The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the United States, has released a troubling list of the top 10 dirtiest cruise ships of 2024, based on health inspections carried out on 114 vessels.

The results showed unhygienic conditions with sludge, maggots, and other health risks. It was discovered that these ships, which were intended to provide tourists with a relaxing escape, had severe hygiene problems that can cause disease outbreaks.

When making a cruise reservation, the CDC advises guests to review the health inspection record of the ship. In order to protect travellers’ safety and wellbeing and avoid any unpleasant shocks while on vacation, these inspections are crucial.

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The findings of the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, which rates cruise ships on a scale of 0 to 100 for cleanliness in an effort to prevent gastrointestinal illnesses, were released. Of these, 10 ships scored worse than 89. A score of 85 or lower is considered “not satisfactory,” according to the organisation.

According to the CDC, travelling on cruise ships exposes people to new environments and high volumes of people, including other ravelers. This exposure can create the risk for illness from contaminated food or water or, more commonly, through person-to-person contact. The agency helps the cruise ship industry prevent and control gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships.

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An Australian woman, who was on a cruise ship to celebrate her 70th birthday, was severely attacked by bed bugs which left her with a lot of marks. Monica Robertson stated that she believed “Pacific Encounter” with P&O Cruises would be the ideal way to celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday, as per a report in the New York Post. However, as soon as they entered their cabin on the cruise ship, they felt that there was a problem.

“In the bathroom, there was literally one crawling on me. In the bed I could feel things and peeled back the sheets, and that’s when we saw quite a number of bugs and in the bed with us. (It was) A very, very intense itching, an almost burning like sensation. Very hot, then blistered. They eventually were the size of a 50-cent piece,” she said.

Ms Robertson said that things became worse from that moment. “In the walk-in closet, I had a long black dress hanging with about six or seven small bugs (on it). I called the stewards in, who took the samples away. It was at that point we called the team leader again and we asked about what was the result from the first bug that they took away, and he declined to answer,” she continued.

The woman then requested the cruise ship staff to issue a refund. However, they declined her request. “We did go back and ask, you know, can we have that fee waived, we’ve been bitten on your ship. The answer was no, they’re not going to waive it,” she told the outlet.

The small bugs compelled the family to discard several clothing items they had brought on their vacation. Ms Robertson continued, “We left everything on the lawn. I had to sift through and decide what we could keep and what needed to be thrown away. A majority of things couldn’t be washed.”

However, P&O Cruises told Ms Robertson that there was no proof of bed bugs during cleaning and room searching. She refuted this and said that she was “clearly giving them bugs throughout their stay that they could look at”.

P&O Cruises told a local outlet it has “strict and robust health protocols” on their ships. The family was given the option of a $500 future cruise credit or a $250 refund by the cruise company. “The comfort, health and safety of our guests is of upmost importance to us. Just like hotels, we have rigorous cleaning processes in place to address and resolve any issues that may arise,” a company spokesperson said.