By
Rebecca Gibson |
Holland America Line’s (HAL) Eurodam earned its ninth consecutive perfect score during a recent routine United States Public Health (USPH) inspection conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Marking the first time a HAL ship has achieved this distinction, Eurodam’s unscheduled inspection was conducted on 25 October during a turnaround call in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US. Eurodam previously received full marks during a February 2015 in Fort Lauderdale.
“We’re always proud when our ships achieve perfect USPH scores, but to get 100 nine times in a row is an exemplary accomplishment for everyone involved,” said Orlando Ashford, president of HAL. “Eurodam’s hard working and dedicated staff is to be commended for its success.”
Six HAL ships have received a total of nine perfect scores this year including Statendam, which earned its third consecutive score of 100. Others include Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Ryndam and Veendam.
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.