Norwegian Cruise Ship Fails Health Inspection for the First Time

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship failed its most recent health inspection that was carried out by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

Norwegian Dawn scored an 84 on its recent inspection in Tampa, Florida, the first time ever that the cruise ship has failed a surprise health inspection. The vessel has scored a perfect 100 eight times over the past 23 years.

The inspection took place on March 29, but the results were just recently posted to the CDC’s website. It usually takes 4-8 weeks after an inspection for results to be posted.

Norwegian Dawn’s Inspection

The report listed 49 deficiencies that were discovered during the inspection. They ranged from refrigerators having temperatures too high to black mold-like debris in galleys.

Areas of the ship that had a deficiency included:

• Deck 5 – Crew mess
• Deck 5 – Officer mess
• Deck 14- Bimini Bar & Grill
• Deck 12 – Garden Cafe
• Deck 6- Aqua juice station
• Deck 13 – Cagney’s Steakhouse
• Deck 6 – Room service galley
• Deck 12 – Topsiders Bar & Grill

Norwegian Cruise Line sent a 34-page corrective action statement to the CDC outlining what they did to fix all 49 deficiencies.

Health Inspections

Contrary to many false reports, the CDC is still carrying out health inspections on cruise ships in the United States.

Cruise ships that sail to or from the U.S. are subject to two unannounced health inspections every year. Scores of 85 and below are considered to have failed their inspection.

There have been 79 cruise ship inspections so far in 2026, and Norwegian Dawn is the lone ship to fail. 21 ships have earned a perfect 100 so far this year.

To receive a perfect 100, the ship must receive perfect marks on all 44 items on the Vessel Sanitation Program’s checklist.

During the inspections, all major areas of the ship are inspected, including medical facilities, portable water systems, swimming pools and hot tubs, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, hotel accommodations, ventilation systems, and common areas of the vessel.

Cruise lines pay for the inspections based on the size of the ship. Prices range from $8,073 for smaller vessels to $64,584 for ships over 180,000 gross tons in size.

Norwegian Dawn has repositioned to Europe for the summer cruise season. The ship will return to the U.S. on November 15, 2026, when it will begin sailing four- and five-night cruises out of Jacksonville to The Bahamas and Key West.