Do We Really Want to Know?

[PeaceLoveCruise]

Look for a ship’s cleanliness violations and outbreak updates on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program site at cdc.gov/nceh/vsp . :eek:

[NoobCruise]

Put me on the spot now! Since I'm boarding next week, I think I'll skip it for now. If it's bad, I don't want to know lol

[Shebba]

Happy to see Oosterdam received 99 out of possible 100 in June. We board her in Sept. YAY!!

[IRL_Joanie]

Put me on the spot now! Since I'm boarding next week, I think I'll skip it for now. If it's bad, I don't want to know lol

 

Just looked and Westerdam received a 95

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionDetailReport.aspx?ColI=MTgwMDAwOTI%3d-We2wOz0mdGA%3d

 

Joanie

[canadarocks]

Eurodam got 100 in March of this year and October of 2011. :D

[PeaceLoveCruise]

They all look pretty good to me....until you start reading the actual report there....that's when I had to close down the site. TMI!!! (TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!) :eek: (and eventually it gets resolved, but......oy! It was a lot to see all in one place!)

I trust Holland America takes very good care of it's crews and passengers! No I just have to wait a coupld of more months.....tick...tock...tick...tock.... :rolleyes:

[Krazy Kruizers]

A number of years ago I used to read those reports.

 

Now I don't bother with them.

[uppitycats]

If we really paid attention to these reports, and to the health department reports on local restaurants where we live, we'd never eat outside our home. Which is funny, as there have been numerous reports where they've come in and done similar testing of home kitchens, which end up WAY worse than commercial establishments! :D

[voyageur9]

After eliminating inspections from previous years (who cares which ship was filthiest in 2006) .... here's a summary list.

 

Rotterdam scored worse than any other ship from a major cruise line. Any score below 85 is considered unsatisfactory.

 

Rotterdam was a borderline 86.

 

Rotterdam -- 86

Veendam -- 93

Zaandam -- 93

Amsterdam -- 94

Maasdam -- 95

Westerdam -- 95

Ryndam -- 97

Prinsendam -- 98

Statendam -- 98

Noordam -- 99

Oosterdam -- 99

Volendam -- 99

Zuiderdam -- 99

Eurodam -- 100

Nieuw Amsterdam -- 100

 

Since Jan 1, 2012, a total of 25 ships have scored 100. HAL has two.

The only ship to rate lower than Rotterdam this year was the MV Yorktown, a 138-passenger ship on the Great Lakes, rated filthiest at 74.

Only one other ship scored 86 -- tied with Rotterdam for second worst -- the Caribbean Fantasy. No other ships scored below 90.

[holacanada]

Thanks v. much PeaceLoveCruise !

 

Very good infos (and reassuring as well !) on that site !

 

Holacanada from Quebec city — On a 95% cruise ship in 105 days !

[vbmom87]

If we really paid attention to these reports, and to the health department reports on local restaurants where we live, we'd never eat outside our home. Which is funny, as there have been numerous reports where they've come in and done similar testing of home kitchens, which end up WAY worse than commercial establishments! :D

 

 

I had to get a food handler's certificate in order to sponsor a group to work at a local soup kitchen. I was always leery of eating out and after taking the Food Handler's class, even more so. It really is scary when you realize the staff of a restaurant seems clueless about basic food handling. I pray a lot when I go out to eat;).

[sail7seas]

HAL takes all that VERY seriously and the ships all score well.

 

When you think that Maasdam is about 18 years old and see how well she scores, it is amazing IMO

 

The inspectors are very, very, very particular and points get deducted fast and easily if they see something they don't like.

[voyageur9]

HAL takes all that VERY seriously and the ships all score well.

 

When you think that Maasdam is about 18 years old and see how well she scores, it is amazing IMO

 

The inspectors are very, very, very particular and points get deducted fast and easily if they see something they don't like.

 

Rotterdam was the lowest scoring ship among all major cruise lines tested in 2012 so far, one point above unsatisfactory.

 

HAL should be taking this stuff seriously with a ship scoring 86.

 

HAL had only two ships among the 25 that registered 100 scores.

 

See summary of results listed above. But lots of posters seems to just keep drinking the Kool-Aid.

 

I'm a HAL fan but mindless boosterism doesn't promote better performance

[tomc]

You really have to look at those low scores to see what they reflect. An open can of Coke in a storage refrigerator, for instance, once docked the ship one point. A hot dog roller, clean as it was, cost a ship two points because it was not in use that trip and should not have been in the food line. A missing tile in the kitchen will cost you a point. There's four points right there in a sparkling clean ship. It's not as if there are rats in the flour bin. Speaking of which, if the lid isn't closed properly, there goes another point.

[Sea42]

You really have to look at those low scores to see what they reflect. An open can of Coke in a storage refrigerator, for instance, once docked the ship one point. A hot dog roller, clean as it was, cost a ship two points because it was not in use that trip and should not have been in the food line. A missing tile in the kitchen will cost you a point. There's four points right there in a sparkling clean ship. It's not as if there are rats in the flour bin. Speaking of which, if the lid isn't closed properly, there goes another point.

It doesn't seem to be 1 point per infraction. The Rotterdam had over 50 items flagged. Maybe some infractions cost more points than others?

[voyageur9]

You really have to look at those low scores to see what they reflect. ... An open can of Coke in a storage refrigerator, for instance, once docked the ship one point. A hot dog roller, clean as it was, cost a ship two points because it was not in use that trip and should not have been in the food line. A missing tile in the kitchen will cost you a point. There's four points right there in a sparkling clean ship. It's not as if there are rats in the flour bin. Speaking of which, if the lid isn't closed properly, there goes another point.

 

Rotterdam was the second-filthiest of 134 ships inspected since Jan 1, 2012. Only the MV Yorktown, a 138-passenger small ship on the Great Lakes for a little-known line was worse. So what does that 'reflect.'

 

Whitewash isn't the same as cleanliness. You can try to explain away the absolute score of 86 -- one above 'unsatisfactory' -- but are you pleased with the relative ranking; second-worst out of 134?

 

Not my idea of a 'sparkling clean ship' but then maybe you have standards different from the CDC

[RuthC]

You really have to look at those low scores to see what they reflect. An open can of Coke in a storage refrigerator, for instance, once docked the ship one point. A hot dog roller, clean as it was, cost a ship two points because it was not in use that trip and should not have been in the food line. A missing tile in the kitchen will cost you a point. There's four points right there in a sparkling clean ship. It's not as if there are rats in the flour bin. Speaking of which, if the lid isn't closed properly, there goes another point.

Good thing they aren't scoring my kitchen. :eek:

[tomc]

voyageur9--

 

I haven't seen the latest reports, but my ratings are only what are published by CDC. No opinions, no feelings; just looking at their reports. I've seen ships take a dive for a number of relatively minor offenses -- and some even non-offenses (e.g.: a beverage dispenser drain outlet that might be difficult for the help to reach). Mix in a 5- or 10-pointer and you've got a very low score.

 

The majors, even at 85 or 86, are not floating infectious disease wards. The next cruise they could score a 97, same as the previous. Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue. ;) or maybe, :eek:

[voyageur9]

Tom

 

voyageur9--

 

I haven't seen the latest reports, ....

 

 

well maybe it's worth checking, the reports are publicly available online and rotterdam was written up for dozens of infractions. Maybe they should be dimissed as random, unrepresentative and unimportant .... tomorrow maybe there will be no filth on the food prep tables or whatever ... no need to worry or care ....

 

Of course if the numbers are all a crapshoot, maybe inspections for ship safety can be dismissed too, .... oops we'll fix that water-tight door next time ... or stop pumping sewage over the side ... I can't really believe you want to be so dismissive of the value of regulations for health and safety and the utility of inspections to enforce those regulations. Rotterdam was one point about 'unsatisfactory,' the lowest score this year of any seagoing cruise ship inspected by U.S. authorities.

 

With respect, surely that's worthy of concern.

[sail7seas]

Look at your kitchen.......

 

check the can opener. Any gunk on the cutter? Deduct a point.

Refrigerator. A speck of mold on the rubber edges sealing the door? Deduction.

Knives ... any debris at junction of blade and handle? Deduct.

A sponge or dish cloth in or on your sink? Deduct

Hand wash sink without a foot control to turn off/on? Deduct.

 

Water temperature two degrees from required level of heat? Big deduction.

Can of paint stored near cleaning supplies? Deduct.

 

You get the point.

Those deductions rarely mean 'filth and dirt'. They hardly ever mean 'dirty kitchen'.

Most of us consider our kitchens clean and few, if any, of us would pass a USPH Inspection.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I don't read these reports. Just numbers IMO. They put the local restaurant health inspection reports in the newspaper here and those are fun to read. Restauants correct the problems immediately and I assume the ships do as well.

[tomc]

s7s--

Look at your kitchen.......

Are you out of you MIND?! :eek: My fridge has been "green" before it was popular, especially in back. The last time I washed my tea mug, well, it would take an archaeologist to discover the original inside color.

[sail7seas]

s7s-- Are you out of you MIND?! :eek: My fridge has been "green" before it was popular, especially in back. The last time I washed my tea mug, well, it would take an archaeologist to discover the original inside color.

 

 

We've missed your wonderful humor, Tom.

Welcome back. :)