No Handshaking

[billroddy]

The captain hosted a Mariner's Luncheon on the Amsterdam to Alaska, Sept. 12.
At the bottom of his invitation we read.

No Handshaking

With this rule and all the other safeguards we had a healthy cruise.
Bill
Ancient Mariner

[pms4104]

I suspect that has been SOP for some while ... no handshaking on our Statendam cruise last December.

[IRL_Joanie]

Our Captain on the Westerdam, in May of this year, shook eevryone's hands when we were introduced to him at both the Mariner's Brunch and the Suite Brunch. Could just be the Captain?

Joanie

[Randyk47]

On the Veendam two years ago it was "touching elbows" and no handshaking so it goes back at least that far if not further.

[suse]

But I'll never kiss and tell.:)

[COLLEYBERRY]

More than likely a precaution against N1H1,a wise decision as the flu season begins in earnest.

Knuckle bump or better yet a nice smile(safest greeting of all) is a much better choice.

Best Wishes for a healthy Fall and Winter.

Colleen

[uppitycats]

Not shaking hands (or touching people in any fashion, and certainly not kissing) are recommendations by health professionals, in an attempt to reduce the numbers of flu cases -- both kinds, the "regular" and H1N1, and probably norovirus. The captain of the Jewel requested this last fall, already, when we sailed on her.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For the last 3 years -- at least -- the majority of the captains have not been shaking hands -- trying to avoid spreading illnesses.

Some will do the elbow thing.

Others -- nothing.

A couple will shake. Maybe Captain Harris should not have been shaking hands with -- then he would not have gotten ill and ended up in the hospital with a very bad cold.

[SailorJack]

On a recent cruise on RCI's Jewel - immediately following a Norovirus outbreak, the captain spoke at our meet and greet about bumping elbows, leading to the following:

"In the meeting with the Captain, he reviewed the safety measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus and one of them was a ban on shaking hands. Instead it was suggested that we bump elbows.

As I am all for preventing the spread of the virus I comply with the Captain’s suggestion. Unfortunately, not everyone attended the meeting. Invariably, when meeting someone, he/she would extend their hand while – simultaneously – I stuck out my elbow.

As I would stand there with elbow outstretched, feet shuffling to maintain balance on the rocking ship, I most closely resembled a one armed penguin doing the chicken dance.

As their jaw dropped and their eyes widened I could sense that I was being immediately being dropped from the “A” list, pausing briefly at the “B” list and plummeting immediately to the “D” list (Don’t invite this guy to anything!).

If I kept this up I was not going to meet a lot of people on this cruise."

...taken from my review of the cruise.

[taxmantoo]

I believe they may have found an alternative many years before H1N1 or norovirus...

http://www.kaytedeioma.com/photobank/KMD04JapaneseBusinessmen007lowMR.jpg

[Himself]

How about making a fist and touching nuclkes?

[lka1012]

For formal evenings (when you are most likely to be introduced and shake hands) I wear above the elbow gloves with my formal. I also wear gloves (although not above the elbow) to teas, receptions, tc.