How safe are Royal Caribbean's ships when it comes to disease and illness?
Cruise ship travel—like other forms of transport—exposes people to new environments and the risk of illness.
Cruise ships are often criticized for spreading gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses, or risking illness through contaminated food and water.
Because GI illnesses are highly contagious, they can easily be passed through person-to-person contact.
Norovirus, for example, is transmitted when someone ingests particles of vomit or feces from an infected person, such as through consuming food touched by an infected individual, touching contaminated surfaces and then their mouth, or placing contaminated objects on clean surfaces.
The most common symptoms are diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, abdominal pain, and fever.
Sick people can spread illness to others by touching handrails, elevator buttons, shared utensils, and other people.
Traveling on cruise ships exposes guests to new environments, communal spaces, and high volumes of other people, all of which can exacerbate the risk of illness.
According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the center "helps the cruise ship industry prevent and control gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships."
The CDC rated 3 Royal Caribbean ships perfectly clean
Not all cruise ships are operated in the same way, so the CDC randomly conducts inspections on cruise ships throughout the year. The inspection is a surprise, always unannounced.
The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) gives each cruise ship a rating on a scale of 0-100 once the inspection is complete.
The CDC studies each vessel's sanitary levels, examining common areas such as buffets, kitchens, pools, and playscapes.
Inspectors look at food storage and any sign of vermin on board, as well as detailed aspects like swimming pool disinfection and the water temperature of the dishwasher.
The CDC has inspected a total of 119 ships in 2024, and its report shows data on a rolling 12-month basis.
While all of Royal Caribbean's ships passed their inspections, three vessels in particular received a perfect score.
The following Royal Caribbean ships have a 100 VSP score according to the CDC:
1. Voyager of the Seas
2. Radiance of the Seas
3. Brilliance of the Seas
Although cruise ships only make up 1% of reported outbreaks of GI illnesses, they tend to make the news whenever an outbreak occurs onboard.
In May of 2024, passengers on Allure of the Seas reported on social media that many guests were falling ill from food poisoning.
On a September 20th sailing in Alaska, 180 cruisers on Radiance of the Seas fell sick in a GI illness outbreak. Three crew members also reported being sick.
Read more: People onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ship report sick from gastrointestinal illness
If the incidents of sick cases make up more than 3% of the ship's total population, cruise ships are required to report the cases to the CDC. These reports often end up making major news in the cruise industry.
A lower score doesn't necessarily mean an unsafe ship
Additionally, non-perfect scores don't mean an unhealthy or unsafe ship.
According to the CDC's VSP index, a score of 85 or lower is unsatisfactory. All Royal Caribbean ships feature a rating of at least 89 or above on the score sheet.
The lowest-rated Royal Caribbean ships are:
- Adventure of the Seas, which received a score of 89
- Independence of the Seas, rated at 91
- Harmony of the Seas, which scored 92
The CDC's inspections and VSP scores are important, but not the only factor in ensuring a cruise ship is clean.
Cruise ships are also mindful of the impact that bad news and excessive press about sickness can have. Royal Caribbean wants its guests to be healthy and enjoy their cruise enough to sail again.
The cruise line uses several plans of action and employs crew members to keep its ships well-maintained and clean throughout the year.
Every vessel, no matter its VSP score, features several health awareness tactics and oversight of outbreak prevention.
Guests on Royal Caribbean ships will spot hand-washing stations, free hand sanitizer, health awareness signs, and even crew members reminding guests to clean their hands.
If guests do fall sick, Royal Caribbean has a series of health protocols to prevent further infection, no matter the source.
This program, implemented in 2023, includes six tenants:
- Stop buffet self-service if the onboard norovirus rate exceeds 1.5%
- More crew training on acute GI symptoms and avoiding cross-contamination
- More GI training for onboard medical teams
- Increased oversight of the Outbreak Prevention Plan
- Switching to PDI SaniCloth Prime hospital-grade disinfectant wipes, which carry a claim against norovirus (Contains an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use)
- Contactless tap technology, so crew members don't have to handle SeaPass cards
