CDC Layoffs Could Impact Cruise Ship Inspections
A new restructuring plan is being implemented by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
As part of this plan, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laid off employees on April 1, 2025.
This has effectively wiped out some of the most important existing public health programs, including the one that aids in controlling disease and illness outbreaks on cruise ships.
Unfortunately, thousands of federal employees lost their jobs at the start of the month — and the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice no longer exists.
The reason this matters is that this specific division was in charge of the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which conducts cruise ship inspections as well as tracking and investigating outbreaks of diseases.
As of now, the VSP has been effectively defunded — which comes at a time when norovirus outbreaks have been on the rise.
With 10 outbreaks already being reported this year on US-operated vessels, removing the program that assists not only in investigating the causative agent but also helps with sanitation practices to prevent the spread of illnesses could be bad news for cruisers.
Beyond just reporting on outbreaks, the VSP also inspects cruise ships frequently to make sure they meet and maintain certain public health standards to be certain that both passengers and crew remain healthy while at sea.
Previously, all ships were subject to two unannounced inspections each year — and any that violated the guidelines were required by the CDC to correct them immediately.
The most recent inspection was Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria on March 14, 2025, receiving a score of 96 out of 100. On March 10, 2025, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit was also inspected, getting a bit of a lower score of 92.
Anything lower than a score of 85 is not satisfactory, though this score is quite uncommon as only four vessels have scored this low since 2020.
Read Also: How to Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Cruise Vacation
Of course, cruise lines will still want to maintain some level of high standards, but some might see the removal of these inspections as a chance to take it easy.
Passengers can still access information on outbreaks as well as view copies of cruise ship inspection scores on the CDC’s website.
After the mass layoffs, Secretary Kennedy said that some of these public health programs were cut mistakenly and will be reinstated at some point, while others will become part of existing programs.
So far there have been no updates about the future of the VSP, but it could be one of the programs moving around.
Until then, cruise sanitation regulations, inspections, and outbreak reports will be paused.
Hopefully, all cruise lines operating within the US choose to operate like these standards are still in place, but only time will tell if they choose to.
Other Global Health Standards for Cruise Ships
The US is not the only country that has health standards for cruise ships.
Recently, the European Union updated its SHIPSAN Manual to actually better reflect the standards that were put in place by the VSP. The guidelines are strictly enforced across all EU ports, requiring inspections of all sanitation protocols and ventilation.
Ships sailing within the Caribbean are subject to the regulations put in place by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
The agency’s Tourism and Health Information System (THiS) specifically monitors illness outbreaks, and cruise lines must report any suspected cases 24 hours before docking. Again, these guidelines were developed with the help of the VSP.
If a ship is registered in Flag States, such as the Bahamas, they are required to comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Here is some good news — most major cruise lines register their ships under foreign flags, with a very popular country being the Bahamas!
This means that there are stringent sanitation protocols in place, and inspections are still required. However, with the VSP being defunded there will likely be a change in reporting on these occurances for the time being.
That being said, it would be safe to say that the cruising industry at large will do everything in its power to maintain the best standards for its passengers and crew.
Regardless of the standards or lack thereof, safety is the top priority for all cruise lines.
Plus, who would want to go on a poorly maintained cruise ship? That would stink!