How CDC Layoffs Have Impacted Cruise Ship Inspections One Year Later

In April of 2025, a new restructuring plan was implemented by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which led to mass layoffs in the CDC and essentially defunded the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

This led to panic within the cruise community, as the VSP is responsible for conducting health inspections and tracking outbreaks on all ships that carry at least 13 passengers, visit US ports, and operate international itineraries.

The layoffs also came in a year with a record number of norovirus outbreaks, which is almost always the culprit behind cruise ship outbreaks.

But despite the barriers against the organization, the VSP has essentially risen from the ashes to continue to inspect and monitor US-based vessels. If anything, oversight from the health officials has only gotten more stringent.

While some may feel skeptical about their health and safety at sea, given the current norovirus outbreak unfolding onboard Caribbean Princess and the rare hantavirus outbreak onboard MV Hondius, the numbers don’t lie.

Ship Inspections on the Rise

During the layoffs, the headline that made the rounds was that all of the CDC’s full-time inspectors were terminated. However, this didn’t mean no inspectors remained at the CDC.

A small but mighty group of 12 US Public Health Service officers kept their jobs, and have continued to carry out cruise ship inspections with fervor.

For context, US-based ships are subject to surprise inspections twice per year to ensure that they are meeting all sanitation, safety, and health standards. Cruise ships need to score an 86 or higher on a 100-point scale in order to pass.

As an example, Cruise Hive reported that Carnival Jubilee passed an inspection with a perfect score in March of 2026. This inspection would have been conducted by the VSP.

And despite the layoffs, the number of inspections has only increased. The CDC inspected 273 cruise ships in 2025, which is a 39% increase over the 197 ships inspected in 2024.

Currently, 56 ship inspections have been posted on the CDC’s website for 2026, and we are not even half way through the year yet.

CDC Sets New Guidelines for Cruise Ships

When not conducting inspections, the VSP isn’t just sitting idly by and twiddling its thumbs. Instead, it is keeping an eye on potential health risks on cruise ships and adjusting guidelines accordingly.

Following recent cases of Legionnaires’ disease reported on ships like Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, the CDC is demanding stricter water testing and more documentation.

Unfortunately, pools, spa areas, and whirlpools can become hot spots for the Legionella bacteria if left unmonitored and unchecked.

Under the new guidance, which went into effect in March 2026, cruise lines have to more thoroughly define monitoring frequencies, implement remediation protocols when issues are detected, and maintain more comprehensive records when corrective actions do need to be taken.

This is just another example of the VSP doing more instead of less to ensure the safety of all guests and crew members on cruise ships.

Cruise Ship Outbreaks Decline

First, it’s important to note that the CDC only plays a role in outbreaks on US-based ships. Situations like the hantavirus crisis, which has been centered around Cape Verde, Africa, are not under the CDC’s jurisdiction.

And while it’s true that norovirus has been surging in the US, that doesn’t necessarily mean that is the case on all cruise ships. Based on the ships that the VSP monitors, gastrointestinal outbreaks are down significantly compared to the same time last year.

By mid-May of 2025, the VSP had already reported 17 outbreaks, with a total of 23 outbreaks occurring before the year ended.

This year, the VSP has reported a total of four gastrointestinal outbreaks, which is a 76.5% decrease compared to the same time period in 2025.

While it’s possible that the number will skyrocket in the second half of the year, the data is promising and suggests the small but mighty VSP team is doing the best possible job with the resources they have been given.