Carnival Cruise Line’s Texas-based ship was recently boarded by CDC health inspectors, and the 5,228-passenger vessel (at double capacity) passed with flying colors.
The cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, took to Facebook to congratulate the hard-working crew of Carnival Jubilee for scoring a perfect 100 during the surprise inspection.
In a video posted on Facebook today, Heald explained exactly how high the stakes are for these inspections. He described them as a total surprise for everyone on board.
“It’s random in the sense that we don’t know when they’re going to come,” Heald explained in his own candid way. “They just show up at the gangway and they say, ‘We’re from the United States Public Health… we’re here to inspect the ship.’”
Once the inspectors are on board, it’s a long process that covers far more than just the kitchens. As Heald noted, it’s a “proliferation” of different checks, ranging from the drinking water and swimming pools to the hot tubs and general hygiene protocols.
Crew Recognized
In all of 2025, 26 cruise ships scored a perfect 100, including Carnival Luminosa which earned the perfect score when it was inspected in May of last year.
The news for Carnival Jubilee was met with a celebration on deck. Heald shared a photo of a large group of crew members, giving special credit to the hotel director.
“To get 100 out of 100 is very, very challenging indeed,” said Heald. “If you get a 95 or 98, it’s a brilliant score. But to get 100? Wow. It is absolutely fabulous.”
Perfect Score on a Massive Ship
Earning a perfect score on a ship this size is statistically much harder than on a smaller vessel.
Carnival Jubilee typically carries about 5,228 passengers (double occupancy), but during peak sailing seasons, that number can climb as high as 6,631 guests (max capacity).
Jubilee is part of Carnival’s Excel-class ships and is 183,521 gross tons in size. It’s the largest class ship with the cruise line. In 2029, Carnival is scheduled to debut its “Project Ace” ships which will be even larger at 230,000 gross tons.
But for now, Jubilee’s class is the largest in the fleet.
The ship has been inspected four times now. It’s first inspection in 2024 was a meager 91 but the crew quickly turned things around with two scores of 97 during two inspections in 2025.
With this latest score of 100 it looks like the sanitation process on board is humming along.
Carnival Ship Scores
According to recent data with the CDC’s VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program), at least 4 other Carnival ships have been inspected in 2026, and all of them scored a 96 or higher.
- Carnival Conquest: 96 on 1/2/26
- Carnival Firenze: 98 on 1/12/26
- Carnival Panorama: 99 on 1/11/26
- Carnival Venezia: 98 on 1/8/26
Often reports on the CDC website are delayed after inspections take place, so more inspections have likely taken place since the website was updated.
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