Vessel Sanitation Program Inspection
The VSP calls for all cruise ships with a foreign itinerary calling into the US and carrying more than 13 people to be inspected twice yearly by a team of environmental health officers. Inspection details are described in the VSP manual. The VSP operations manual was revised in 2005 and again in 2011 to take account of new technology, advances in food hygiene and emerging biological agents that can cause disease to humans. The manual is used to guide and educate cruise ship operators and crew and as a focus for the CDC in their inspection routines. The following points are summarized from the manual.