{"id":436,"date":"2024-09-06T16:30:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T16:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webphotoclinic.com\/?p=436"},"modified":"2025-06-11T13:18:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T13:18:30","slug":"what-is-the-cdc-vessel-sanitation-program-heres-how-to-tell-if-your-cruise-ship-is-dirty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webphotoclinic.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/06\/what-is-the-cdc-vessel-sanitation-program-heres-how-to-tell-if-your-cruise-ship-is-dirty\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program? Here\u2019s how to tell if your cruise ship is dirty"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a cruise ship, you share common areas with hundreds \u2014 or, more often, thousands \u2014 of people. It\u2019s important to know these spaces are clean and safe.<\/p>\n

In the 1970s, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Vessel Sanitation Program<\/a> to ensure cleanliness on cruises with the goal of tracking and responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases on vessels across the industry. The main focus on gastrointestinal illnesses like norovirus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Below is an overview of what the VSP does to protect cruisers from sickness that could confine them to their cabins during what should be an enjoyable getaway.<\/p>\n

What is the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program?<\/h2>\n
\"View
MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Vessel Sanitation Program<\/a> is an initiative to help the cruise industry prevent and control the introduction, transmission and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses \u2014 such as norovirus \u2014 on passenger vessels. The program operates within the CDC and is under the authority of the Public Health Service Act.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the CDC VSP, ships that accommodate 13 passengers or more and call on U.S. ports are required by U.S. law to submit to random, unannounced cleanliness and sanitation checks.<\/p>\n

Program inspectors board cruise ships when they\u2019re in U.S. ports and evaluate several key areas like galleys, restaurants, medical facilities, pools, hot tubs and other public areas that pose a high risk for contamination. The scoring system is out of 100, and ships lose points for every infraction. The program maintains high standards, as scores of 85 and lower are considered failing.<\/p>\n

Another purpose of the VSP is to train cruise ship employees<\/a> on public health practices. According to its website, the CDC provides health education as well as reliable and current public health information to the cruise ship industry, the traveling public, public health professionals, state and local health authorities, and the media<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The inspection categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Major areas VSP inspects on a ship:<\/strong><\/td>\nInspectors look at:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Medical facilities<\/td>\nDocumentation for gastrointestinal illness surveillance and medical logs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Potable water systems<\/td>\nMonitoring of water, from when it’s sourced until it’s used, including things like purification, disinfection and storage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swimming pools and whirlpool spas<\/td>\nFiltration, disinfection, general maintenance and safety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Galleys and dining rooms<\/td>\nFood protection during sourcing, provisioning, storage, preparation and service, employee health and personal hygiene and facility equipment maintenance and dishwashing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Child activity centers<\/td>\nProperly equipped diaper changing stations, toilets and handwashing stations, facility disinfection, infection control for ill children<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hotel accommodations<\/td>\nRoutine cleaning sequences and infection control procedures during outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, including the use of appropriate disinfectants and outbreak policies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ventilation systems<\/td>\nSystem maintenance and system cleaning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Common areas of the ship<\/td>\nIntegrated pest management strategies, general cleanliness, maintenance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

How often are cruise ships evaluated?<\/h2>\n

The inspections<\/a> are periodic and unannounced. The goal is to inspect operational sanitation without alerting officers and crew to when the inspectors are coming. Under the program, cruise ships are inspected two times a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a ship sails outside of the United States for an extended period, it may not be inspected twice a year, but it will be inspected again when it returns to the United States,” the CDC notes.<\/p>\n

Rest assured that the ships will be checked if they are under the VSP\u2019s jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

CDC cruise ratings: The cleanest cruise ships<\/h2>\n

Are cruise ships clean? These sure are. At the time of publication, here are the vessels that scored perfectly<\/a> \u2014 100 out of 100 \u2014 on their cruise ship cleanliness ratings in the past year:<\/p>\n