ms Eurodam Earns Record 10th Consecutive Perfect Score of 100 on United States Public Health Inspection

  SEATTLE, March 22, 2016  — Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam earned its 10th 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.

Eurodam‘s unannounced U.S.P.H. inspection was held March 20 during a turnaround call at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the start of a seven-day Caribbean cruise. Prior to that inspection, Eurodam had received its ninth perfect score in a row in October 2015 during a call at Fort Lauderdale, making it the first ship in company history to receive as many consecutive perfect scores of 100.

“When Eurodam achieved its ninth consecutive perfect U.S.P.H. score it was a first for our company,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “Now, the ship’s hardworking officers and crew have set the bar for success even higher. We are proud of their dedication to strive for perfection every time.”

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 harmonizes 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.