Find Out How Clean Your Cruise Ship Is

The news that Norwegian Getaway, Carnival Victory and Allure of the Seas all recently scored perfect scores from the Center for Disease Control during their annual unannounced sanitation inspections left us wondering: How does the process work, and where can we find out how well other ships did?

Why The Info Is Important

Twice a year, every ship that sails out of or into a port in the United States receives an unannounced visit from the CDC during which every major area of the ship is inspected. The ships then receive a numerical grade based on how well they did on the U.S. Public Health Department’s 44-item Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) list. The ships are then given a numerical grade, with anything below 85 considered a fail. Ships which fail their inspection are visited again within a certain time frame to see if the problems have been addressed. In extreme cases, if problems which are deemed to be an “imminent public health risk” are found, the ship might find itself docked until the situation is addressed.

How Did Your Ship Do?

As you’re planning your next cruise, you might find yourself wanting to know exactly how your ship faired during its unscheduled evaluation. (So far in 2016, 23 ships have achieved perfect scores.) To find out how well a particular ship did during their most recent inspection, click here and then simply scroll down to the ship in question. You can also choose to look at a comprehensive list of all ships sailing within a particular cruise line.

Once you’ve found the ship you’re interested in and found the score they received during their most recent inspection, you can also view the comprehensive list of problems noted. However, do so with caution: While most of the citations are likely to be minor, it can be a tad disturbing to read about even low-level violations, especially if taken out of context and with no knowledge of the actions which were taken as a result!

photo: Flickr/Creative Commons

Will a ships health grade impact whether or not you sail on it? Leave a comment below! 

Pin this!