Flies. Dirty and malfunctioning ice machines, refrigerators & dishwashers. More flies. Dust, dirt, food residue, and debris. Flies and more flies. Flies where food is prepared. Flies where food is stored. Ugh. These unsanitary problems are part of a ridiculously long list that the U.S. Centers for Disease documented during a surprise inspection last month aboard the Holland America Line’s Veendam cruise ship.
You can read the gross report here.
The inside word is that most "surprise" inspections are not surprises at all. Most of the time the cruise lines are tipped off and immense pressure is suddenly applied on the crew to bring the ship up to standards. But here, at least, there was no advance warning. And this is what you get.
The last cruise ship to fail such an inspection was the Monarch of the Seas last December – Dirty Dishes & Fruit Flies Flourish on Royal Caribbean’s Oldest Cruise Ship. That was pretty gross too.