Holland America Line's Eurodam earned its ninth consecutive perfect score of 100 on a recent routine United States Public Health inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the first time in the company’s history that a ship achieved this distinction.
Eurodam’s unannounced U.S.P.H. inspection was held October 25 during a turn-around call at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the start of a seven-day Caribbean cruise. Prior to that inspection, Eurodam had received a perfect score of 100 in February 2015 during a call at Fort Lauderdale.
Also this year, Statendam received its third consecutive 100, and Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Ryndam and Veendam also earned perfect scores. In 2015, six Holland America Line ships have received a total of nine perfect scores.
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 U.S. port. The inspections are unannounced and are carried out by officials from the United States Public Health Service twice a year for every cruise ship. Health Canada's Cruise Ship Inspection Program is harmonized with the United States’ CDC Vessel Sanitation Program, and inspections are conducted once a year when cruise ships visit Canadian ports.
The score, on a scale from one to 100, is assigned on the basis of a checklist involving dozens of areas of assessment, encompassing hygiene and sanitation of food (from storage to preparation), overall galley cleanliness, water, shipboard personnel and the ship as a whole.
Visit hollandamerica.com