Every vessel that has a foreign itinerary and that carries 13 or more passengers is
subject to twice-yearly inspections, and when necessary, a reinspection by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).
Inspections are based upon the
Vessel Sanitation Operations Manual. During the inspection,
cruise ships earn a score based on this criteria. This score is published every month in the Summary of Sanitation Inspections of
International Cruise Ships, commonly referred to as the Green Sheet (see link
below). Published scores can also be obtained by searching the on-line
database (see link below).
The ship's level of
sanitation is acceptable to CDC if the ship earns 86% or
higher during the inspection. To better understand Green Sheet scores, please see the
following:
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