2012 Ocean Ranger Guidebook Revision 3-7-12 - Alaska ...

2012 Ocean Ranger Guidebook 3-7-12
Section 6: Health, Sanitation
General background:
Sanitation is a concern on cruise ships because of the high density of people concentrated in a small
area. A problem with food preparation, drinking water, or a swimming pool could impact hundreds of
passengers or crew. Operators take this issue very seriously, and have a voluntary agreement with CDC
to check for potential problems. Results of the US Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC)
inspection scores and identified deficiencies are posted online to give travelers an idea of the sanitation
conditions present at the time of the inspection.
From 2008 to 2001 Ocean Rangers checked on many CDC sanitation items. Because the CDC Vessel
Sanitation Guidebook is a voluntary agreement, these standards are not translated into direct regulatory
requirements. Ocean rangers are now only checking on those items with state or federal authority.
Please note there are differences between the federal regulatory requirements for some remaining
items and the state of federal regulations. An example of this is the pH and chlorine levels in pools.
Figure 1- Potable water sampling Figure 2- galley food prep
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