Lawyer blasts Royal Caribbean for cruise ship sanitation report
An attorney says Royal Caribbean should have canceled a cruise due to vessel sanitation violations.
With norovirus outbreaks reported on multiple cruise ships in recent weeks, it’s no surprise that travelers are questioning sanitation on cruise ships.
Since the start of 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported three norovirus outbreaks on Holland America Line cruise ships. Princess Cruises had one norovirus outbreak in January and Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas had one outbreak of an unknown cause in early February.
Related: Royal Caribbean ignores serious travel warning and you should too
Although millions of people sail on cruise ships each year without getting sick, illness can easily spread on vacations at sea since cruise ships carry a large number of passengers in a confined space. Cruise ship sanitation is an important part of preventing outbreaks, but person-to-person contact on board the ship is the most common reason people get sick.
The CDC helps the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues on cruise ships through its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). Along with information on outbreaks, the VSP provides cruise ship passengers with tips for healthy cruising, and access to cruise ship inspection scores and reports.
While cruise ship inspection reports can be a helpful resource for passengers planning a cruise, they also create opportunity for people who want to expose problems with the cruise industry.
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Lawyer calls out Royal Caribbean for ‘horrifying’ CDC inspection findings
One lawyer who claims to make a living from suing cruise lines gained attention on TikTok recently for calling out Royal Caribbean for one of its recent VSP inspection reports that listed a number of violations.
In the TikTok video, Spencer Aronfeld (@cruiseshiplawyer) suggests that Royal Caribbean should have canceled a sailing on Symphony of the Seas after a “horrifying” inspection revealed “numerous food safety and hygiene issues, including improperly stored food, raw eggs not at the correct temperature, and crew members touching ice with open wounds.”
Related: Royal Caribbean crew captures cruise ship stowaways
“Several children also fell ill with severe gastrointestinal problems, but the daycare center failed to follow protocols in reporting these cases,” Aronfeld noted.
Although Aronfeld accurately states in the video that Symphony of the Seas was one point away from failing its inspection, and many passengers would likely find the violations concerning, the lawyer may have ta it a bit too far when he suggested that Royal Caribbean should have canceled the cruise.
The CDC rarely issues no-sail recommendations
First, it’s important to point out that Symphony of the Seas did in fact receive a passing inspection score. It takes an 85 to pass and the ship received an 86.
The VSP also requires cruise ships to correct all violations and some of the ship's violations would have been corrected immediately during the inspection. Others may take longer to correct but the cruise ship is required to follow up with a corrective action statement that describes how violations were corrected.
Even if the ship had received a failing score, it probably wouldn’t have received a no-sail recommendation from the VSP.
“People sometimes assume that we will recommend a ship not sail if it fails an inspection,” the CDC states in the VSP section of its website. “However, we have rarely issued such recommendations.”
Related: 4 surprising items banned on Royal Caribbean cruise ships
“We may recommend a ship not sail if there are imminent public health risks,” the CDC continues. “Examples of such risks are:
- Inability to properly chlorinate potable (drinking) water.
- Inability to keep food within safe temperatures.
- Inadequate facilities for cleaning and sanitizing food equipment.
- Inability to properly dispose of solid or liquid waste.
We may also recommend a ship not sail during an infectious disease outbreak where continuing normal operations could subject newly arriving passengers to disease.”
While the VSP’s public health standards are crucial guidelines cruise lines need to follow to help prevent large numbers of passengers and crew members getting sick, passengers have a role in supporting healthy cruising too.
Reporting your illness if you’re sick and washing your hands often are simple, but effective ways that you can help limit the spread of germs on board any cruise ship.
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