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Residential cruise ship fails CDC health inspection during 3-year sailing

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Residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey failed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sanitation inspection.

The vessel received a score of 81 following its July 9 inspection, according to a report on the health agency’s website. Cruise ships need at least an 86 to pass.

The report notes violations in a range of areas, from potable water to food safety and housekeeping. For example, the inspection found a waffle iron that was “soiled with grease and black debris” had been stored with clean equipment in a galley on Deck 3, and water pooled beneath a refrigerator in a wine cellar.

“The source of the water could not be determined,” the report said.

There were three dead fruit flies in a light cover near a refrigerator in a pantry on Deck 5, as well. “Both swimming pools did not have safety signs, prominent depth markers in feet and meters, nor did the safety rings have an attached rope that was at least 2/3rds of the pool width,” the report also noted, among other infractions.

“It’s important to emphasize that the majority of the noted deficiencies were not related to food safety, but rather to structural and design elements reflective of the ship’s age and original construction – long before current U.S. public health standards were in place,” Villa Vie Residences founder Mikael Petterson told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “Unlike modern vessels designed specifically for regular U.S. operations, the Odyssey was not originally built for this market, making direct comparisons somewhat unfair.”

The Odyssey previously sailed as Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ MS Braemar before Villa Vie purchased it in 2023. Petterson noted the ship had not been to the U.S. in more than 23 years, and said it has passed other health inspections since it departed from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October.

“That said, we’ve taken the inspection feedback seriously, made the necessary adjustments, and are confident that a follow-up inspection would result in a passing score,” he added.

Odyssey was scheduled to begin a 3 ½ -year cruise in May 2024, but faced numerous setbacks before setting sail. Petterson told USA TODAY last summer that the company had been “quite humbled by the scale of what it takes to reactivate a 30-year-old vessel from a four-year layup. After the lapse of all certifications of class we are now considered (a) new ship where all machinery and equipment must work as if new.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Villa Vie residential cruise ship fails CDC sanitation inspection



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Popular Cruise Lines Set to Raise Prices: Where to Find Deals

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With a record number of Americans setting sail on cruises this year, some major cruise lines are planning to increase their prices. NBC’s Vicky Nguyen joins TODAY to break down the fare hikes and where to find deals.



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AIDA: New Sailings on AIDAprima in Autumn and Winter 2025-26 – Cruise Industry News

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AIDA Cruises announced itineraries onboard the AIDAprima in winter 2025-26 from Hamburg and Kiel, featuring cultural and nature experiences.

These sailings take the place of a previously scheduled Middle East program.

The company said in a press release that the new program offers sailings from Germany that appeal to travelers seeking relaxation, as well as active vacationers.

Popular routes include “Norway’s World Heritage” and the classic metropolitan route from Hamburg, AIDA said in a statement.

The AIDAprima will also offer a number of short sailings from Hamburg and Kiel starting in November 2025.

From late November until just before Christmas, the AIDAprima will set out from Kiel for Advent cruises, featuring a port call in Riga with the light festival Staro Riga.

The AIDAprima will feature Christmas treats and an Advent program onboard.

One-week cruises are also available. Seven- and eight-day holiday cruises are combinable with destinations including Copenhagen, Gothenburg, or Oslo.

Sailing to warmer regions without a flight, the AIDAprima is additionally offering a 23-day cruise roundtrip from Kiel to the Canary Islands. The “Great Winter Break Canary Islands,” features Madeira, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Highlights include the Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote, the Pico del Teide and two days in Lisbon with a visit to Porto.

The company added that in March 2026, special events will be in focus, as the Biathlon World Cup will take place in Oslo, as well as the traditional Holmenkollen Ski Festival.



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Hamburg leads the way on cruise shorepower | News

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The Port of Hamburg is ahead of the curve, already offering comprehensive shorepower facilities for cruise ships four years before the EU’s mandatory regulation takes effect in 2030

Currently, shorepower is available at the Altona and Steinwerder cruise terminals, with all cruise terminals in Hamburg set to be equipped by 2026. 

The use of shorepower is expanding rapidly, supported by close collaboration between the Hamburg Port Authority, shipping lines and port customers.



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