The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that two more cruise ships have received perfect 100 health scores during surprise inspections.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Getaway and Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas each scored a perfect 100 during inspections by the VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program). To receive a perfect 100, the ship must receive perfect marks on all 44 items on the USPH’s Vessel Sanitation Program checklist. A score of 85 or below is considered a failing. The scores are usually released a few weeks after the inspections.
During the inspections, all major areas of the ship are inspected including medical facilities, portable water systems, swimming pools and hot tubs, ventilation systems, child activity centers, galleys and dining rooms, hotel accommodations, and common areas of the ship.
The unannounced inspections are held twice a year for each cruise ship that sails to or from a U.S. port. The inspections are done to determine how well the ships are operating and to check the sanitation standards on board each vessel. The VSP provides “health education and reliable and current public health information to the cruise ship industry, the traveling public, public health professionals, state and local health authorities, and the media”.
Norwegian Getaway and Grandeur of the Seas are the 22nd and 23rd cruise ships to receive a perfect 100 health score in 2016. Congratulations to the crew on both ships for a job well done.
