Background: Ships have a high potential to act as vehicles for the inter-regional spread of diseases via humans, animals, or cargo. The high mobility of passenger ships poses a risk of disease transmission through cockroach vectors, driven by gaps in sanitation standard implementation, poor environmental conditions, and crew behaviors that do not prioritize cleanliness. Purpose: To assess the ship's hygiene and sanitation status, crew behavior, and the presence of cockroaches on passenger ships. Method: A descriptive study with a cross-sectional design was conducted from February to March 2026 at Bitung Ocean Port. A purposive sampling technique was used, involving the inspection of four passenger ships and 28 crew members (with seven respondents representing each ship). Research instruments included a questionnaire, a sanitation inspection checklist, and a checklist for vectors and potential breeding sites. Results: Inspections of the four ships revealed that the majority (three ships or 75.0%—Ships A, C, and D) met the required standards. Meanwhile, one ship (Ship B, or 25.0%) was categorized as not meeting the applicable environmental health standards for ships. Overall, the majority of crew members demonstrated good behavior (92.9%). However, the presence of cockroaches was still detected on three ships (75.0%), particularly in areas that failed to meet sanitation standards. Conclusion: The majority of ships met sanitation standards, and crew behavior was generally categorized as good (92.9%). A small proportion of crew members (7.1%) fell into the "fair" behavior category, and no crew members exhibited "poor" behavior. Nevertheless, signs of cockroach presence were still found on three ships (75.0%). Suggestion: It is recommended to conduct scheduled fogging or insecticide spraying in galley and storage areas every three months and to seal structural gaps that could serve as cockroach harborages. Keywords: Cockroaches; Crew Behavior; Sanitation and Hygiene; Passenger Ships.
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