Top 10 cleanest cruise lines ranked after surprise CDC sanitation inspections

 The cleanest cruise ships have been revealed in a new study — and some of the findings may surprise cruise lovers.

The study, which compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual health and hygiene inspections, ranked a number of popular cruise lines as the most sanitary.

“The data shows that independent brands tend to score higher than large conglomerates, and, surprisingly, the age of the ship doesn’t appear to influence a cruise line’s ability to achieve a perfect score,” according to the study by Florida-based Squaremouth Travel Insurance.

Cruise ships were graded on a 100-point scale. To pass inspection, ships must score 86 or above. 

The Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd., Viking Expedition Operations and Crystal Cruises were tied as the cleanest cruise lines, according to the study. Each cruise line scored a 99 out of 100.

“The federal government’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), 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,” Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, an infection prevention expert and epidemiologist, told Fox News Digital.

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The cleanest cruise ships have been revealed in a new study — and some of the findings may surprise cruise lovers.Art Johnson – stock.adobe.com

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The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise ship sets sail from PortMiami on March 12, 2026, in Miami, Florida.Getty Images

Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Japan Grace, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International completed the top 10 cleanest cruise line list.

Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas ship, which premiered in 2001, ranked high in the CDC’s list — proving that age is not necessarily linked to cleanliness.

All the ships in the top 10 scored higher than 97.12.

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The study, which compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual health and hygiene inspections, ranked a number of popular cruise lines as the most sanitary.Kirk Fisher – stock.adobe.com

“Ships participating in the VSP can expect two unannounced inspections every year, with a focus on medical facilities, potable water systems, swimming pools and whirlpool baths, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, cabins, ventilation systems and common areas,” Macgregor-Skinner said.

Viking, Virgin and Norwegian were the corporations that ranked the highest, with sanitation scores of 98.75, 97.67 and 97.39, respectively, according to the study.

Disney was No. 4 in the list of corporations — averaging a 97.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival had average sanitation scores of 96.74 and 94.82, respectively.

Viruses can spread quickly on a cruise ship. 

But the CDC implements strict cleaning protocols for all vessels.

“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, DC, told Fox News Digital.

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Disney was No. 4 in the list of corporations — averaging a 97.dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

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Crystal Symphony, a 51,044 GT cruise ship owned by A&K Travel Group and operated by V-Ships, sails the Tagus River after leaving Lisbon cruise terminal on May 20, 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal.Corbis via Getty Images

“Without strong cleaning and hygiene practices, germs can spread quickly, increasing the risk of illness among passengers and crew,” he continued.

Surprisingly, the study found no link between viruses and the lack of cleanliness.

Cruise ships are often ravaged by norovirus and other gastrointestinal illnesses. In 2025, the CDC reported 23 onboard outbreaks, according to the study.

However, “the data shows no correlation between the number of onboard viral outbreaks and sanitation scores, proving that viral illness can easily spread on the cleanest of ships,” the study said.

Macgregor-Skinner said cruise lines are the only part of the travel sector that routinely report illnesses to the federal government.

“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,” Macgregor-Skinner said.

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The funnel of the Viking Sky cruise ship is pictured leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 8, 2018.steheap – stock.adobe.com

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Carnival Miracle, a cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, sails the Tagus River after departure from the cruise terminal on June 3, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal.Corbis via Getty Images

Overall, the cruise industry is actually cleaner than other travel sectors, he said.

Nevertheless, Sansoni asserted, “Inadequate cleaning can allow viruses and bacteria to linger on high‑touch surfaces like railings, elevator buttons and bathroom fixtures. When cleaning protocols break down, those germs can spread rapidly in close quarters.”

Per the study, here are the top 10 cleanest cruise lines. 

Top 10 list

• Viking Ocean Cruises
• Viking Expedition Cruises
• Crystal Cruises
• Oceania Cruises
• P&O Cruises
• Japan Grace
• Virgin Voyages
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Celebrity Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International

https://nypost.com/2026/03/14/lifestyle/here-are-the-top-10-cleanest-cruise-lines-according-to-cdc-surprise-sanitation-inspections/

Mamdani, radical mayors of 5 other embattled Dem cities plot left super group

 Six of the most radical leftist mayors in the United States – including NYC’s own Zohran Mamdani – are plotting to form an ultra-woke super group that critics say would seek to turn the Land of the Free into the Land of the Fee.

The motley crew of capitalist-crushing Democratic mayors includes Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, Boston’s Michelle Wu, Oakland’s Barbara Lee, Seattle’s Katie Wilson and Los Angeles’ Karen Bass.

“Right now, we are the process of forming sort of a mayor’s coalition, much like district and state’s attorneys have formed to fight back against federal overreach,” Johnson said of the socialist sextet.

Mamdani “expressed a desire and commitment to work with the city of Chicago, Boston. We have Seattle on board. We have Oakland, Mayor Lee, Mayor Bass in Los Angeles as well,” added Johnson in a video posted Monday on X.

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Six of the most radical leftist mayors in the United States – including NYC’s own Zohran Mamdani – are forming a ultra-woke super group that critics say would seek to turn the Land of the Free into the Home of the Bolsheviks.Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com

The group’s lefty policies have already had serious repercussions in their own cities – including rising street homelessness, rampant open-air drug use, and revolving-door justice systems that cater to criminals rather than crime victims, said critics, who fear the worst if the radicals join forces.

“If you’re a taxpayer, it’s like Freddy and Jason are teaming up to create your worst nightmare,” said Doug Kellogg, state projects director of the conservative anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform.

“These cities have driven millions to head to the exits since 2020 with crushing taxes, bloated budgets, and fiscal crises. If they start sharing their terrible policies, it can only speed up the decline of their cities.”

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he and the mayors of NYC, Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles and Boston are in the process of forming a coalition who’ll soon meet and swap ideas about policy proposals and how govern.Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post

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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.AP

Since Mamdani was sworn in as mayor in January, he’s faced fierce criticism while struggling to deliver a radical policy agenda he campaigned on, which includes bringing Soviet-style, city-run grocery stores to NYC, implementing a rent freeze and expanding social services. New York racked up nearly 20 outside deaths during a brutal winter as civil libertarian refused to force homless people into shelters.

The pro-Palestine pol has also hired political operatives for his administration with a history of promoting Israel hate, while his own wife is facing bitter backlash over her “like” of a post claiming the rape of Israelis during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack was a “mass hoax.”

Mamdani has also threatened to slam New Yorkers with a whopping 9.5% property tax hike to fill a $5.4 billion budget gap to help fund his lefty agenda. He once said it was time to shift the tax burden to “whiter” neighborhoods.

The five other mayors have enough political baggage to fill a cargo plane:

• Bass promised to bring even more diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to far-left Los Angeles and tackle the city’s homeless and pollution problems after becoming mayor in December 2022. But she’s instead catching flak for defunding the Los Angeles Fire Department by $17 million, contributing to it being underprepared to tackle wildfires that ravaged the city in January. In 2020, she waxed poetic in a eulogy for a top leader of the U.S. Communist Party.

• Johnson, Chicago’s mayor since 2023, introduced a budget for this fiscal year that included a $1.2 billion shortfall, which was ultimately filled at the expense of taxpayers and by racking up more city debt. He’s also come under fire for mismanaging the city’s migrant crisis, trying to slap large companies with more taxes at the risk of driving away jobs, and pushing a “soft-on-crime” agenda that included terminating cops’ use of the ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system because he felt it unfairly targeted minority communities.

• Wu, Boston’s mayor since 2021, has been in a longstanding feud with the Department of Justice over Boston’s sanctuary city laws, which led the feds to file a lawsuit in September claiming Beantown’s policies are illegal and protect dangerous criminals. She also faced backlash in 2023 for hosting an “Electeds of Color Holiday Party” with invitations accidentally going out to white City Council members not invited.

• Lee, since becoming Oakland’s mayor in May, has faced withering criticism for failing to retain cops. Critics, including the Trump administration, have called on Oakland to be more aggressive in combatting crime. It has seen a decline in crime, but it is still viewed as one of the most dangerous cities in America.
• Wilson, who took office in January, has already come under fire for refusing to remove homeless tent encampments in public parks and pushing most drug-possession cases to diversion programs instead of prosecution. Like Mamdani, she was once a vocal “Defund the Police” supporter who backed off the stance after running for mayor.

“Nothing says ‘terrible idea’ like six cities famous for sky-high taxes and persistent crime deciding the solution is to compare notes,” said Bruce Blakeman, New York’s Republican gubernatorial nominee.

Mamdani’s reps said he’s in regular contact with many other mayors and governors across the country but insisted he has yet to decide whether to join the new coalition.

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.MediaNews Group via Getty Images

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.AP

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Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire during a windstorm in Los Angeles in January. Bass and her cronies are under fire for defunding the Los Angeles Fire Department by $17 million, contributing to it being underprepared.REUTERS

“Mayor Johnson raised a proposal related to this idea,” said one rep. “While Mayor Mamdani did not make any commitments to this proposal, he appreciated the exchange and will continue to have conversations with mayors, governors, and elected officials across the country.”

Johnson’s spokesperson Griffin Krueger also insisted the coalition is in the planning stages, adding no one has officially committed to joining.

A rep for Lee said she and City of Oakland have already agreed to join.

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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.Anadolu via Getty Images

“Policies and solutions that will help increase the quality of life and affordability for every resident in Oakland” is what Lee hopes to get out of being a member, said her spokesperson Justin Phillips.

Reps for the Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle mayors didn’t return messages.

NYC Councilman Frank Morano said he has serious concerns whether such a radical coalition has Americans’ best interest at heart.

“Collaboration among mayors can be very productive, but if the premise of the club is that capitalism is the problem, they may end up sharing the same ideas that got many big cities into trouble in the first place,” said the Staten Island Republican.

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People line up for services outside The Midnight Mission homeless shelter on Skid Row in Los Angeles in January.Jonathan Alcorn for NY Post

The mayoral squad will only be trouble if Mamdani is part of it, added Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

“The socialist antisemite mayor is destroying New York City for hardworking families, all while he plays dress up in his custom Carhartt costumes designed by his pro-Hamas wife and filmed by his pro-Hamas political allies,” she ripped. “It is no wonder people, businesses, and families are fleeing in droves. New York is in deep deep trouble with socialists and jihadists on the march.”

https://nypost.com/2026/03/14/us-news/zohran-mamdani-and-radical-mayors-of-five-other-embattled-dem-cities-plot-lefty-super-group/