The Spin Out Zone – Are you going on a NASCAR Driver Cruise Next Week?

Hold on – here is the bump and the SPIN OUT!

When it comes to travel, I do claim to be somewhat of an expert since I have
been in the travel industry for well over 15 years. I do take a cruise each year
with my wife; however seeing what has transpired over the last several weeks on
cruise ships, I would hesitate to jump on board any cruise ship. Before I go and
pack my bags, I would do some heavy investigating of what is going on and I
would look at how the specific ship I would be living on for 5-7 days has been
rated by the CDC.

Now is the time NASCAR drivers and their FANS spend quality time together on
cruise ships and BOY what a great time to cruise. Some states are experiencing
SNOW and the weather has just been plain CRUMMY, so taking a cruise should be
just what the doctor ordered, or is it?

A long list of drivers including Kenny and Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, Jeff
Green, Dave Blaney and the 2002 Winston Cup Champion Tony Stewart will be
sailing off into the sunset next week on three different cruise ships and you’d
be surprised at how these ships scored with the CDC.

First let me explain the scoring process for those of you FANS who are not
familiar with the CDC and the Vessel Sanitation Program that each cruise ship is
required to participate. The VSP inspectors from the CDC inspect cruise ships.
They determine if a ship is basically up to code. The inspectors note violations
on their report and deduct points from the cruise ship based on the severity of
the violation. The cruise ships start with a score of 100 and after the report
has been completed, points are deducted. If you have a score at the end of the
day of 85 or lower, you fail. However, cruise ships can score in the 90’s and
have many violations that aren’t subject to point deductions. DON’T LET THE
SCORE FOOL YOU! Just because a cruise ship scores 100, doesn’t mean they are
perfect.

Perfect example, if you are cruising with KENNY WALLACE, his party ship
happens to be the Norwegian Star. The Star scored 100 on their last inspection
on October 20, 2002. However, the Star had 4 different violations ranging from
Crew Mess violations to Galley violations.

I will tell you, if you are on the KENNY WALLACE CRUISE, congratulations
because you’ll not only have a blast, you are on one of the best cruise ships!
The CDC made a special note on their last report giving the Star an OUTSTANDING
evaluation. Now if you are taking the RUSTY CRUISE or the TONY, MATT, JEFF and
DAVE CRUISE, you might want to read on!

The RUSTY CRUISE will take place on the Carnival Triumph. Very nice ship and
it is a party boat! However, on their last inspection the Triumph scored a 93,
the lowest score since 1999 and they had 56 VIOLATIONS! Yes 56 of them and
that’s way too many to write about, however I will give you a taste of some of
them. The Triumph was docked points for having "raw shell eggs stored
directly on top of juice containers" and the CDC states that food shall be
protected from cross-contamination. Another violation was found in the Poultry
Thaw Room "covered container of marinating chicken was noted under a
evaporator pan. Condensation was collecting on the pan and dripping on the
chicken container."

A few food violations were found, a mold situation was also noted on the
report and some issues regarding dishwashing was also noted. Even soiled
elevator door tracks were listed proving that no space was left uninspected.

You RUSTY FANS have no fear, I am sure you’ll have fun and surely these
violations have been cleared, but we won’t know until the next inspection.

OKAY, now who you the lucky ones sailing with TONY, MATT, JEFF and DAVE on
the Carnival Sensation out of Tampa? You may be on a cruise with the 2002
Winston Cup Champ, but the Sensation isn’t any thing to brag about when it comes
to their inspection score! The Sensation had their inspection back on September
9, 2002 and they scored a whopping 89 with a total of 42 violations. EWWW!

Again with that many violations, it’s too many to list here on the SPIN OUT
ZONE, but I will highlight the BIG ONES for you. If you rather not know, skip to
the bottom of the page for my helpful tips on taking a cruise!

The Sensation had many water problems during their last inspection. From the
microbiologic test that needs to be done each year, to their cleaning and
disinfection of the potable water procedure not being clear.

The Sensation also had several violations on keeping proper food temperature.
For example noted on the report was; "hash browns were tested at 137
degrees F" and should have been 140 degrees F or above. Another violation
noted in the Pizzeria said "thermometer in the refrigeration unit noted 50
degrees F, and whip cream was tested at 51 degrees F. FOUR containers of food
were potentially hazardous." The CDC states that food in refrigeration
units should be maintained at 41 degrees F or less.

Many refrigeration units were not working specifically on the LIDO STARBOARD
AND FORWARD. The inspector noted that a "GERMAN COCKROACH was observed on
the deck in the pool bar." Now that’s a BIG EWWWW!

The Sensation scored their lowest score in two years and their last
inspection prior to the September 2002 inspection they scored a 98 in January
2002. They had 4 violations mainly dealing with swimming pools and whirlpools,
but as you can see they stunk up the joint in 2002 in keeping a clean ship.

So you wonder how in the world people get sick on cruise ships, well folks,
the above is just one explanation of how it happens. Food and a dirty cruise
ship is just one way of getting sick, another way is people coming on board who
are still sick but don’t want to miss their chance at taking a cruise. With the
current cancellation policy cruise lines have in place, it’s difficult to get
out of a cruise if you were to become sick. So instead of taking extra insurance
for trip protection, people bite the bullet and go while sick. This is a
disaster waiting to happen for you NON-SICKLY FANS!

My advice is as follows when you are on your cruise, especially for those
cruising next week with the drivers:

Take on your own drinks! Even water!
Be aware of where you are eating when you’re off the ship. You can get
sick on an island and bring it back to everyone else.
TRY not to wear the same cloths more than ONCE!
KEEP a small bottle of hand cleaner with you or make a PIT STOP often to
your stateroom and WASH YOUR HANDS. REFRAIN from touching your face.
Don’t be shy to wear latex gloves when hitting the SLOT MACHINES. Do you
know who else has hit the BET button?
Examine eating utensils before use.
Watch your tea and water glasses. If the assistant waiter takes your glass
for a refill, make sure you get a new one! Many times they will stop at the
next table and mix your glass with your neighbors. (It happened to
me!)
Don’t be shy to ask your room attendant to clean your room if
needed.
When in line for the buffet, don’t let strangers invade your space!
After going through the buffet line, take time to wash your hands with the
handy hand cleaner you have!
Try to refrain from using handrails and wash your hands after using them
or touching the button of the elevator.
IF you get sick on the ship and need medical attention, ask plenty of
questions. Ask them to explain every step they are taking in assisting you
and have your partner, roommate or spouse log everything that happens. If
more than 2% of those on the ship get sick, you’ll have a better chance of
the cruise line covering your cost. If less than 2% become sick, normally
they will not reimburse anything unless you have the extra vacation
protection (insurance).

I know the above sounds WEIRD, but believe me it will help decrease your
chances of getting sick. Being sick on a cruise is NO FUN!

Another tip would be to purchase the extra cruise protection plan
(insurance), because many of the plans will cover a large amount of the medical
cost even if they must drop you off on some island. It will include an amount to
cover the evacuation of the ship and the nice helicopter flight to the emergency
room if needed.

Don’t let seasickness scare you and have fun with your favorite driver at
sea! If you would like more information on the VSP or the CDC, feel free to drop
me a line and I’ll be happy to answer any questions for you!

This week’s SPIN OUT goes to GASTROENTERITIS! This will be the ONE TIME a
driver or a FAN won’t cry to the crew chief about GAS!