Margaritaville At Sea Paradise Fails Health Inspection, Receives Failing Grade

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, a Jimmy Buffett-themed cruise ship, failed a recent health inspection conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), receiving a failing score of 83 out of a required 86 to pass. The inspection revealed several sanitation concerns, food safety violations, and equipment issues, prompting the CDC to issue a failing grade.

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, a cruise ship themed after the popular Jimmy Buffett song, has been issued a failing grade by health officials earlier this month, falling short during an unexpected health inspection conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 1.

The examination, carried out by Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) officials, revealed a number of sanitation concerns and food safety violations, resulting in a failing score of 83, below the required passing score of 86.

One of the complaints listed in the inspection report, available on the CDC's website, was the overcrowding of the ship's whirlpools, which are designed to hold a maximum of four people but were found to have six bathers.

Sanitation concerns were also noted involving food and drink on the cruise. An investigator expressed concerns about whether a crew member had washed his hands while working with food.

"The gloves worn by the crew member handling the ice making components of the ice machines were stored with tools," the report said. "It was unclear if the crew member washed his hands before putting on gloves. There were glove boxes for food handlers on the bulkhead next to the ice machines that could be used instead."

Water bottles were also found "stored on soiled pallets," while food preparation areas were observed to be soiled and/or poorly lit. Another crew member was unable to "demonstrate competency" in the use of chemicals to clean lettuce.

"The crew member washing lettuce heads and immersing them in an antimicrobial solution for fruits and vegetables could not demonstrate competency in verifying the concentration of the chemical used," the CDC said. "The crew member could not use a test strip correctly to verify the concentration of the solution and did not know what an acceptable test result would be."

Furthermore, the CDC noted that a freezer, several refrigerators, and multiple deep fryers were all out of service during the inspection.

In response to the inspection, a spokesperson representing Margaritaville at Sea told Fox News Digital that "immediate corrective actions" were taken.

"Following internal policies, immediate corrective actions have been taken to address the issues identified in the inspection," the statement said. "Many of these issues have already been resolved, and we will be working with USPH [United States Public Health] for a re-inspection as soon as possible."

"We expect this re-inspection will exceed USPH standards," the spokesperson added.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the CDC for additional comment but did not receive a response.

The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is a 1,200-passenger cruise ship that offers four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas from the Port of Palm Beach, Florida. The ship features a variety of amenities, including multiple restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.