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Silverseas' Silver Shadow Cruise Ship Hides Food From CDC Inspectors

Cruise Ship Fails Inspection After Hiding Food
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Associate Editor, HuffPost Food

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When faced with the prospect of health inspections, the crew of Silverseas cruise vessel Silver Shadow took an usual course of action: moving meat to crew cabin sinks and trays of food to corridors to thwart inspectors.

According to CNN, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) boarded the vessel in Skagway, Alaska on June 17 for a surprise inspection. The visit was prompted by an anonymous tip from a crew member, who sent photographs showing crew cabins and other areas crammed with foods.

The official CDC report reveals that total of 15 trolleys stocked with dry foods, spices, canned foods, cooked foods, milk, raw meats, pasteurized eggs, cheeses of all types, baking goods, raw fruits, raw vegetables and cooking equipment were stored in more than 10 cabins.

Silver Shadow's antics earned it a failing grade of 82 (anything less than 84 is considered unsatisfactory), although the CDC lacks the authority to enforce any suggested changes. That said, inspectors did douse the foods in crew cabins with concentrated chlorine to ensure they were not served to passengers.

The cruise industry is having a rough year. In February, the disabling of a Carnival cruise gave way to squalid living conditions, pictures of which incited a storm of bad press. Then, in April, a fire broke out on a Royal Caribbean ship, forcing a cancellation of the voyage's remainder.

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Before You Go

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