Cruise Ship VSP Score Lookup
Look up your ship's official CDC Vessel Sanitation Program inspection score before you sail.
What Is a CDC VSP Score?
The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) inspects cruise ships that call at U.S. ports twice per year. Each unannounced inspection scores the ship on a 100-point scale, covering food safety, water quality, pool and hot tub maintenance, integrated pest management, housekeeping, and the ship's medical facilities.
86 or above is a passing score. Below 86 is a failing grade and triggers a follow-up reinspection. The full inspection report — including every violation and deduction — is publicly available on the CDC's website.
Meets CDC sanitation standards
Triggers a CDC follow-up reinspection
Unannounced inspections, twice per year
Want to browse scores without leaving CruiseAware? Our Cruise Ships page lists the latest CDC sanitation scores for 200+ ships, organized by cruise line, with a detailed sanitation profile for each vessel.
How to Look Up a Score on the CDC Site
Go to the CDC Inspection Tool
Click the button below to open the CDC's Advanced Cruise Ship Inspection Search Tool — the official government database of all VSP inspection records.
Search for Your Ship
Enter your cruise ship's name in the first search box, then click the SEARCH button. The results show the ship's most recent inspection date, score, and the full inspection report.
Read Your Score
A score of 86 or above means the ship passed. Below 86 is a failing grade and triggers a follow-up inspection by the CDC. The report also lists specific violations found during the inspection.
Opens the CDC Inspection Query Tool in a new window.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CDC VSP score?
A CDC VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) score is the result of a twice-yearly sanitation inspection of a cruise ship by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inspectors evaluate food storage and preparation, water quality, pool and hot tub maintenance, housekeeping, and the ship's medical facilities on a 100-point scale. A score of 86 or above is a passing grade.
What does a failing VSP score mean?
A score below 86 is a failing grade. It does not mean the ship is unsafe to sail, but it does trigger a follow-up inspection by the CDC and the cruise line must correct the deficiencies identified. Ships that fail inspections are required to address the specific issues and be re-inspected.
How often are cruise ships inspected?
The CDC's VSP program inspects cruise ships that visit U.S. ports twice per year — roughly every six months. Inspections are unannounced, meaning the ship's crew does not know exactly when inspectors will arrive.
Where can I look up VSP scores for 200+ ships?
CruiseAware's Ships page lists the latest CDC sanitation scores for around 200 cruise ships, organized by cruise line, with a direct link to each ship's detailed sanitation profile and inspection history.
Does a high VSP score mean no illness outbreaks?
Not necessarily. VSP scores measure sanitation and food-safety infrastructure at a point in time, while illness outbreaks are tracked separately through the CDC's gastrointestinal illness reporting program. A ship can score well on an inspection and still experience a norovirus outbreak, which spreads primarily person-to-person rather than through sanitation failures.
How is the VSP score calculated?
Inspectors evaluate eight operational categories: water, food, hygiene and work practices, integrated pest management, potable water, pools and recreational water facilities, housekeeping, and medical. Each category has a maximum point value; deductions are made for violations found. The total deductions are subtracted from 100 to produce the final score.
Disclaimer
This information is compiled using publicly available information from recognized government agencies, international organizations, and travel health resources, including the CDC, WHO, U.S. State Department, CIA World Factbook, TSA, CBP, ISTM, IAMAT, and related sources. Conditions, advisories, disease outbreaks, entry requirements, weather events, and security situations may change rapidly and without notice, similar to how cruise ship inspection outcomes, like the CDC VSP score, can vary. Travelers are responsible for independently verifying all current travel, health, immigration, and safety information before departure and throughout their trip. CruiseAware provides this information for general educational and informational purposes only and assumes no responsibility or liability for inaccuracies, omissions, delays, or traveler decisions based on this material.