Drinking water made from the Amazon River among violations on cruise ship inspections
The coronavirus isn’t the only problem for cruise ships owned by South Florida-based cruise lines or their offshoots. Judging from January’s cruise ship health inspections, good water, good dishwasher parts and someone who knows when to change the spa water are hard to find.
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program inspects cruise ships. No warning is given before an inspection, which are done while the ship docked at a U.S. port. Scoring peaks at 100, but even a score of 100 doesn’t mean there aren’t violations. A score of 85 or lower is failing. We’ve added hyperlinks to each inspection.
For the sixth consecutive month, all ships passed inspection.
In alphabetical order of cruise line:
Cunard Line
Ship: Queen Mary 2 Inspected: Jan. 3. Score: 94. Inspection link: Click here. Standout violations: The potwash machine in the Preparation Room had been down since Dec. 14 “and was awaiting parts.” Same for the potwash machine in Deck 2’d Britannia galley, down since Oct. 13. The Lotus galley’s potwash machine “had been out of order the evening before the inspection, repaired, and then no longer in working on the morning of the inspection.” Also, it had standing water and “several areas showed signs of corrosion.” In the King’s Court-La Piazza galley, the new potwash machine had been out of order for about a month. In the same place, one dishwasher was repaired as the inspection team arrived. The other was repaired before the inspection ended.
Oceania Cruises
Ship: Oceania Insignia Inspected: Jan. 8. Score: 95. Inspection link: Click here. Standout violations: Under “Potable Water-Safe Drinking Water,” the inspection team noted “The vessel’s itinerary Dec. 1 through Dec. 8 included the Amazon River. The vessel produced water during this time on Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. The Amazon River is not a safe source for use in producing drinking water.” The recommendation was “Ensure drinking water bunkered from shore supplies is from a potable source that meets World Health Organization standards for potable water.”
Ship: Oceania Marina Inspected: Jan. 22. Score: 95. Inspection link: Click here. Standout violations: There were several instances where the water in the whirlpool spas were not changed every 72 hours. The water in the Deck 14 port and starboard whirlpools spas stayed beyond 72 hours twice, once for 91 hours, 10 minutes. The Deck 12 starboard and portside whirlpool spa waters also twice overstayed their 72-hour welcome, the first time for 90 hours, 45 minutes. “Staff explained that it was an oversight.” In the men’s crew galley toilet room, “The toilet was soiled and did not flush. Additionally, there was no paper towel at the handwashing station. Food personnel was working in several areas of the galley.”
Princess Cruises
Ship: Caribbean Princess Inspected: Jan. 3. Score: 95. Inspection link: Click here. Standout violations: Milk in a bulk dispenser as well as two trays of milk cartons in a cold room got too warm and had to be tossed. An ice machine’s bottom ice cuber “was soiled with black debris.” The staff claimed that ice machine cuber wasn’t being used. Records showed two missed followed ups for close contact of employees sick with acute gastroenteritis.
