Ever wondered how “clean” your stateroom is on your cruise? Or how frequently public spaces on board a ship are sanitized? We’ve all heard news stories of flu and virus outbreaks on cruise ships, from the notorious norovirus to the lingering COVID-19.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus (also referred to as stomach flu), was responsible for 13 different outbreaks in 2024 alone across various cruise ships. The most recent outbreak was onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, which was only recently contained one week ago.

The CDC recently unveiled its 2024 findings for cruise lines’ cleanliness. This report involved inspections carried out over the last year, analyzing and inspecting pools, play areas, hot tubs, handwashing stations, food storage conditions, and pest and insect management. The CDC also reviews onboard medical centers, portable water systems, housekeeping and HVAC systems. Ships receiving a score of 86 or higher were deemed satisfactory.

While all cruise lines (at least, ideally) do all they can to ensure a healthy cruise experience for both passengers and crew, some come out on top for unparalleled cleanliness. In fact, the CDC named 27 cruise vessels as having perfect sanitation scores in 2024.

Which ships received perfect marks? Among the top-scoring vessels are:

• Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Cruises
• Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Cruise Line
• Seven Seas Grandeur, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Star Pride, Windstar Cruises
• Zuiderdam, Holland America Line
• Viking Orion and Viking Polaris, Viking
• Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Cruise Line
• Explora I, MSC Cruises

Among the lowest-scoring ships are Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. Receiving a score of 83, this ship was inspected May 1, 2024. The lowest-scoring ship, however, was Hanseatic Inspiration of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, receiving a 62 when inspected Sept. 29. That said, the CDC did a second inspection on Oct. 28 on the same ship, in which the ship earned a new score of 89.

What’s the cleanest cruise ship you’ve been on? Have you been on a ship contaminated with norovirus? What ship disappointed you in terms of cleanliness? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.