Princess and Carnival Ships Fail Inspections

Two ships from well-known cruise lines failed recent inspections by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

One, the 1,950-passenger Sea Princess, is brand new. It made its maiden voyage Dec. 19 and failed its very first inspection Jan. 9, with a score of 83 (86 is passing; 100 is perfect). The second, the 3,350-passenger Carnival Destiny, received an 81 on Jan. 10.

On the Sea Princess, the CDC found “a lot of areas with soiled pots and pans,” according to David Forney, public health advisor with the Vessel Sanitation Program. “They had a lot of areas that were difficult to clean. And the chlorine analyzer for potable water was not properly calibrated.”

Princess Cruises’ spokeswoman Julie Benson called most of the problems “technical issues” and noted that the ship passed a reinspection Feb. 20 with a 94 score.

The 2-year-old Destiny also got a 94 on reinspection Feb. 21. The original CDC report cited dishwashing equipment that was not properly maintained, Forney said, adding: “We found a lot of supposedly clean dishes that were not clean. Flies were present.”

“It’s very rare our ships don’t pass,” said Jennifer de la Cruz, Carnival Cruise Line spokeswoman. True, says the CDC.