If you’re heading on a cruise holiday, the last thing you’d want is to be stuck on a vessel with sub-par sanitary standards.
Now, the world’s cleanest cruise lines have been revealed – in a ranking of the most sanitary options available.
The winning title has been handed to three different companies, all earning an average sanitation score of 99.
Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd, Viking Expedition Operations and Crystal Cruises LTD all came out on top.
Viking Ocean Cruises sails from ports around the world, including popular UK departure points Greenwich, Portsmouth and Tilbury, London.
From here, passengers can travel to destinations such as Venice, Hong Kong, Montenegro and Sydney.
Meanwhile, Viking Expedition Operations focuses on smaller, more adventure-led cruises to desinations such as Antarctica.
It primarily departs from Greenwich and Tilbury, with additional stops often including Lerwick (Shetland Islands) and Aberdeen, Scotland.
A more luxurious cruise line, Crystal Cruises sails around the world, including to the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Alaska, and, in the UK, primarily departs from Southampton and Liverpool, as well as Lerwick (Shetland Islands), Kirkwall (Orkney Islands), and Stornoway (Isle of Lewis).
The ranking has been revealed by Squaremouth Travel Insurance based on data showing which cruise lines had the cleanest fleets of 2025 by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The CDC conducts annual health and hygiene inspections of passenger cruise ships and assigns a 100-point sanitation score; scores of 85 or lower are considered failing.
In second place was Oceania Cruises, with an average sanitation score of 98.40.
Oceania Cruises is a luxury operator based in USA, known for its lavish offerings.
Last year, the Daily Mail revealed a look behind the scenes of an Oceania vessel and its kitchens in its Ship Shape documentary.
And the cruise line revealed in January it would now exclusively be offering voyages for adults.
In joint third place were P&O Cruises and Japan Grace, both with a score of 98.
British cruise line P&O Cruises is very popular among UK travellers – and last year, it revealed it would be launching all-inclusive packages for the very first time.
Virgin Voyages came in fourth, with a score of 97.67.
It was dubbed the best cruise for adults-only and parties by the Daily Mail last year.
Destinations range from Florida, the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos on shorter cruises, to Tortola, Cartagena and St Croix on longer holidays.
Rounding out the top five, in joint fifth place, were Norwegian Cruise Lines and Celebrity Cruises, both with a score of 97.13.
Cleanest cruise lines
1. Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd
=1. Viking Expedition Operations
=1. Crystal Cruises LTD
2. Oceania Cruises
3. P&O Cruises
=3. Japan Grace
4. Virgin Voyages
5. Norwegian Cruise Lines
=5. Celebrity Cruises
6. Royal Caribbean International
7. Viking Ocean Cruises Ltd
=7. Sea Cloud Cruises
=7. Regent Seven Seas
=7. Disney Cruise Lines
8. MSC Cruise Management (UK) Ltd
9. Saga Group Limited
=9. Margaritaville at Sea
=9. Lindblad Expeditions
10. Holland America Line
11. Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc.
12. Windstar Cruises
=12. TUI Cruises GmbH
=12. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
13. Princess Cruises
14. Silversea
15. V. Ships Leisure U.S.A.
=15. Azamara Cruises
16. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
17. Seabourn Cruise Line
18. Cunard Line
19. Victory Cruise Lines
=19. Rederij Clipper Stad Amsterdam
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Meanwhile, the cruise corporations operating the cleanest ships in 2025 were Viking, Virgin, and Norwegian.
And the cleanest ships themselves were also ranked, with the 21 cleanest cruise vessels in 2025 listed.
The study found that 13 per cent of all vessels inspected in 2025 received a perfect sanitation score and ranked as the 21 cleanest cruise ships, while only one ship received a failing score.
Celebrity Apex, run by cruise line Celebrity Cruises, has a full 100 sanitation score.
Other ships received this impressive score, including Explora I by MSC Cruise Management (UK) Ltd.
Holland America Line’s Rotterdam ship was also ranked among the cleanest ships.
Viking Polaris by Viking Expedition Operations and Norwegian Encore by Norwegian Cruise Lines also made the cut.
Cleanest cruise ships in 2025
Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Cruises Explora I, MSC Cruise Management (UK) Ltd Rotterdam, Holland America LineViking Polaris, Viking Expedition OperationsNorwegian Encore, Norwegian Cruise Lines Oceania Allura, Oceania Cruises Jewel of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Cruises Norwegian Star, Norwegian Cruise Lines Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International Viking Orion, Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd.Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean InternationalAdventure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean InternationalNational Geographic Venture, Lindblad ExpeditionsCelebrity Solstice, Celebrity CruisesWesterdam, Holland America LineCarnival Luminosa, Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc.Oceania Vista, Oceania CruisesViking Neptune, Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd. Viking Sea, Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd.