Viking Sea became Viking Cruises’ second cruise ship to earn a perfect 100 health score during a recent surprise inspection.
Viking Sea is now one of only 10 cruise ships to earn a perfect 100 health score in 2019. The surprise inspections are carried out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To earn a 100 score, cruise ships must receive perfect marks on all 44 items that comprise the U.S.P.H.’s comprehensive Vessel Sanitation Program checklist. The unannounced inspections, which are conducted twice a year and required for any cruise ship with an international itinerary calling at a U.S. port, evaluate vessels in a wide variety of areas, including adherence to proper food handling, preparation and storage procedures, and overall galley cleanliness.
A cruise ship’s potable water supplies used in spas and pools are evaluated as well. A score of 85 or below is considered a failing score.
Depending on the size of the cruise ship, one to four inspectors examine the ship to see if it complies with the public health standards found in the current VSP Operations Manual. Inspections usually take 8-10 hours, depending on the number of inspectors, ship size, and issues identified during the inspection.
Inspectors provide public health guidance to cruise ship staff when standards are out of compliance. At the end of inspections, inspectors write a report describing inspection findings and recommendations.
Viking Cruises received their first perfect 100 health score last year when Viking Star aced an inspection. To date, Viking Cruises has never failed a health inspection.
Viking Sea is currently sailing 10 night cruises to the Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
On December 21, the cruise ship will head out on a 21 night adventure that will not only visit many islands in the Southern Caribbean, but will also spend a week sailing the Amazon River.
