Cruise ship health inspections may become the latest casualty of the Trump Administration’s government cost-cutting measures.
Multiple divisions of the CDC, including the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, received “reduction in force” notices.
This unit oversees the cruise industry’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
The VSP conducts unscheduled cruise ship inspections and tracks outbreaks aboard ships, such as norovirus. In both cases, the CDC publishes this information.
While the department overseeing the Vessel Sanitation Program looks set to be scrapped, an email from the CDC said ship inspections would continue.
CDC Hit by Mass Layoffs
Still, according to media reports, sources in the CDC said layoffs have reduced its workforce, and the required number of trained staff to inspect cruise ships regularly at their current level is potentially not available.
The Program could be shifted to another department.
Cruise ships based in the US receive two annual unplanned inspections, which rigorously check health and safety standards. They are rated on a 100-point system, and all results are published online.
Inspectors check medical centers, water and HVAC systems, food service, kitchens, child activity centers, pools, and more.
Any deficiencies found are recorded with corrective measures required.
Depending on the ship size, one to four CDC staff members are assigned to conduct a ship inspection.
The CDC also collaborates with the cruise industry on health, safety, and sanitation training and reviews of ship design plans.
The CDC tracks shipboard outbreaks whenever illness cases reach 3% of passengers or crew. Again, this information is published online on the CDC website.
So far in 2025, there have been a dozen illness outbreaks on ships in US waters, with more than 1,400 people reporting gastro illness symptoms.
The CDC confirmed ten of the 12 outbreaks this year as norovirus.
