Holland America Line’s ms Koningsdam Receives Perfect Score on 1st US Public Health Inspection

Holland America Line’s ms Koningsdam earned a perfect score of 100 on its first routine United States Public Health inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ship launched in April 2016 in Europe and made its maiden visit to the United States in November. Koningsdam’s first unannounced U.S.P.H. inspection was held Dec. 20, 2016, during a call at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the middle of a 10-day Caribbean cruise.

“A new class of ship means many firsts for our crew in managing operations on board, and we couldn’t be more proud of everyone on Koningsdam who worked diligently to earn a perfect score for the ship’s first public health inspection in the United States,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We’re doing very well on our U.S.P.H. inspections, and we’re going to continue to focus on maintaining the highest standards across our fleet. Congratulations to the officers and staff of Koningsdam for this well-earned accomplishment.”

In 2016 five additional Holland America Line ships previously received perfect scores, including ms Maasdam, ms Veendam, ms Noordam, ms Eurodam, and ms Westerdam. Four ships earned scores of 99, including ms Nieuw Amsterdam on Dec. 22. Eurodam was the first ship in company history to receive 10 consecutive perfect USPH scores when it received its inspection last March.

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. 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. Health Canada's Cruise Ship Inspection Program harmonizes with the United States’ CDC Vessel Sanitation Program, and inspections are conducted once a year when cruise ships visit Canadian ports.

Image Courtesy Holland America Line