Silver Shadow Fails Sanitation Inspection After Caught Hiding Filthy Conditions from

[Rally]

Knee jerk reactions of cancelling cruises is not an option to me. To be glib about it, now would be the best time to sail on the Shadow. it will sparkle. The safest time to be on an airplane is shortly after something awful happens. I am still shocked by the whole thing but will await a response from SS and see what they do about replacing management ASAP.

 

Agreed. Its the other ships I would wonder about, althoough if anyone in corporate management has a brain this has been addressed on all ships by now, and not just SS.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I agree, but isn't ng that exactly analogous to the IRS blaming things on "a few rogue agents in Cincinnati?"

 

Yes.

 

There isn't a credible reason that I can think of that would explain why management right up through the ship would agree to these practices unless they were coerced to. It is inconceivable that the captain didn't know. He would have had to be blind and stupid. This implies that this is line - wide. This is also supported by no-one yet reporting back that anyone has bern fired on the ships. That would be a fairly prudent normal and expected response - unless they were following explicit instructions.

 

The fact is that if Corporate HO were unaware, then a morning on the phone by an operations VP, after they were told of the results of the inspection, would produce exactly where in the line this went rotten and there would be something out there by now. It seems to me to all point to this being endemic. Apart from wishful hoping I see no basis to see why any current or future cruise will be any better until at least senior management inform their customers more fully. Until then it remains a cover up.

[Merriem]

Yes.

 

There isn't a credible reason that I can think of that would explain why management right up through the ship would agree to these practices unless they were coerced to. It is inconceivable that the captain didn't know. He would have had to be blind and stupid. This implies that this is line - wide. This is also supported by no-one yet reporting back that anyone has bern fired on the ships. That would be a fairly prudent normal and expected response - unless they were following explicit instructions.

 

The fact is that if Corporate HO were unaware, then a morning on the phone by an operations VP, after they were told of the results of the inspection, would produce exactly where in the line this went rotten and there would be something out there by now. It seems to me to all point to this being endemic. Apart from wishful hoping I see no basis to see why any current or future cruise will be any better until at least senior management inform their customers more fully. Until then it remains a cover up.

 

You are right on, and it has probably been going on quite awhile

[Keith1010]

This thread is why that Silversea needs to communicate. In time many people will hear about this and people will speculate and they should. They will ask is this on just one or all ships and who knew about it. Honestly we have no idea. Over the years some problems were isolated to one ship in a fleet. So we can speculate and speculate and speculate but in this is one issue that Silversea needs to address in a formal way. Hopefully, they will sooner rather than later.

 

Keith

[Rally]

Cruise Ship Cruise Line Date Score

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 09/03/2012 95 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 05/29/2012 99 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 09/04/2011 97 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 06/13/2011 98 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 08/18/2010 96 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 01/22/2010 99 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 07/08/2009 93 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 01/03/2009 94 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 07/18/2008 99 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 11/06/2007 97 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 05/24/2007 96 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 01/14/2007 93 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 09/18/2006 95 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 07/15/2006 97 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 01/05/2005 97 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 09/10/2004 92 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 06/12/2004 99 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 09/18/2002 99 Report Corrective Report

Silver Shadow Silversea Cruises Ltd 10/24/2000 97 Report Corrective Report

 

 

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED??? (From CDC.com)

[Keith1010]

Rally, remember what the writeup said. They faked it. If not for the crew members who wrote about what was happening the last score would have been 95+.

 

It's like cheating on a test but as someone said earlier eventually you get caught. We taught our children this to be honest but I guess some adults still act like children or worse in this situation.

 

Keith

[oregon50]

Lets get Al Sharpton on this story. Maybe he can mobilize his forces to do something good.

 

And just how do you propose to have SS communicate? This problem affects how many? .005% of the cruising public and .000000001% of the general population. If major press picked up this story on a slow news day, it would have a 30 second cycle time. Big news to 142 cruise critic readers does not make for a major event.

[Keith1010]

Lets get Al Sharpton on this story. Maybe he can mobilize his forces to do something good.

 

And just how do you propose to have SS communicate? This problem affects how many? .005% of the cruising public and .000000001% of the general population. If major press picked up this story on a slow news day, it would have a 30 second cycle time. Big news to 142 cruise critic readers does not make for a major event.

 

You issue a public relations statement.

 

You issue a letter on your web site.

 

You send a letter to each of your customers.

 

Do you want more?

 

Do you really think this will be isolated to Cruise Critic?

 

If the allegations are true it will make its way to a far greater number of people.

 

Keith

[billcrooz]

Lets get Al Sharpton on this story. Maybe he can mobilize his forces to do something good.

 

And just how do you propose to have SS communicate? This problem affects how many? .005% of the cruising public and .000000001% of the general population. If major press picked up this story on a slow news day, it would have a 30 second cycle time. Big news to 142 cruise critic readers does not make for a major event.

 

Ahh,Mr Negative is alive and well. Never can resist to take a shot!

[Merriem]

You issue a public relations statement.

 

You issue a letter on your web site.

 

You send a letter to each of your customers.

 

Do you want more?

 

Do you really think this will be isolated to Cruise Critic?

 

If the allegations are true it will make its way to a far greater number of people.

 

Keith

 

I already sent this to our TA. We are in Tahiti, and shame on Silversea!

[Rally]

You issue a public relations statement.

 

You issue a letter on your web site.

 

You send a letter to each of your customers.

 

Do you want more?

 

Do you really think this will be isolated to Cruise Critic?

 

If the allegations are true it will make its way to a far greater number of people.

 

Keith

 

Well, there are only two possible answers. Either Cruise Law made this up for some reason or it is true. If it were not true I would think SS would be screaming LAWSUIT! by now.

[Rally]

Rally, remember what the writeup said. They faked it. If not for the crew members who wrote about what was happening the last score would have been 95+.

 

It's like cheating on a test but as someone said earlier eventually you get caught. We taught our children this to be honest but I guess some adults still act like children or worse in this situation.

 

Keith

 

Yes, Keith. So sad :(

[Observer]

I am sorry that I do not see the occasion for so much alarm.

 

A score of 84 is of course very disappointing (although it is only two points below satisfactory) and must be corrected. Points can be taken off for very minor lapses. It is curious that a month after the reported inspection, the score is still not on the CDC website.

 

However, the photos included in the original article do not seem that outrageous.

 

The third photo -- meat presumably defrosting with a thermometer on the meat -- was clearly taken in the kitchen, not in a crew cabin. Note the flooring.

 

The second photo was clearly taken in a large refrigerator.

 

The first photo appears to show food stored in a crew hallway. I know that this is practice on other ships when there are very long cruises, with spotty provisioning, and inadequate space in the storeroom. I understand that crew might not like their corridors cluttered with food. However, I see no great health hazard in storing cans of cranberry sauce or sacks of flour or bottles of ketchup or tins of coffee -- all covered in shrink wrap -- in a corridor. It's not as if these items need refrigeration or will be contaminated.

 

The score of 84 -- if accurate, and I have no reason to doubt that it is -- is disappointing. However, I am not about to give full credence to the complaints of possibly disaffected staff who claim this or that without more evidence than their word.

 

The photos do not seem to bear out allegations that there is a dire problem with sanitation on the Shadow.

 

BTW: I do not work for Silversea! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Those of an inquisitve nature may be interested to read Marin Asenov court submission about his working life on Wind etc and general conditions on board.

 

As I understand it this is only his side of the case as it is yet unresolved.

 

http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/florida/flsdce/0:2011cv62360/389726/1/0.pdf?1320884038

 

Until it is resolved it is unsafe to rely solely on the accounts in his pleadimgs. In the interim people will simply have to make up their own minds.

[Mr Luxury]

No smoke and all that Jeff.

 

The pub trade has been substituting cheap liqour for top brands for years, especially in tied houses.

Nothing surprises me these days when cutting every corner is an art.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Some parts of Asenov's pleadings sound chillingly believable. His account of being routinely and regularly defrauded out of his meagre earnings, the coercion into deceiving customers with respect to drinks, and how he was treated when he objected - even allowing for potential imbellishment - sounds pretty ghastly. Apalling actually.

 

Until satisfied otherwise, I do not intend to give another penny to a company who treats it's staff and customers in this way.

[Emtbsam]

I am sorry that I do not see the occasion for so much alarm.

 

A score of 84 is of course very disappointing (although it is only two points below satisfactory) and must be corrected. Points can be taken off for very minor lapses. It is curious that a month after the reported inspection, the score is still not on the CDC website.

 

However, the photos included in the original article do not seem that outrageous.

 

The third photo -- meat presumably defrosting with a thermometer on the meat -- was clearly taken in the kitchen, not in a crew cabin. Note the flooring.

 

The second photo was clearly taken in a large refrigerator.

 

The first photo appears to show food stored in a crew hallway. I know that this is practice on other ships when there are very long cruises, with spotty provisioning, and inadequate space in the storeroom. I understand that crew might not like their corridors cluttered with food. However, I see no great health hazard in storing cans of cranberry sauce or sacks of flour or bottles of ketchup or tins of coffee -- all covered in shrink wrap -- in a corridor. It's not as if these items need refrigeration or will be contaminated.

 

The score of 84 -- if accurate, and I have no reason to doubt that it is -- is disappointing. However, I am not about to give full credence to the complaints of possibly disaffected staff who claim this or that without more evidence than their word.

 

The photos do not seem to bear out allegations that there is a dire problem with sanitation on the Shadow.

 

BTW: I do not work for Silversea! :)

I try to see the positive in any challenging situation and must admit I was shocked, angered and dismayed by the article about Silversea, a cruise line that has given us much pleasure over the years. I am going to hope that your view of the situation is closer to the facts than the vitriolic outpourings from others who are possibly less partial to Silversea in the first place.

 

None the less, I will be in contact with my travel agent to ask them to put pressure on Silversea to address our concerns publicly.

[mariners]

Observer, you might be correct that the photographs do not depict a "dire problem with sanitation". However, I am one of the passengers who reads the sanitation scores on cruise ships. If I cannot trust those scores to be accurate, then what is the point of the CDC Sanitation Program.

 

Although you obviously do not see this as cause for alarm, I certainly do and will not be sailing on Silversea, or consider sailing on Silversea, until I am reassured that any problems have been addressed.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I am sorry that I do not see the occasion for so much alarm. :)

 

I guess we all have different thresholds of being alarmed and I am no longer suprised at the differing standards that causes or fails to cause alarm.

 

The idea that staff are coerced to store perishable foods in their inside unconditioned cabins whilst they slept and then have the food served to SS passengers - and during a sanitation issue - causes most sensible people some alarm. The idea of serving out of date perishables causes rational people some alarm.

 

It isn't just the photographs - it is the whistle blower accounts that is alarming.

[Keith1010]

I am probably one of the most positive people you will meet on a ship and who posts regularly on the boards and looks very hard to see the bright side of many things. This is not the case in this situation. Yes, to me it is a big deal. The whole idea of what was being done is absolutely sickening. And the score they received is not like a score at school.

 

As to what others on land do with filling bottles with other liquor I could care less. In the USA you will lose your liquor license if you are caught and when you are paying top dollar you expect that you are receiving the real thing. If they want to keep costs down then go with less expensive brands but don't play games.

 

It is all about honesty, and integrity and again I really could care less about what someone else does.

 

I don't go through red lights and if someone does and cause an accident there should not be an excuse that it is OK because someone else did. You don't do these things.

 

Anyway, as I have said on several posts that one way or the other that Silversea needs to address this one.

 

For those of you who don't think this is a big deal so be it. But I think that if the allegations are true in my humble opinion it is a very big deal. Again, it posed health risks and is just dishonest.

 

Keith

[beckaboo]

Cruiselawnews.com has quite a few additional pictures posted on Facebook ... They mentioned these in the article... Yuck.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Rally]

I think the silence from SS bothers me almost as much as the report. Although I am still puzzled by the lack of a report on the CDC website. Under "recent inspections," almost all are 2013 . . . Except Shadow and one or two others, which are shown as 2012. Why?

[tgh]

I saw the shadow failure post that was pulled and found the Cruise Law news website soon after.

The site suggests that the whole inspection process is a sham where cruise lines have their agents "planted" to keep tabs on future inspections.

 

Coming across from Japan on the Shadow . there was a massive reduction in the Terazza buffet as we approached US waters.

The crew usually happy and cheerful crew were muted and withdrawn. Quiet enquiry revealed that they had been up all night cleaning as they were expecting an inspection. This went on for many days as the ports went by and the inspectors failed to show up.

 

On the Galley tour , I asked the .. er AN exec chef... about the food

processing. He said that every single hard surface in the galley was scrubbed and disinfected EVERY day.

I asked him about used food ... everything that has been out for more than 4 hours is thrown away was his well rehearsed reply.

I had difficulty keeping a straight face .. but managed.

 

My thoughts ...

Scrubbing every hard surface in the Shadow galley would take a team of a ten or more , more than ten hours (IMnsHO).

It clearly doesn't happen regularly.. nor should it be needed.

Many prepared foods can and do appear day after day because they are , by nature , long lived.

There is a management issue of taste presentation and health in recycling but

yesterday fish is always todays bouillon.. nothing new here.

 

There is clearly a lack of common sense afoot here ..impossibly strict US standards that are practically unachievable leads to short cuts and deception by budget stressed cruise lines. This needs to be addressed by both sides.

 

Common sense could be the test for current and future Silversea customers.

There were no terrible outbreaks of sickness on "our" shadow, I heard no negative comments on board at all in this respect.

A clean ship , a happy crew and great service, we will return.

[Keith1010]

I saw the shadow failure post that was pulled and found the Cruise Law news website soon after.

The site suggests that the whole inspection process is a sham where cruise lines have their agents "planted" to keep tabs on future inspections.

 

Coming across from Japan on the Shadow . there was a massive reduction in the Terazza buffet as we approached US waters.

The crew usually happy and cheerful crew were muted and withdrawn. Quiet enquiry revealed that they had been up all night cleaning as they were expecting an inspection. This went on for many days as the ports went by and the inspectors failed to show up.

 

On the Galley tour , I asked the .. er AN exec chef... about the food

processing. He said that every single hard surface in the galley was scrubbed and disinfected EVERY day.

I asked him about used food ... everything that has been out for more than 4 hours is thrown away was his well rehearsed reply.

I had difficulty keeping a straight face .. but managed.

 

My thoughts ...

Scrubbing every hard surface in the Shadow galley would take a team of a ten or more , more than ten hours (IMnsHO).

It clearly doesn't happen regularly.. nor should it be needed.

Many prepared foods can and do appear day after day because they are , by nature , long lived.

There is a management issue of taste presentation and health in recycling but

yesterday fish is always todays bouillon.. nothing new here.

 

There is clearly a lack of common sense afoot here ..impossibly strict US standards that are practically unachievable leads to short cuts and deception by budget stressed cruise lines. This needs to be addressed by both sides.

 

Common sense could be the test for current and future Silversea customers.

There were no terrible outbreaks of sickness on "our" shadow, I heard no negative comments on board at all in this respect.

A clean ship , a happy crew and great service, we will return.

 

I have spoken to many a Food and Beverage Manager over the years. Just so you know this is not about impossible US standards. Many cruise lines do comply and they do it by the book and just to be clear many countries including your own are doing inspections and some countries have higher standards than the USA.

 

I have read the inspection reports and often what is pointed out makes perfect sense to me and is good common sense and will help to prevent disease.

 

Can you imagine how much worse things would be without inspections?

 

Keith

[Seafairer]

Lets get Al Sharpton on this story. Maybe he can mobilize his forces to do something good.

 

And just how do you propose to have SS communicate? This problem affects how many? .005% of the cruising public and .000000001% of the general population. If major press picked up this story on a slow news day, it would have a 30 second cycle time. Big news to 142 cruise critic readers does not make for a major event.

 

Actually, it can take a lot less than this to become a "story." Remember that just a few years ago, a megaship that was heading into a hurricane rerouted and changed the itinerary from the warm Caribbean to the cold Northeast. It was their right and responsibility to follow a safer course. But passengers were on the verge of riot. They held meetings in the ship's theater. A passenger who described himself as an attorney and licensed Captain tried to dismiss the Captain and take over the bridge. It was a big news item for days.

 

Cruise ships have the aura of offering a spectacular lifestyle. And, sadly, any time the veneer cracks, it becomes - whether it's warranted or not - BIG NEWS.