Your next cruise could no longer be sailing under regular health inspections by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) after the agency faced massive cuts in its workforce this past week.
That news comes from a report in Wired, outlining that thousands of federal employees at the health agency were told they are part of a “reduction in force.” The U.S. government has laid off mass swaths of the federal workforce since the start of Donald Trump’s second term.
According to the article, employees in multiple divisions of the CDC were cut via email starting Tuesday morning. The message received stated the moves were being made “solely for the reasons stated in the memorandum,” referring to an executive order from President Trump outlining the implementation of the Department of Government Efficiency, more commonly known as DOGE.
Of the CDC divisions seeing cuts, one was the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP). The report says this division includes the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which monitors health aspects of cruise ships sailing from the United States.
Wired reports that “an email from the CDC’s DEHSP center director states that the division is ‘slated to be eliminated in its entirety.’”
That would seem to imply an end to the VSP (though it could move to another division).
Vessel Sanitation Program’s Role in Health on Cruise Ships
The Vessel Sanitation Program works with the cruise industry closely on health issues, including everything from training to reviewing ship design plans. But it’s two main areas where cruise passengers are likely to know about the CDC’s role.
First are cruise ship inspections. The Vessel Sanitation Program conducts regular inspections of cruise ships sailing from the United States. This includes inspections of medical centers, water systems, kitchens, pools, HVAC and more. They then provide a score and list any violations found. If you are sailing on a ship, you can pull up its latest inspection reports and scores on the CDC website.
Second, the program tracks gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships. Whenever you hear about a stomach bug hitting a cruise ship on the news, it’s known thanks to the VSP’s tracking reports. The health agency posts outbreaks whenever a cruise ship under its watch reaches a benchmark of 3% of its passengers or crew reporting illness. So far there have been a dozen reports this year, with about 1,400 people reporting gastro illness symptoms on ships.
“Unclear” if the Program Is Ending
Obviously losing the Vessel Sanitation Program would be a major blow to oversight of public health on cruise ships. While no cruise ship wants to see sick passengers or dirty facilities, having these reports be publicly posted means they get much more attention than they would otherwise. That possible negative attention is a strong incentive to adhere more strictly to protocols.
To be absolutely clear, we have seen no official word that the Vessel Sanitation Program has or will end. Wired reports that “it’s unclear if the program’s work involving cruise inspections, or the lists of outbreaks on cruises, will continue.” However, given the cuts it certainly seems possible.
Cruzely reached out to the CDC for more information but did not immediately hear back.
