Latest news with #Aronfeld
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawyer blasts Royal Caribbean for cruise ship sanitation report
With norovirus outbreaks reported on multiple cruise ships in recent weeks, it's no surprise that travelers are questioning sanitation on cruise ships. Since the start of 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported three norovirus outbreaks on Holland America Line cruise ships. Princess Cruises had one norovirus outbreak in January and Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas had one outbreak of an unknown cause in early millions of people sail on cruise ships each year without getting sick, illness can easily spread on vacations at sea since cruise ships carry a large number of passengers in a confined space. Cruise ship sanitation is an important part of preventing outbreaks, but person-to-person contact on board the ship is the most common reason people get sick. The CDC helps the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues on cruise ships through its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). Along with information on outbreaks, the VSP provides cruise ship passengers with tips for healthy cruising, and access to cruise ship inspection scores and reports. While cruise ship inspection reports can be a helpful resource for passengers planning a cruise, they also create opportunity for people who want to expose problems with the cruise lawyer who claims to make a living from suing cruise lines gained attention on TikTok recently for calling out Royal Caribbean for one of its recent VSP inspection reports that listed a number of violations. In the TikTok video, Spencer Aronfeld (@cruiseshiplawyer) suggests that Royal Caribbean should have canceled a sailing on Symphony of the Seas after a 'horrifying' inspection revealed 'numerous food safety and hygiene issues, including improperly stored food, raw eggs not at the correct temperature, and crew members touching ice with open wounds.''Several children also fell ill with severe gastrointestinal problems, but the daycare center failed to follow protocols in reporting these cases,' Aronfeld noted. Although Aronfeld accurately states in the video that Symphony of the Seas was one point away from failing its inspection, and many passengers would likely find the violations concerning, the lawyer may have ta it a bit too far when he suggested that Royal Caribbean should have canceled the it's important to point out that Symphony of the Seas did in fact receive a passing inspection score. It takes an 85 to pass and the ship received an 86. The VSP also requires cruise ships to correct all violations and some of the ship's violations would have been corrected immediately during the inspection. Others may take longer to correct but the cruise ship is required to follow up with a corrective action statement that describes how violations were corrected. Even if the ship had received a failing score, it probably wouldn't have received a no-sail recommendation from the VSP. 'People sometimes assume that we will recommend a ship not sail if it fails an inspection,' the CDC states in the VSP section of its website. 'However, we have rarely issued such recommendations.''We may recommend a ship not sail if there are imminent public health risks,' the CDC continues. 'Examples of such risks are: Inability to properly chlorinate potable (drinking) water. Inability to keep food within safe temperatures. Inadequate facilities for cleaning and sanitizing food equipment. Inability to properly dispose of solid or liquid waste. We may also recommend a ship not sail during an infectious disease outbreak where continuing normal operations could subject newly arriving passengers to disease.' While the VSP's public health standards are crucial guidelines cruise lines need to follow to help prevent large numbers of passengers and crew members getting sick, passengers have a role in supporting healthy cruising too. Reporting your illness if you're sick and washing your hands often are simple, but effective ways that you can help limit the spread of germs on board any cruise ship. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cruise ship lawyer warns of ‘absolutely horrifying' inspection report on Royal Caribbean: ‘Disney would never'
A sinking ship. A lawyer who says he 'sues cruise lines for a living' called out Royal Caribbean following the 'absolutely horrifying' results of an inspection done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Spencer Aronfeld, known on TikTok as @cruiseshiplawyer, made a video last week where he described what went wrong when the CDC inspected a Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas ship. Aronfeld said the biggest issue was that raw eggs and raw hamburgers were being stored at the correct refrigeration temperature on the boat. Furthermore, crew members at Johnny Rockets allegedly had open wounds and were touching ice with their bare hands. In addition, 'several children came down with severe GI problems while in their daycare centers, and the daycare center failed to follow the protocols for referring them to the medical center and for reporting these things as acte gastrointestinal illnesses, projectile diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps to the CDC,' said Aronfeld. That misstep by the cruise line, according to Aronfeld, allowed 'these poor kids to spread a potential norovirus to their parents and other passengers on the ship.' Aronfeld revealed that the CDC scored the ship an 86 in the inspection report — which he claimed was 'barely satisfactory.' 'One point less, which is an 85, would have been an unsatisfactory evaluation, which probably would have caused them to have to cancel the cruise,' the legal expert shared. 'Quite frankly, I think they should have.' Aronfeld also said it will cost Royal Caribbean around $65,000 to correct these issues in the allowed short timespan. In a follow-up video, Aronfeld said that as of Friday, Feb. 21, Royal Caribbean has not issued a corrective report which they have to do to fix the problems outlined by the CDC. 'Which lends me to believe they haven't fixed it,' said Aronfeld. 'Which means that these problems are still existing.' 'The ship is sailing, and it's got passengers on board right now, but I sure hope that Royal Caribbean has done at least enough to correct these issues, but they should have at least reported it to the CDC,' he added. Aronfeld's followers responded to his videos exposing Royal Caribbean in the comments. 'Disney Cruise Line would NEVER,' one person wrote. 'Did he say Symphony of Disease,' another person joked. A third TikToker said, 'Cruises are disgusting….? Is this surprising?' 'I'm disappointed in RC, I expected more from this cruise line,' another comment read, to which Aronfeld responded, 'Me too!' Someone else called on the CDC to 'inspect every single ship docked in the US nonstop.'
