These were the 8 cleanest Carnival cruise ships this year, according to the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly inspects cruise ships to ensure they're meeting strict health and safety standards. Although anything above an 86 is deemed satisfactory, cruise lines want to score as high as possible. This year, just one Carnival cruise ship earned a perfect 100. 

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) conducts random inspections on cruise ships to evaluate everything from food preparation to basic safety and disease prevention protocols. The inspections are similar to restaurant and grocery store evaluations and help ensure that the chances of guests and crew members falling ill are minimal. 

All cruise ships are given a rating on a scale of 0-100. As mentioned, anything 86 or above is satisfactory. However, anything below an 85 is deemed unsatisfactory.

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In 2025, the CDC revealed that just one Carnival ship received a perfect sanitation score. That said, seven others came close, earning a 99. 

These were the cleanest Carnival cruise ships in 2025:

• Carnival Luminosa, 100 (inspected on May 1, 2025)
• Carnival Celebration, 99 (inspected on May 4, 2025)
• Carnival Conquest, 99 (inspected on June 9, 2025)
• Carnival Firenze, 99 (inspected on July 29, 2025)
• Carnival Freedom, 99 (inspected on January 13, 2025)
• Carnival Glory, 99 (inspected on February 17, 2025)
• Carnival Spirit, 99 (inspected on August 17, 2025)
• Carnival Sunrise, 99 (inspected on February 13, 2025)

Surprisingly, one of Carnival's most infamous ships earned a nearly perfect score during its February inspection

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Even if you aren't too familiar with the ins and outs of Carnival Cruise Line, you've likely heard of the "poop cruise" — the infamous sailing aboard Carnival Triumph that left thousands of guests stranded in the Gulf of Mexico due to an engine room fire in 2013. 

The fire fried the ship's electrical cables and caused a complete loss of power, leaving the ship without propulsion, electricity, or functioning toilets for several days. With no plumbing, guests had to urinate in showers and defecate in red biohazard bags. 

Despite that traumatic event, the ship earned a near-perfect inspection score over a decade later, albeit under a different name. 

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In 2019, the former Carnival Triumph underwent a massive $200 million renovation. The upgrades were so drastic that Carnival thought she deserved a new name and reentered service as the Carnival Sunrise. 

Read more: Carnival’s infamous "poop cruise" ship is still in service — but under a different name

What were the dirtiest Carnival ships of 2025?

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Carnival did not have any ships that failed inspections in 2025. However, three scored in the high 80s, meaning they had some problems that needed to be urgently fixed. 

Carnival Sunshine, for example, earned an 89 out of 100 on its March 8, 2025, inspection. Violations ranged from cockroaches in the food servicing areas to employees working while experiencing illness symptoms and leaking water lines. 

Interestingly enough, the CDC increased Carnival Sunshine's inspection rating to 91 after sharing its initial findings. Presumably, this demonstrates that Carnival immediately addressed some of the smaller problems. 

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Still, two other Carnival ships, Carnival Dream (89) and Carnival Pride (86), also scored below 90 this year, with issues ranging from broken ventilation systems to flies in the galley and hair found on food in storage bins.