With 2025 starting off with more illness outbreaks aboard cruise ships than ever reported in recent years, travelers are anxious to know the ships they sail on are clean, healthy, and safe.
Inspection reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can be a great tool to note just how clean, healthy, and safe a ship may be.
Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas is just one point away from failing her most recent inspection, conducted on February 9, 2025.
The ship scored an 86 out of 100, and any score of 85 or lower is considered failing.
These periodic random inspections go through a vessel from bow to stern, investigating a wide variety of health-related concerns. This includes overall cleanliness, food storage and preparation, ventilation systems, water temperatures, the presence of pests, response to illness, and much more.
Corrective recommendations are also offered, and if a ship does fail, the vessel will be reinspected to ensure they have upgraded their operations to CDC guidelines.
Aboard the Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas, the most concerning violation involved multiple young cruisers’ vomiting and diarrhea not being properly reported and the affected passengers not being isolated.
A total of 44 line item violations were noted. In addition to the illness issues in the children’s area, further concerns included poor lighting in some galley areas, minor plumbing leaks that were pooling on the deck rather than draining properly, broken soap dispensers or handwashing stations, and improper food storage.
Many of the items were able to be corrected immediately with simple repairs or additional cleaning, and undoubtedly, the crew aboard Symphony of the Seas will take additional steps to correct further issues.
It should be noted that even a cruise ship with a 100 score on their most recent inspection will still have some minor problems listed for correction.
Symphony of the Seas‘ previous inspections were significantly higher than the most recent 86. In November 2023, the ship received a score of 97, and in October 2022, a perfect 100 score.
The 228,081-gross-ton ship is currently homeported from Miami, Florida, offering 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries with each voyage vising Perfect Day at CocoCay.
In April, the ship will reposition to New Jersey to offer 7-night Bahamas itineraries through October, at which time she will return to Miami. In May 2026, Symphony of the Seas is scheduled to homeport year-round from Galveston, Texas.
The ship can welcome 5,518 guests at double occupancy and up to 6,680 passengers when fully booked. Also onboard are approximately 2,200 international crew members, all of whom are working hard to ensure the ship scores much better on her next health inspection.
Other Low-Scoring Ships
Symphony of the Seas is not the only vessel to have scored barely above passing on their most recent CDC inspection. Carnival Cruises’ Carnival Miracle scored an 88 in April 2024, while MSC Cruises’ MSC Magnifica scored an 86 in May 2024.
In the Royal Caribbean fleet, Adventure of the Seas scored an 89 in January 2024, but all other Royal Caribbean ships are in the 90s or even perfect 100 scores for their most recent reports.
Read Also: Who Owns Royal Caribbean – All You Need to Know
The perfect scores include Brilliance of the Seas (May 2024), Jewel of the Seas (September 2024), Mariner of the Seas (October 2024), Radiance of the Seas (July 2024), and Serenade of the Seas (September 2024).
No Royal Caribbean ships other than Symphony of the Seas have yet been inspected in 2025.
While CDC health inspection scores can be useful for travelers to note if a particular ship has any significant concerns, it should be noted that taking steps to stay healthy onboard is always critical. All guests should wash their hands frequently and thoroughly and take other precautions to stay fit during their cruise vacation.
