By
Rebecca Gibson |
Holland America Line’s Koningsdam earned full marks in her second routine US Public Health (USPH) inspection conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Following her first successful inspection on 20 December 2016, Holland America’s flagship also earned 100 marks during an inspection on 12 March 2017 during a turnaround in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Koningsdam follows on the heels of sister ships Oosterdam and Eurodam, which achieved full marks in March and January, respectively. Six Holland America ships earned perfect scores in 2016, while seven vessels received a total of ten in in 2015.
“Our streak of receiving perfect public health scores is the result of incredibly hard-working staff, dedication to operating at the highest standards and a commitment to providing the finest cruise vacations,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “Turnaround days are challenging with disembarking guests and preparing the ship for new guests just a few hours later. So, adding an unannounced public health inspection and then scoring 100 is something to be highly commended. Congratulations to everyone on Koningsdam for this outstanding achievement.”
CDC inspections are part of the Vessel Sanitation Program, which was introduced in the early 1970s and is required for all passenger ships that call at a US port. Conducted twice a year, the unannounced public health inspections and evaluate ships according to a number of categories including adherence to hygienic food handling, preparation and storage procedures; overall galley cleanliness; and the quality of the ship’s potable water supplies, shipboard personnel and the ship as a whole. Scores can range from 0 to 100.