Sanitation Report on Empress of the North

Margaret Swan;5612 wrote: It is a wonder that more people have not gotten sick on these ships/boats or whatever MAL wants to call theme.

I would be willing to bet that if anyone that is starting a new trip in the next few days asks about sanitation procedures, they will find that a complete review of every procedure came after the very public inspection of the one vessel.

Having worked at a "summer camp" that got perfect scores on the Connecticut health inspection, I know that the scores are taken very personally by those being inspected, and their superiors. As you can see from the comments being made on the web, the scores are what guests use to judge the quality of service.

Personally, I would be shocked to see another MAL vessel get a low score anytime soon. They are building a brand, and low scores hurt the brand.

We made sure that every person on staff knew the results of the inspection. Everyone was responsible for making sure that it didn't happen again. That meant that if a maintainance person was walking through the kitchen and saw a violation, they fixed it or asked someone with clean hands to fix it right away. It didn't matter that it wasn't their job. Low guest satisfaction affects everyone.

Margaret,

The original story was here

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/business/1176528375206870.xml&coll=7

I know we had a thread about it but I can´t find it right now.

You can find the full report about the test here

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/

And there´s been a conference call on the AI website where David Giersdorf said that they were shocked by the results and are currently trying to fix all things. There should be a second test to check if the needed things had been done. But so far there´s nothing on the CDC website.

Anyway failing the test had nothing to do with the norovirus outbreak on the Empress in March. And failing the test does not mean that anyone is getting ill. Most home kitchens would fail the test too (and I´m sure mine would :-)).

I´d have expected any reaction by MAL but there´s no press release referring to this topic on their website. I´d say it´s nothing to be worried about as a passenger but it´s no good PR for MAL.

Carmen

Its especially bad PR when you profess to be setting the Gold Standard in cruising and are aiming at the affluent traveler...

I believe salt water a bacteriostat. That should help! 😉

Sanitation Report on Empress of the North

I found my information on what is called "the Green List" from the CDC.
It post all of the sanitation repots from all of the blue water ships that
dock in the US. Fortunately, the vessels we have used have all posted well
in to the 90's range! [for those who do go out on blue water ships, google
the Green List and find out about your favorite cruise line]

I also believe that since the report was done in February, that everyone was suffering from Neglectiosis during down time!

Dear Margaret Swan & steamboating colleagues:
Margaret Swan, a world traveler in her own right, is on the money Re: CDC/U.S. Public Health reports on 'blue water' ships and other vessels on inland rivers, Great Lakes, Inside Passage of Alaska etc. All are in the same boat [No pun intended] with no expceptions. The 'them' vs. 'us' idea doesn't hold here. All such reports are a matter of 'public record' and can be accessed. We've heard more about ship/vessel conditions and passenger/crew ailments over the last several years. It's nothing new. Most of the huge cruise lines on the oceans today retain 'Sanitarians' with full officer status to monitor passengers, crew, food preparation/serving areas. It involves rigorous training and experience.

One big problem involves passengers leaving home already ill--or feeling ill--when they board vessels. Contagious diseases are common and always have been on ships/boats. I could write a book on falling ill to such in the last 50 years. In my Navy days we conducted experiments on the best santiation techniques: alcohol, detergents etc. The finding was that 1/10 dilution of COLORX on surfaces was the best remedy. 'Deep water' cruise lines today by habit have crews who wash/wipe down all surfaces in food preparation areas top, bottom, sides twice a day. Ventilation systems along with sanitary water systems are monitored constantly with chemical tests being conducted.

Officers/crew on big ships monitor the passengers the first day or two of each sailing. They don't just walk around to socialize. They look/listen to passengers on decks and ask questions of general health or complaints. On our deep water cruises we filled out a form on boarding Re: recent illness or state of health. Contagions such as Chicken Pox on ocean ships is a dread as it can lay the crew, officers, passengers low putting the ship out of service for as long as a month. I've seen teenagers on cruise ships totally quaranteened to the ship's hospital for the entire sailing if they showed smyptoms of Chicken Pox. Cabins aboard showing such were quaranteened, isolated and fumingated with suspect passengers being put off at the next port of call for home. Air-conditioning is monitored for possible threats of mold and fungus.

Frank Prudent mentioned "salt water" as a disinfectant. True, if you washed the entire inside of a ship/boat down. In the old days of the English navy and sailing ships even Capt. Bligh--of Mutiny on the BOUNTY fame--was a sticker for ship cleanliness: washing of uniforms, airing of berthing spaces and bedding, washing with salt water or a mixture of vinegar and gun power as a disinfectant. That was a long time ago. Well, what do I know?

Carmen mentioned her own kitchen. Fact is that many people fall ill to foods stored too long or lack of sanitation on their own right in the home. Have I fallen ill from food or transmitted illnesses on ships/steamboats in the past? You bet.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick