Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Fails Sanitary Inspection

Cunard’s “luxury” oceanliner, Queen Mary 2 flunked its sanitary inspection by the United States Centers for Disease Control. More importantly, its score of 84 was not merely on account of technical issues, but because of some pretty basic and inexcusable lapses. 

There hasn’t been as ship that failed an inspection in over a year…and only one of seven ships that have failed in the past 4+ years.  I cannot remember the last time any major cruise line had a ship that failed.

“Item No.: 10 Site: Swimming Pool-Minnows Splash Pool – Violation: The pool floor tiling and the pool water were extremely dirty. They were coated with dark soil and hairs. This pool was open at the time of the inspection, but no bathers were inside.”

“Item No.: 13 Site: Other-King’s Court Locker and Steward Locker – Violation: Numerous food safety violations were observed in the King’s Court Locker, the Steward Locker and storage space immediately between the two lockers including: – Potentially hazardous foods stored out of temperature and not properly discarded; – Pests; – Toxic items stored with food and clean items; – Improper storage of food (e.g., food stored on deck); – Improper storage of food equipment, single-service articles; and – Blocked handwashing sink.”

‘Item No.: 13 Site: Other-King’s Court Locker and Steward Locker – Violation: Numerous food safety violations were observed in the King’s Court Locker, the Steward Locker and storage space immediately between the two lockers including: – Potentially hazardous foods stored out of temperature and not properly discarded; – Pests; – Toxic items stored with food and clean items; – Improper storage of food (e.g., food stored on deck); – Improper storage of food equipment, single-service articles; and – Blocked handwashing sink.”

“Item No.: 26 Site: Bar-Casino Bar, Kings Court Pantry, and Pub – Violation: Internal beer draught lines were heavily soiled.”

“Item No.: 28 Site: Galley-Plate Warming Trolleys – Violation: Previously cleaned plates were stored in numerous plate warming trolleys that were soiled with grease and food debris.”

“Item No.: 39 Site: Other-King’s Court Locker across from Locker 6.5.4 – Violation: Four live fruit flies and four adult cockroaches were observed in the storage locker on the deck and in the bins containing food.”

There are about two dozen examples of contamination of food by it being in contact with dirty (not just unclean) equipment, shelves, etc.

There were numerous issues with the protection, maintenance and monitoring of a number of aspects of the potable (drinking) water supply.

I am pretty much at a loss as to how this could be allowed to happen.  It is, in my opinion, a failure from the top right on down the line.  
 
But the Cunard spokesperson said in a statement, ‘”The poor assessment on 10 June resulted largely from one small area of the ship’s overall operation. All the issues raised in the report were immediately addressed and have now been corrected”. 
 
Frankly, the comments had to do with more than “one small area of the ship’s overall operation”…unless you think what you eat, drink and swim in is “one small area”.
 
YUK