(CNN) -- The cruise line Holland America says it was an "aberration" when inspectors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found multiple sanitation violations, including brown liquid dripping on clean dishes and a fly on the buffet, on the line's ms Veendam. Enough violations were cited that the CDC gave the Veendam a failing grade. "While unacceptable for Holland America Line, the unsatisfactory score is highly unusual and an aberration," Holland America's Sally Andrews told CNN. Inspectors don't tell cruise lines when they're going to show up, but they visit twice a year as part of the CDC's vessel sanitation inspection program. The CDC grades ships on a 100-point scale. An 85 or lower is considered a failing grade. The Veendam received a grade of 77.
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"Very few ships ... received a failing score over the last couple of years," CDC official says
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Holland America's ms Veendam, which CDC inspectors visited in August, got a 77
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An 85 or lower on the CDC's 100-point inspection scale is considered failing
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The cruise line says "the unsatisfactory score is highly unusual and an aberration"
As for the luggage tag that was found, that particular color/style had not been used by @placeholder for a year," Andrews said.