Forward

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) in the 1970's as a cooperative activity with the cruise ship industry. The program assists the cruise ship industry in fulfilling its responsibility for developing and implementing comprehensive sanitation programs in order to minimize the risk of gastrointestinal diseases. Every vessel that has a foreign itinerary and carries 13 or more passengers is subject to twice-yearly inspections and, when necessary, reinspection. The VSP operated continuously at all major U.S. ports from the early 1970's through 1986, when CDC terminated portions of the program. Industry and public pressures resulted in Congress directing CDC through specific language included in CDC appropriations to resume the VSP. The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) at CDC became responsible for the VSP in 1986. The NCEH held a series of public meetings to determine the needs and desires of the public and cruise ship industry and on March 1, 1987, a restructured program began. In 1988, the program was further modified by introducing user fees to reimburse the U.S. government for costs. A fee based on the vessel’s size is charged for inspections and reinspections. A VSP Operations Manual based on the FDA 1976 model code for food service and the World Health Organization’s Guide to Ship Sanitation was published in 1989 to assist the cruise ship industry in educating shipboard personnel