The Occurrence of Cruise Ship Diseases Reaches a 12-Year Peak, as per CDC figures, Illustrates Distinctions Among Cruise Operators
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There's some positive and negative news for individuals planning for cruise vacations. The downside is that the number of sickness incidents on cruise ships in 2024 hit an all-time high since 2012. The silver lining is that only 16 such incidents were reported by the CDC.
This implies that out of the nearly 20 million passengers embarking from US ports, the number of those impacted is significantly low. If you decide to go on a cruise, your odds of being part of an outbreak are nearly nonexistent.
Cruise Ships: Health Issues Beyond Major Outbreaks
Although cruise ships often get criticized for being high-risk zones for diseases like norovirus, there are genuine concerns to ponder upon.
A vast number of passengers frequently board ships, some after long flights. Eating raw or undercooked food, such as sushi, eggs, shellfish, and meat, is prevalent. Buffet restaurants serve passengers themselves, making it simple for pathogens to make their way onto the ship. Ports are frequented by passengers, and they reboard when it's time to depart. There are several ways for germs to infiltrate the ship and spread once they're inside.
Respiratory illnesses are not uncommon and are reported to be three to four times as frequent as stomach illnesses on cruise ships based on CDC statistics.
Despite the risks, cruise operators take numerous steps to minimize health-related issues through strict kitchen procedures, hand-washing protocols, regular cleaning, and sanitizing.
In 2024, the CDC carried out an impressive 163 inspections on various ships.
Cruise Line Health Ratings
With over 300 cruise ships globally, CDC inspection data does not offer a substantial dataset to rank cruise lines. It would be ideal to inspect each ship multiple times per year. However, that could provide valuable trend data to show whether ships or lines are improving or deteriorating over time.
Existing data is still helpful to create a ranking that can aid travelers concerned about shipboard health to make a more informed choice. Upon analyzing the data, these are the findings:
The average score across all inspections was 95.9. The price of the cruise does not appear to have a significant impact, as both luxury brands like Viking, Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea, and budget brands like Cunard, Crystal, and Ritz-Carlton received varying scores.
Health Ratings of Cruise Parent Companies
There are more than fifty cruise lines worldwide, but three large, publicly-traded companies - Carnival Corporation (CCL), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) - make up a large portion of the industry. Each owns multiple brands. Together, these three entities accounted for 81% of the CDC inspections.
Would the results differ if we grouped the data based on parent companies? Here's what was found:
The "Other" category includes all lines not categorized with the three companies mentioned. On average, the three major players scored better than other brands. However, there was a notable difference within each brand.
For example, Carnival brands offered both Seabourn (98.5) and Cunard (91). The "Other" category featured even more significant variation, with Windstar's single inspection scoring 100 at the top and Hapag-Lloyd scoring a dismal 75.5 at the bottom.
Do Low Scores Lead to Major Outbreaks?
Surprisingly, there seems to be no correlation between the outbreaks and the CDC inspection scores. Here's a list of the outbroks in 2024 along with the ship's inspection score:
Although outbreaks occurred on ships like Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (91), they also happened on boats with excellent inspection results, such as Royal Caribbean's Radiance, which scored a perfect 100 on one of its inspections.
The average inspection score for all ships with outbreaks was 96, almost identical to the average for all inspections.
The infrequent occurrence of major outbreaks and the lack of connection to the inspection scores indicate that luck has a significant impact. Probable causes for an outbreak to occur during a journey are rare, and factors considered during inspections are only one part of the equation.
Should You Worry About CDC Cruise Ship Inspection Scores?
While CDC cruise ship inspection scores do not predict major outbreaks, they may still serve as valuable guidance when choosing a ship or a cruise line.
Although the chances of major outbreaks are minimal, it cannot be denied that every cruise will have some sick passengers and/or crew members. A ship with excellent hygiene practices is more effective in containing the spread of any illness that occurs.
Although I wouldn't choose a ship based on a single CDC inspection, the passage of time, a ship or line's history of low scores may influence my decision to some extent. Health concerns related to ships fluctuate among travelers. Some simply do not consider this while planning, while others follow stricter hygiene practices, like avoiding buffets and shared tables.
Luckily, most major cruise lines score well on the CDC inspections, making it possible for health-conscious travelers to relax and enjoy their voyage. The CDC considers scores of 85 and above to be "satisfactory," which most of the 2024 inspections passed, except for two. Individual preferences may vary, but the industry at large appears reasonably safe.
- When considering cruise line rankings, it's important to note that the CDC conducted an impressive 163 inspections on various ships in 2024.
- Despite the high number of incidents of sickness on cruise ships in 2024, the CDC reported only 16 major outbreaks, implying that the risk for passengers is relatively low.
- Cruise lines like Cunard, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival, which are under the three major parent companies, accounted for a significant percentage of the CDC inspections in 2024.
- Interestingly, there seems to be no direct correlation between the CDC inspection scores and the occurrence of major outbreaks on cruise ships.
