docked in New York City. The CDC said out of nearly 840 passengers, 110 reported feeling ill.
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- Vessel Sanitation Program
- Stay Healthy on Your Cruise
- Meetings & Announcements
- Vessel Sanitation Training
- Data Summary
- Public Health Resources
- Addressing AGE on Cruise Ships
Outbreaks on Cruise Ships in VSP's Jurisdiction
At a glance.
Learn more about outbreaks of gastrointestinal (GI) illness on cruise ships in the Vessel Sanitation Program's (VSP) jurisdiction, including outbreak details and actions taken in response.
2024 outbreaks
About outbreak reporting.
We post outbreaks when they meet all the following criteria:
- Ship is under VSP jurisdiction (on voyages including both U.S. and foreign ports)
- Ship carries 100 or more passengers
- Voyage is 3-21 days long
- Voyage has 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting symptoms of GI illness to the ship's medical staff
We may also post information on outbreaks of public health significance that do not necessarily meet the above criteria.
Notes about the data
GI illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE).
Cruise ships report cases that meet our case definition for AGE. We define a reportable case of AGE as
- three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or what is more than normal for that person OR
- vomiting along with one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever.
What case totals mean
Learn how passengers can protect themselves with these tips for healthy cruising .
Find more information on
- VSP outbreak response
- Earlier outbreaks (2019-2023)
- Archived outbreaks (1993–2018)
Read our publication on cruise ship GI outbreaks during 2006-2019.
The Vessel Sanitation Program helps the cruise ship industry prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.
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People are cruising again on big ships following a COVID-19 decline, but it's a tough comeback for the industry.
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Cruise lines have reported 13 outbreaks of the norovirus through june.
According to the CDC, its the most outbreaks over the first six months of a year since 2012. The reports come from ships under Carnival and Royal Caribbean brands.
Cruise lines are reporting that the frequency of norovirus outbreaks has reached its highest point in a decade.
In the first half of 2023, 13 outbreaks were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Miami Herald reports.
That's the most since 2012 when there were 16 confirmed outbreaks.
That marks the highest number since ships started sailing again in 2021 after COVID-19 restrictions kneecapped the cruise industry.
The outbreaks affected Royal Caribbean and Carnival lines, on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America, Princess and P&O ships.
The most recent outbreak occurred during a June 6-20 voyage of a Viking Cruises voyage from Iceland that docked in New York City. The CDC said out of nearly 840 passengers, 110 reported feeling ill.
The CDC says the highly-infectious virus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the country.
COMMENTS
What happens when you test positive for Covid on a cruise ship in 2023? Family shares their experience. In: Health. 02 Oct 2023. By: Matt Hochberg. It's been more than two years since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises following the industry shutdown in 2020, so what's it like today if you were to test positive for Covid while on your ship?
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Cruise lines are reporting that the frequency of norovirus outbreaks has reached its highest point in a decade. In the first half of 2023, 13 outbreaks were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Miami Herald reports.
Learn more about outbreaks of gastrointestinal (GI) illness on cruise ships in the Vessel Sanitation Program's (VSP) jurisdiction, including outbreak details and actions taken in response.
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