Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas received a perfect 100 health score during an unannounced inspection last Friday while the ship was docked in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Twice a year, each cruise ship that sails to or from a U.S. cruise port goes through an unannounced public health inspection. This surprise inspection is 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. Only five cruise ships have failed inspection over the past eight years.
Radiance of the Seas’ last five health scores during surprise inspections are 100, 100, 99, 100, and 99.
This is the 3rd Royal Caribbean cruise ship to receive a perfect score during an inspection this year. The other two were Liberty of the Seas (January 8) and Freedom of the Seas (January 29).
A complete list of cruise ships that have scored perfect 100 health scores can be found on the CDC’s website.
Photo Credit: Cycling Man CC By-NC-ND 2.0
