Veendam failed latest cdc inspection

[dobbsie]

If anyone recalls, within my recent Veendam Review, "the good the bad and the ugly", I was told by the Hotel Manager, Douglas Hernandez that the officers "must have had a lot on their minds" when they didn't acknowledge us. Now I know what they were so distracted by: the upcoming Inspection!

 

I knew I recognized his name. We're boarding tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

[Copper10-8]

We sailed the veendam aug12-Aug 19th. By the end of the cruise Fire drills etc were being performed. We talked to one of the spa staff while she was "on duty" for the drill and she said that they were being inspected ( I think that is how she described it) and that she was nervous to be able to answers questions etc. They had a limit of how many wrong answers would be acceptable.

 

Must have been the same inspection?

 

The United States Coast Guard, when in U.S. ports;), conducts safety inspections where, during drills such as the Fire Drill, the MOB (Man Overboard) drill, the Abandon Ship Drill, etc. they are known to quiz any crew member(s) participating, on safety and equipment.

These inspections, conducted by the USCG, or in other countries by their equivalent organizations, have nothing to do with USPH inspections - Just a heads up!

[Cruzin Terri]

12.1.1 Inspection Procedures

12.1.1.1 Routine Inspections

An unannounced, complete sanitation inspection by VSP Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) will be done twice each federal fiscal year if the vessel is available.

 

This is taken from the VSP manual. So Irisheileen, I repeat my question. How could the staff be distracted about the "upcoming" inspection?

Terri

[irisheileen]

The United States Coast Guard, when in U.S. ports;), conducts safety inspections where, during drills such as the Fire Drill, the MOB (Man Overboard) drill, the Abandon Ship Drill, etc. they are known to quiz any crew member(s) participating, on safety and equipment.

These inspections, conducted by the USCG, or in other countries by their equivalent organizations, have nothing to do with USPH inspections - Just a heads up!

 

Thanks! I was trying to make sense of the different type of inspections and you have very expertly answered!

[irisheileen]

This is taken from the VSP manual. So Irisheileen, I repeat my question. How could the staff be distracted about the "upcoming" inspection?

Terri

 

Why do I feel like I'm being quizzed? Lighten up- I'm just adding to the conversation and quoting the HM. I had found this thread very interesting.

Goodnight.

[Copper10-8]

This is taken from the VSP manual. So Irisheileen, I repeat my question. How could the staff be distracted about the "upcoming" inspection?

Terri

 

Because it wasn't an upcoming USPH aka health inspection which are, as has been discussed, unannounced! Safety inspections on the other hand, which is what Ms Eileen is referring to by the "upcoming inspections" in conversation with HM Hernandez, are a different ball game. They are scheduled, i.e. the date is known, and yes, some of the crew gets anxious because it is a well known fact that the safety inspectors, i.e. USCG inspectors, can/will pull any crew member out of line at their muster station and start asking them safety-related questions.

These type of questions are discussed during the regular, once-weekly, drills but, for some crew for which English is not their first language, it is the same as being pulled in front of the headmaster in school, so it adds pressure

[sail7seas]

This is taken from the VSP manual. So Irisheileen, I repeat my question. How could the staff be distracted about the "upcoming" inspection?

Terri

 

 

 

The crews on ships are aware of the date of their last inspection and they have a general idea that an inspection probably will be upcoming in the near future. Each time they come into a U.S. port, they know 'that could be the day'. They have that notion in their attention and (presumably) are doing the bit of extra to be prepared for it. That expectation for a pending inspection probably puts them a bit on 'attention'.

 

I am only making personal observations and assumptions........

 

Years of cruising have given me this impression.

[E-500]

This is taken from the VSP manual. So Irisheileen, I repeat my question. How could the staff be distracted about the "upcoming" inspection?

Terri

 

Response may have been tongue in cheek?

[irisheileen]

Because it wasn't an upcoming USPH aka health inspection which are, as has been discussed, unannounced! Safety inspections on the other hand, which is what Ms Eileen is referring to by the "upcoming inspections" in conversation with HM Hernandez, are a different ball game. They are scheduled, i.e. the date is known, and yes, some of the crew gets anxious because it is a well known fact that the safety inspectors, i.e. USCG inspectors, can/will pull any crew member out of line at their muster station and start asking them safety-related questions.

These type of questions are discussed during the regular, once-weekly, drills but, for some crew for which English is not their first language, it is the same as being pulled in front of the headmaster in school, so it adds pressure

 

Thank you. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

The greatest concern of mine in reading the CDC report was how frequent it was mentioned that senior staff was present at the time the violation was taking place. Makes me wonder how well trained some of the "senior staff" are. If they are truly "senior", i.e. having been on the job for many years so that they should know the rules and expectations, then, and I truly hate to say this, they need to be put ashore, permanently.

 

I read that in quite a places as well and wondered the same thing.

[peaches from georgia]

I don't care if any kind of upcoming inspection is known or unknown. Brown water dripping on clean dishes which are then contaminated yet put up on the shelves without being rewashed? This is acceptable because they didn't know there would be an inspection and got caught? It's never acceptable! It's disgusting so no excuses.

[kazu]

I don't care if any kind of upcoming inspection is known or unknown. Brown water dripping on clean dishes which are then contaminated yet put up on the shelves without being rewashed? This is acceptable because they didn't know there would be an inspection and got caught? It's never acceptable! It's disgusting so no excuses.

 

By Jove Peaches, I think you just hit the nail on the head;) Where is that darned like button:D:D

[Himself]

this ship seems to have had problems since the extreme makeover of a few years ago. This is sad!

[sail7seas]

Okay..... we seem to all agree there's plenty pointing to the fact Veendam has some 'deficiencies'. The only logical course for this conversation to proceed is what, if anything, will HAL do about it?

 

We and our friends have our booking in place for next year. We certainly will be following closely to see if the 'apparent deficiencies' are addressed or if conditions remain the same.

 

This really saddens me as we have some fabulous memories of great cruises on Veendam from way back when...she's a sister to our much loved Maasdam and to Statendam.......that's the ship that made us love HAL to begin with when we sailed Panama Canal in her Inaugural Year.

 

We really want to do that Veendam itinerary with our friends next year but can't see the sense of tossing away a lot of money if these conditions continue.

[kazu]

Okay..... we seem to all agree there's plenty pointing to the fact Veendam has some 'deficiencies'. The only logical course for this conversation to proceed is what, if anything, will HAL do about it?

 

We and our friends have our booking in place for next year. We certainly will be following closely to see if the 'apparent deficiencies' are addressed or if conditions remain the same.

 

This really saddens me as we have some fabulous memories of great cruises on Veendam from way back when...she's a sister to our much loved Maasdam and to Statendam.......that's the ship that made us love HAL to begin with when we sailed Panama Canal in her Inaugural Year.

 

We really want to do that Veendam itinerary with our friends next year but can't see the sense of tossing away a lot of money if these conditions continue.

 

Good points Sail - I really don't understand why HAL doesn't step up to the plate - come on this thread (or post their own if they prefer) and address the issue. Why did it happen? How are they fixing it? and how do we (as consumers) know it won't happen again?

 

Ignoring the issue doesn't make it go away - it just causes more concern.

[sail7seas]

Maybe they just try to find a buyer ASAP? :D :)

[mamaofami]

Those of us who post here all know that someone from HAL reads every thread. It would be nice if someone would come on here and explain why Veendam did so poorly on this inspection and why the ongoing A/C and plumbing issues aren't addressed.

 

There are so many people who book cruises without ever coming to these boards to read. So long as Veendam sails full, these issues will continue.

[innlady1]

Good points Sail - I really don't understand why HAL doesn't step up to the plate - come on this thread (or post their own if they prefer) and address the issue. Why did it happen? How are they fixing it? and how do we (as consumers) know it won't happen again?

 

Ignoring the issue doesn't make it go away - it just causes more concern.

 

And, if HAL doesn't post their response here, we should all write to Seattle.

[sail7seas]

Those of us who post here all know that someone from HAL reads every thread. It would be nice if someone would come on here and explain why Veendam did so poorly on this inspection and why the ongoing A/C and plumbing issues aren't addressed.

 

There are so many people who book cruises without ever coming to these boards to read. So long as Veendam sails full, these issues will continue.

 

 

While I agree we'd all like to hear official comments, it is highly unlikely HAL will explain themselves on a public message board IMO

 

This is not an issue I would think they'll discuss with us in public. :)

JMO but I'm quite sure they know all that is substandard on Veendam and they don't need us to tell them.

 

But I sure would like to read they plan to fix some of what needs fixing and we can happily look forward to a great time on Veendam.

 

 

 

[iancal]

I doubt very much if any HAL spokesman will comment on this board.

 

IMHO it comes down to money. HAL are no doubt aware of the issues but HAL has a hight repeat rate and bookings are strong.

 

The engineering issues have been present for at least two years.. Now they seem to be impacting more cabins hence the bad publicity. HAL either does not want to spend the money to repair or the revenue lost from an elongated dry dock....even though they seem able to spend the money and time to increase the number of revenue cabins

 

As for the failing CDC inspection score HAL are hardly going to come out and say that it is the result of decreased staffing levels or the result of low morale by overworked employees on a 'broken' ship who have come to the realization that their employer has no intention of fixing the long standing problems.

 

It all comes down to something called 'cheating your customers'. Setting an expectation based on Signature of Excellence'

And knowingly-cruise after cruise, month after month, delivering something considerably less to a seemingly increasing number of customers on each cruise.

[lcand1923]

As one of my bosses used to say when a person was described as a Senior Employee, "Does he have one year's experience repeated 30 times or 30 years experience constantly learning and improving?" If Senior Staff didn't correct an error, I think we know the answer.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I was on the sailing that took place the day of this inspection.

 

Captain: Marco Carsjens

Hotel Manager: Douglas Hernandez

Cruise Director: Dan Bernbach

Executive Chef: Dean Carosella

 

Carsjens and Hernandez had bern on around 2 months at this point iirc from the Cooking with Stripes Q&A.

 

Thank you,

I only recognized one name -- Douglas Hernandez -- he has been around on HAL for years -- others here have met him -- we never have.

In fact it is rare for us to recognize any names anymore inspite of the number of days we have sailed on HAL.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If anyone recalls, within my recent Veendam Review, "the good the bad and the ugly", I was told by the Hotel Manager, Douglas Hernandez that the officers "must have had a lot on their minds" when they didn't acknowledge us. Now I know what they were so distracted by: the upcoming Inspection!

 

Check back -- this was an unannounced inspection -- so no one knew that it was going to happen.

So what was on the Officers minds? Who knows?

[sail7seas]

Thank you,

 

I only recognized one name -- Douglas Hernandez -- he has been around on HAL for years -- others here have met him -- we never have.

 

In fact it is rare for us to recognize any names anymore inspite of the number of days we have sailed on HAL.

 

Douglas Hernandez does not need me or anyone else to come to his defense and I have no intention of doing so.

 

I do wish to mention we have sailed with him, most happily, on Maasdam a number of times and think very highly of him. We have always found him to be a great Hotel Manager, run a fine hotel department and scored very well on USPH Inspections. He's a man of wonderful humor, very friendly, and someone we are always delighted to find aboard. We'd switch ships for the opportunity to sail with him again.

 

(In general and not directed at you, KK) ...... Don't judge him so harshly when there well might be lots of information to which we do not have access. Please don't fling so many stones at someone many of you have never met and do not know 'the story.'

 

 

We've sailed with A LOT of Hotel Managers and feel we have some small means of comparison and Mr. Hernandez always rates very high with us.

 

JMO.......

 

[Copper10-8]

...............It's never acceptable! It's disgusting so no excuses.

 

Who's making excuses?