A cruise line had two cruise ships earn perfect 100 health scores during recent surprise United States Public Health inspections.
Holland America Line’s Amsterdam and Noordam both earned 100 health scores while sailing cruises to Alaska.
Amsterdam’s unannounced USPH inspection was held Aug. 9, 2018, during a call at Sitka, Alaska, in the middle of a seven-day Alaska cruise. Noordam’s inspection was held Aug. 29 at Juneau, Alaska, also in the middle of a seven-day cruise. Over the past five years, several Holland America Line ships have achieved a perfect score of 100 nearly 30 times.
CDC inspections are part of the Vessel Sanitation Program, which was introduced in the early 1970s and is required for all passenger ships that call at a U.S. port. The inspections are unannounced and are carried out by officials from the United States Public Health Service twice a year for every cruise ship.
The score, on a scale from one to 100, is assigned on the basis of a checklist involving dozens of areas of assessment encompassing hygiene and sanitation of food (from storage to preparation), overall galley cleanliness, water, shipboard personnel and the ship as a whole.
Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line, gave the following statement: “There is nothing more important to us than the health and well-being of our guests and crew, and the most recent series of 100’s is an impressive accomplishment that reflects this commitment.
Congratulations to the teams aboard Amsterdam and Noordam, as well as everyone ashore who worked very hard to achieve these perfect scores.”
