Carnival Triumph graded ‘unsatisfactory’ after sanitation inspection

The Carnival Triumph was graded 78 on a sanitary inspection
by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in November, receiving an “unsatisfactory”
rating from the agency.

Cruise ships must score 86 or above on a scale of 1 to 100
to receive a satisfactory rating.

It is relatively rare for large cruise ships that sail
regularly in the United States to grade out unsatisfactory. The Carnival
Triumph had never before earned a failing grade in inspections dating back to
1999.

The report cites backflow prevention devices that were
corroded, water dripping from ceilings onto food boxes, hand washing stations
where the water isn’t warm enough and dead flies in several food and beverage
areas, among other infractions.

The crew said that there was a waterline break on the day of
the inspection, the report said.

In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line said it took steps to
fix the cited problems immediately and has filed a corrective action report
with the agency.

“On the extremely rare occasion when one of our ships
has an unsatisfactory score, we initiate immediate and aggressive corrective
action and closely examine the factors involved to ensure full understanding
among all team members,” a Carnival statement said.

Carnival added it has requested a re-inspection as soon as
possible.

Other ships graded unsatisfactory this year by the CDC are
much smaller than the 3,140-passenger Triumph. They include Ponant’s Le Boreal,
which received a score of 84 in an October inspection, and Victory Cruise Line’s
Victory I, which was graded 78 in June.