Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line each had a cruise ship recently earn a perfect 100 health score during recent surprise inspections held by the Vessel Sanitation Program.
Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas scored a perfect 100 for the second time in 2017. The ship has now received perfect health scores in four out of the last 5 unannounced inspections.
Carnival’s Carnival Inspiration also earned a perfect health score when the ship was inspected last month. Carnival Inspiration currently sails three and four night cruises out of Los Angles to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.
The unannounced inspections are held twice a year for every cruise ship that sails to or from a U.S. port. The inspections are done by the VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) to determine how well the ships are operating and to the check the sanitation standards on board.
During the inspections, all major areas of the ship are inspected including medical facilities, portable water systems, swimming pools and hot tubs, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, hotel accommodations, ventilation systems, and common areas of the ship.
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 score.
If a ship sails outside of the United States for an extended period of time, it may not be inspected twice a year, but it will be inspected again when it returns to the United States.
