Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Cruise Ship Public Health and VSP/USPH glossary (page 2)

The cruise public-health vocabulary built on the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program: the acute gastroenteritis case definition and AGE log, outbreak surveillance and reporting, air curtains and galley hygiene, and the USPH inspection criteria. Grounds each term in the VSP requirement or the outbreak-control procedure it belongs to.

337 defined terms.

Showing 87 on this page (page 2 of 2).

R

Ready-to-eat (RTE): Food intended for consumption without further cooking, subject to no-bare-hand-contact and time-temperature rules.
Recall Notice: Notification from a food supplier or regulator triggering immediate removal of affected product from shipboard service.
Recreational Water Facility (RWF): VSP umbrella term for pools, spas, splash pads, and similar features inspected under Item 40.
Recreational Water Illness (RWI): Disease such as cryptosporidiosis or pseudomonas folliculitis transmitted through inadequately treated water.
Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) Assembly: High-hazard backflow preventer with two check valves and a relief port, tested annually.
Reefer container: Refrigerated container with integral plant.
Refrigeration log: Daily record of compressor suction, discharge, oil pressure, and condenser conditions.
Rehydration Solution: Oral fluid administered by ship medical staff to symptomatic AGE cases to prevent dehydration.
Reportable Illness: Condition or threshold (such as the 2 percent or 3 percent AGE thresholds) triggering CDC notification.
Residual Chlorine Drop: Sudden decrease in chlorine residual indicating possible contamination or excess organic load.
Reverse Osmosis (RO): Pressure-driven membrane process used aboard ships to produce potable water from seawater.
Risk assessment: Documented evaluation of hazards.
Rodent Bait Station: Tamper-resistant device positioned outside food areas as part of the pest management program.
Royal Caribbean International: Contemporary brand within Royal Caribbean Group.
Run-up Sample: Initial water sample taken after extended non-use to flush any stagnant volume before chlorine residual measurement.

S

Salmonella Typhi: Pathogen historically central to typhoid carrier exclusion rules informing modern food handler exclusion policy.
Sample Tap: Fitting dedicated for collecting representative water samples without disrupting service or contaminating the line.
Sanitize: Reduce contamination by at least a 5-log10 reduction on food contact surfaces and 2-log10 on non-food contact surfaces.
Scoop Holder: NSF-listed accessory mounting an ice scoop outside the ice with a drainable base.
Secondary Disinfection: Use of ultraviolet light or ozone in pools and spas as an adjunct to halogen disinfection.
Sentinel Surveillance: Targeted illness monitoring among defined groups such as galley staff to detect outbreaks early.
Service Animal Accommodation: Procedures permitting trained service animals while protecting food areas and water systems.
Sewage System: Black water collection and treatment plumbing kept isolated from potable systems and food areas.
Shellfish Tag Retention: Requirement to keep tags from molluscan shellfish for 90 days for traceback during outbreak inquiries.
Ship Sanitation Certificate (SSC): IHR document issued by an authorized port stating that the ship is free of public health risks.
Ship sanitation control certificate (SSCC): IHR 2005 certificate issued when sanitation measures were required.
Ship sanitation control exemption certificate (SSCEC): IHR 2005 certificate issued when no measures were required.
Shipboard Outbreak Investigation: Joint inquiry by VSP, CDC, and operator staff to identify outbreak source and arrest transmission.
Shock Chlorination: Single high-dose chlorination event applied to pools or potable tanks to overcome demand from a fouling event.
Single-service Article: Disposable item such as a paper cup intended for one use to limit cross-contamination.
Sink Compartment 1: Wash bay of the three-compartment sink containing warm detergent solution.
Sink Compartment 2: Rinse bay of the three-compartment sink containing potable water.
Sink Compartment 3: Sanitize bay of the three-compartment sink containing the chosen chemical sanitizer at proper concentration.
Slop Sink: Synonym for mop sink, used for cleaning equipment fill and discharge.
Sneeze Guard: Transparent barrier at buffet stations protecting food from contamination by guest droplets.
Soft Serve Machine: Frozen dessert dispenser whose disassembly and sanitizing schedule is closely audited under VSP.
Soil Index: VSP term for the type and amount of soil expected on equipment, influencing required sanitizer strength.
Spa: Whirlpool feature subject to VSP Item 40 with shorter turnover, higher disinfection setpoints, and bather log requirements.
Special Order: Custom dish preparation, subject to VSP rules on raw or undercooked animal foods including consumer advisories.
Splash Pad: Interactive recreational water feature operated under continuous halogenation and rapid turnover.
Stagnation: Lack of flow in a potable line allowing growth of biofilm and reduction of disinfectant residual.
Standard Plate Count: Laboratory enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria in potable water, used as a general water quality indicator.
Sub-floor Drain: Lower deck drain that must not provide a backflow path into food areas above.
Sump: Collection well at the bottom of a tank or system, prohibited from cross-connection with potable systems.
Supplemental AGE Report: Additional CDC submission required when illness reaches 3 percent of passengers or crew.

T

Temperature Danger Zone: Range between 5 C (41 F) and 57 C (135 F) in which microbial growth in food is most rapid.
Terminal Sanitation: Enhanced cleaning and disinfection cycle at the end of a cruise during which an outbreak occurred.
Test Strip: Indicator paper used to verify sanitizer concentration in three-compartment sinks and mechanical dishwashers.
Three-Compartment Sink: Wash, rinse, and sanitize basin sequence required wherever mechanical ware-washing is unavailable.
Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC): Documented practice allowing food to be held without temperature control for limited periods under VSP conditions.
Time-temperature Indicator (TTI): Label changing color to flag products that have exceeded safe time-temperature combinations.
Touchless Faucet: Hands-free fixture at handwash sinks reducing recontamination after handwashing.
Toxin Hazard: Food safety hazard arising from chemicals or natural toxins such as ciguatera, requiring sourcing controls.
Tracer Sampling: Strategic water sampling pattern used during investigations to localize contamination within distribution.
Trash Macerator: Galley device that must drain to indirect waste and be cleaned to prevent vector attraction.
Travel Health Notice: CDC public-facing advisory ranging from Watch to Warning issued for specific destinations or vessels.
Turbidity: Cloudiness of water due to suspended particles.
Turnover Rate: Time required for a recirculation system to process the full volume of a pool or spa.
Two Percent Threshold: AGE prevalence level among passengers or crew at which an initial special report to CDC is required.
Two-Stage Cooling: Cooling food from 57 C (135 F) to 21 C (70 F) in 2 hours and to 5 C (41 F) within 4 additional hours.

U

Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection: Non-residual disinfection used as a secondary barrier in recreational water and certain potable installations.
Unattended Self-service: Buffet or station without an attendant, subject to additional barrier and time control measures.
USPHS: United States Public Health Service, parent uniformed service whose officers historically conducted ship sanitation inspections.
USPHS Hose: Dedicated potable water hose meeting USPHS specifications with capped fittings stored to prevent contamination.
USPHS Sanitation Inspection of International Vessels: Original program from which the modern CDC Vessel Sanitation Program is descended.
USPHS Stamp: Inspection sticker historically placed on equipment indicating verified compliance, retained in modern VSP form.

V

Vacuum Breaker: Device installed downstream of the last shutoff valve to prevent back-siphonage from hoses and outlets.
Vector: Pathway by which an organism is transported; ballast water and hull fouling are dominant marine vectors.
Vending Machine Sanitation: Cleaning and stocking standards for crew area vending machines under NSF Standard 25 and VSP food items.
Verification: Documented confirmation that procedures, such as dishwasher rinse temperature, are achieving intended results.
Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP): CDC-administered cruise-ship public-health inspection program.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus: Pathogen associated with raw shellfish, addressed through approved-source and time-temperature controls.
Visitor Health Screening: Pre-boarding questionnaire applied to non-passenger visitors during outbreaks to limit introduction.

W

Wash Tank Temperature: Detergent bay temperature for dishwashing, maintained per equipment manufacturer specifications.
Waste Management Plan: Shipboard plan addressing segregation, storage, and disposal of solid and liquid wastes per MARPOL and VSP.
Water Bunkering Log: Same as bunkering log, with separate columns for shoreside source, halogen residual, and tank receiving the water.
Water Hammer Arrestor: Plumbing device limiting pressure transients in potable lines that could damage backflow preventers.
Water Loading Schedule: Plan governing when and how potable water is bunkered, including pre-flush of the shoreside hose.
Water Production Log: Engine room record of evaporator or RO output including conductivity and diverter valve status.
Watson v. Royal Caribbean Cruises: Reported litigation citing onboard public health practice that has informed industry training.
Whirlpool Spa: Heated recreational water feature subject to higher disinfection setpoints and shorter turnover than swimming pools.
WHO Guide to Ship Sanitation: World Health Organization reference complementing VSP and EU SHIPSAN guidance.
Work Restriction: Order limiting an ill food handler to non-food duties pending clearance to return to galley work.
Working Container: Smaller container into which bulk chemicals are transferred, required to be labeled with the contents.

Z

Zero Tolerance Pathogen: Pathogen such as Listeria monocytogenes in certain RTE foods for which no detectable level is acceptable.
Zinc Anode (Tank): Sacrificial anode in some potable tank arrangements that must be compatible with potable contact.
Zoning (Galley): Physical and procedural separation between raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat areas to control cross-contamination.