The Cleanest Cruise Ships of 2024, According to the CDC

^{This article originally appeared on Business Insider.}

Not all cruise ships are created — or operated — equally.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 13 bacterial and viral outbreaks (mostly norovirus) on ships. However, not every floating resort is damned to become a floating petri dish.

Quite the opposite — in 2024, the public health agency awarded perfect sanitation scores to 27 vessels.

^{Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas had two outbreaks in 2024, one from norovirus and the other from salmonella. Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images via BI}

Norovirus, also known as the stomach flu, is the most common virus to afflict cruises. Crowded ships provide an ideal setting for the highly contagious bug to spread fast, often through contaminated water, food, surfaces, and people.

Just as quickly, it can ruin your vacation — the four predominant symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.

To help mitigate these incidents, the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program regularly inspects cruise liners and scores them from zero to 100.

^{MSC Meraviglia is one of 27 cruise ships to have received a perfect score from the CDC in 2024. Florent Serfari/Reuters via BI}

The reviews — which include checking heavily trafficked areas like pools and children’s activity centers — are random and unannounced.

Vermin and improperly stored food are big no-nos. In addition to the obvious, inspectors also look behind the scenes for more nuanced details, such as the dishwasher’s water temperature and the frequency at which the pool’s hair and lint strainer is disinfected.

The CDC has performed 151 inspections in 2024, including repeat inspections on 23 ships. The majority scored above 95, and 27 (listed below) have received perfect marks: