Flies, soiled cutlery & brown water: U.S. health agency slams Carnival Cruise Line ship
Sneeze guards that don’t work, no less than 15 flies buzzing around bagels, cutlery kept in soiled water, improperly stored chicken, an ice machine with “black debris,” and brown water spewing from shower hoses in the medical centre.
These are among the dozens of deficiencies that led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to slap the Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) ship “Fantasy” with one of the worst sanitation inspection reports the Miami-based company has ever received.
The lengthy list of infractions also includes accounts of a crew members experiencing symptoms of acute gastroenteritis that were not properly handled.
“Fantasy” is based out of the port of Mobile, in Alabama, and carries more than 2,000 passengers and nearly 900 crew.
The 855-foot ship scored 77 out of 100 on an inspection dated July 18, 2019. Scores of 85 or lower are considered “not satisfactory” by the CDC.
“The results for Fantasy are not reflective of our robust standards and dedicated commitment to our guests’ health and safety,” Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson Vance Gulliksen told Yahoo Finance Canada in a statement.
“We have already taken corrective action, added additional staff and asked USPH (United States Public Health) for a re-inspection as soon as possible.”
Gulliksen said the company has submitted its corrective action report to the CDC. The agency’s website did not indicate a report had been filed on Tuesday morning.
Carnival Cruise Line was not the only cruise company to receive a “not satisfactory” result from CDC inspectors for one of its ships last month.
Royal Caribbean International’s (RCL) “Majesty of the Seas” vessel was given a score of 82 by inspectors. Infractions included soiled food-contact surfaces, and lasagna, bacon and sour cream that were not correctly dated.
The pair of failing grades are not among the absolute worst sanitation scores recorded by the agency. Ships have ranked in the 50s and 60s. A Japanese vessel scored a 36 in 1998.
Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
