Carnival's Straw Policy will only cause more norovirus outbreaks

First, I want to commend Carnival for trying to do something environmentally friendly. However, this is something they clearly didn't think through.

Let me ask you, the last time you ordered a drink from a Carnival bar do you know how many sail and sign cards the bartender handled since he last sanitized his hands? Now if just one of those passengers had a norovirus infection the every glass the bartenders touches potentially an infection point. That is how the norovirus spreads and its a big issue for cruise lines.

I know I will still be able to request a plastic straw and I will always do so, but its the other passengers I am worried about. The more infections you have the easier is in to spreed in highly confined spaces.

How many news headline have you seen over the years were a large numbers passengers getting sick.

We just has one two months ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/02/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-arrives-in-san-diego-after-24-people-sickened-with-gastrointestinal-virus.html

Please help me in letting Carnival know this is a very bad idea.

First, I want to commend Carnival for trying to do something environmentally friendly. However, this is something they clearly didn't think through.

 

Let me ask you, the last time you ordered a drink from a Carnival bar do you know how many sail and sign cards the bartender handled since he last sanitized his hands? Now if just one of those passengers had a norovirus infection the every glass the bartenders touches potentially an infection point. That is how the norovirus spreads and its a big issue for cruise lines.

 

I know I will still be able to request a plastic straw and I will always do so, but its the other passengers I am worried about. The more infections you have the easier is in to spreed in highly confined spaces.

 

How many news headline have you seen over the years were a large numbers passengers getting sick.

 

We just has one two months ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/02/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-arrives-in-san-diego-after-24-people-sickened-with-gastrointestinal-virus.html

 

Please help me in letting Carnival know this is a very bad idea.

What? This makes no sense.

:o:confused:

:')

There’s already another thread on straws...

I’m more worried about those who shove the water dispenser tip into their Yeti than I am about a bartender.

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First, I want to commend Carnival for trying to do something environmentally friendly. However, this is something they clearly didn't think through.

 

Let me ask you, the last time you ordered a drink from a Carnival bar do you know how many sail and sign cards the bartender handled since he last sanitized his hands? Now if just one of those passengers had a norovirus infection the every glass the bartenders touches potentially an infection point. That is how the norovirus spreads and its a big issue for cruise lines.

 

I know I will still be able to request a plastic straw and I will always do so, but its the other passengers I am worried about. The more infections you have the easier is in to spreed in highly confined spaces.

 

How many news headline have you seen over the years were a large numbers passengers getting sick.

 

We just has one two months ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/02/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-arrives-in-san-diego-after-24-people-sickened-with-gastrointestinal-virus.html

 

Please help me in letting Carnival know this is a very bad idea.

Think about what you're saying here for a minute. If Norovirus is passing from passenger A to the bartender simply through touching the Sail & Sign card, then wouldn't it pass from the bartender to your GLASS? And then from the glass to YOUR hand? How is a straw going to protect you when you claim that the virus is spreading simply through touching a surface? If that's the case, the minute you pick up the glass you're in contact with it, whether you have a straw or not.

On second thought, you better not even touch the glass. Make sure the bartender or waiter sets the glass down so you can reach it without touching it. And bring your own straw, because the act of unwrapping the straw the bartender TOUCHED may transmit the virus to you.

Can't you just bring your own plastic cup with a straw/lid and transfer the drink over? Just a thought

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you will never see a bartender touching the drinking top of the glass, restaurant 101, The OP's post is ridiculous, with his hypothesis every ship and every passenger would have Noro

Think about what you're saying here for a minute. If Norovirus is passing from passenger A to the bartender simply through touching the Sail & Sign card, then wouldn't it pass from the bartender to your GLASS? And then from the glass to YOUR hand? How is a straw going to protect you when you claim that the virus is spreading simply through touching a surface? If that's the case, the minute you pick up the glass you're in contact with it, whether you have a straw or not.

 

On second thought, you better not even touch the glass. Make sure the bartender or waiter sets the glass down so you can reach it without touching it. And bring your own straw, because the act of unwrapping the straw the bartender TOUCHED may transmit the virus to you.

You beat me to it. Hope the op comes back and sees the error of his ways

Ohmahlawd

Can't you just bring your own plastic cup with a straw/lid and transfer the drink over? Just a thought

 

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Or politely request the bartender to put the drink in your personally provided cup? I have 1 I bought at the Adelaide Zoo here in South Australia which has a pop top to seal when carrying it. Very useful, haven't YET managed to spill a drink, and I HAVE knocked it over several times. So long as it's not purchased from another cruise line, I should be ok to bring it when I finally cruise Carnival.

My plans have been disrupted about booking a cruise, so I'm relying on these boards for my cruising fix!

Or politely request the bartender to put the drink in your personally provided cup? I have 1 I bought at the Adelaide Zoo here in South Australia which has a pop top to seal when carrying it. Very useful, haven't YET managed to spill a drink, and I HAVE knocked it over several times. So long as it's not purchased from another cruise line, I should be ok to bring it when I finally cruise Carnival.

 

My plans have been disrupted about booking a cruise, so I'm relying on these boards for my cruising fix!

You can bring your cup on any cruise line no matter what cruise line it was purchased from.

On a recent cruise on the Magic, there were no straws in the buffet area. I asked one of the servers where I could get a straw and she said that they were available at the bars. When I asked for one at the bar, the bartender handed me one with half of the paper wrap removed, and I requested one that was fully wrapped. For the remainder of the cruise, I paid attention to straws at the bar. When you order a drink, it is usually served with the unwrapped portion of the straw in the drink with the wrapped portion sticking out. The bartenders were removing half of the paper wrap from straws and placing them all together in a container when the bar was slow, so that they could save time when the bar was busy. Worse than that, the roving bar servers were doing the same thing and carrying the partially unwrapped straws in the pouches that were attached to their belts. If this is standard practice, then serving drinks without the partially wrapped straws may be more sanitary.

Everyone should cruise in a bubble. Don't breathe and don't touch anything. Better yet dont leave your house. Better yet, don't leave your bedroom.

I wonder how people go through life worried about everything. Doesn’t it just ruin your vacation? I assume it is much much higher likelihood that I catch something from my local grocery or Target shopping for something for my trip. I can’t imagine worrying about a straw

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I’m more worried about those who shove the water dispenser tip into their Yeti than I am about a bartender.

 

 

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This is the real problem. I normally use the one that has the button you press. The one where they touch the cup to dispenser is bad news.

We had a bad norovirus outbreak in my school. Kids would tell me they didn’t feel well, then immediately turn and begin tossing their cookies. One minute you are feeling fine, next minute you’re vomiting. It was so bad, my school shut down. So while I understand the OPs concerns, the best one can do is self-care. As someone else mentioned, you can’t live in a bubble. Between touching doorknobs, railings, silverware, etc.... it’s really tough to avoid it, especially when considering those who don’t wash their hands or who wash them incorrectly.

First, I want to commend Carnival for trying to do something environmentally friendly. However, this is something they clearly didn't think through.

 

Let me ask you, the last time you ordered a drink from a Carnival bar do you know how many sail and sign cards the bartender handled since he last sanitized his hands? Now if just one of those passengers had a norovirus infection the every glass the bartenders touches potentially an infection point. That is how the norovirus spreads and its a big issue for cruise lines.

 

I know I will still be able to request a plastic straw and I will always do so, but its the other passengers I am worried about. The more infections you have the easier is in to spreed in highly confined spaces.

 

How many news headline have you seen over the years were a large numbers passengers getting sick.

 

We just has one two months ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/02/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-arrives-in-san-diego-after-24-people-sickened-with-gastrointestinal-virus.html

 

Please help me in letting Carnival know this is a very bad idea.

A bartender never touches the lip of the glass. So, you must be afraid of getting it from the outside of the glass. With or without a straw, you are still going to be touching the same glass as the bartender unless you just have the waiter put in on the table and you lean forward to sip out of the straw.

... BUT WAIT ... the bartender or waitress touched the S&S card of someone who has NoroVirus, then touched your S&S card ... you're definitely gonna get the virus.

I mean, think of it.. they touch thousands of cards a day ... everyone is gonna be such because Carnival is only giving straws if you ask.

[emoji28][emoji40][emoji28]

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Plastic straws?

If they want to really help the environment try banning plastic water bottles!

You could touch literally anything on a ship and pick up any number of bugs/viruses. It's the risk you take to share close quarters with 3000+ other humans.

My office is more of a petri dish than any cruise ship. I probably have a much higher chance of getting sick at work - where it seems like someone is always sneezing, coughing, or on the verge of hurling - than I am on vacation.

Plastic straws?

If they want to really help the environment try banning plastic water bottles!

That would cause a riot. But, at least they can recycle the plastic bottles.

My office is more of a petri dish than any cruise ship. I probably have a much higher chance of getting sick at work - where it seems like someone is always sneezing, coughing, or on the verge of hurling - than I am on vacation.

This! I've had Noro once after a cruise, but I've caught a lot more colds and such at work thanks to people who just can't take a day off work even though we have paid sick days.

The biggest preventative measure you could take is to wash your hands before you eat. Especially at the buffet. Get your food, put it on the table and go to the hand washing station next door. Keep your hands and fingers out of your mouth and away from your eyes is what I always tell the kids. Hard though when my MIL and other relatives lick and suck their fingers during dinner. Gross.

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First, I want to commend Carnival for trying to do something environmentally friendly. However, this is something they clearly didn't think through.

 

Let me ask you, the last time you ordered a drink from a Carnival bar do you know how many sail and sign cards the bartender handled since he last sanitized his hands? Now if just one of those passengers had a norovirus infection the every glass the bartenders touches potentially an infection point. That is how the norovirus spreads and its a big issue for cruise lines.

 

I know I will still be able to request a plastic straw and I will always do so, but its the other passengers I am worried about. The more infections you have the easier is in to spreed in highly confined spaces.

 

How many news headline have you seen over the years were a large numbers passengers getting sick.

 

We just has one two months ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/02/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-arrives-in-san-diego-after-24-people-sickened-with-gastrointestinal-virus.html

 

Please help me in letting Carnival know this is a very bad idea.

You do understand that bartenders and servers never place their hands at the rim of the glass that they are serving. If you see one that is doing that simply refuse the order as a straw would not help you prevent anything.