No Barrier Public Washrooms?

[marco]

I think it would take up too many square feet to have the "maze hallway" on a ship. To date, the only place I've seen them is in airports and I thought the reason and logic was not for sanitary reasons, but the fact that in an airport you usually already have your hands full toting , lugging and/or carrying. (I guess that logic holds true in a shopping mall as well, thus...I would guess the reason you experienced them in a mall)

[Havingfun2010]

The only way to stay save is to stay in a bubble. You can wash, use tissues, back into doors, put gloves on, carry lysol, and a host of other things, but you will get something you.

 

How many times today did you touch your face? How many services did you touch today? That's why this whole thread along with and discussion is silly. There are no solutions.

[dsrdsrdsr]

None of us can be free of exposure by touching.

All of us can be free of infection by NOT touching our faces.

The horror of never being able to scratch your nose! It gives me an itch just thinking about it.

[sail7seas]

the horror of never being able to scratch your nose! It gives me an itch just thinking about it.

 

 

Funny

ROFL .... :D

 

[Underwatr]

When the QM2 failed her sanitation inspection a little while back one of the findings was that there was no receptacle near a bathroom door(s) for someone to deposit their paper towel as they were going out the door...

[Mr. Bungle]

I think it would take up too many square feet to have the "maze hallway" on a ship. To date, the only place I've seen them is in airports and I thought the reason and logic was not for sanitary reasons, but the fact that in an airport you usually already have your hands full toting , lugging and/or carrying. (I guess that logic holds true in a shopping mall as well, thus...I would guess the reason you experienced them in a mall)

 

I hate having to set down my drinks just to open the door to the restroom...:D

 

As for the smell, I am almost certain there is the technology in regards to air cleaning systems and venting that would keep the leavings of the 'cinnamon-room' in the area it belongs and not out into the public areas. Larger out vent/fan to create a negative air flow in the restroom to draw the air from outside the area. No air blowing 'out' just being drawn into the restroom.

 

Square-footage on a ship is at a premium. I can see the ships not doing a doorless entry to restrooms for this reason only. Most likely easier for them to hire another staff member to clean the bathroom doors than to waste the space that extra walls would take up. That's space that's not making the ship money... However... Not having to clean doors would reduce the number of staff...

 

Hmm... A real head scratcher for the bean-counters. What costs the company more. Doorless restrooms that waste 100sq.ft. of non-revenue creating space. Or, hiring a staffer to wipe bathroom doors???:confused:

[smeyer418]

the US CDC (center for disease control) has guidelines for ship building at their website. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/ConstructionGuidelines/ConstructionGuidelines2011.pdf They will consult when a ship is being planned and built. the newer guidelines call for a trash receptacle by the door... In fact they encourage building in such way as to minimize this as well. Things change as they learn more.

 

36.0 Passenger and Crew Public Toilet Rooms

36.1 No-touch Exits

Provide either of the following in the public toilet rooms:

36.1.1 Hands-free Exit

Hands-free exits from toilet rooms (such as doorless entry, automatic door openers, latchless doors that open out), or

36.1.2 Paper Towel Dispensers and Waste Receptacle

Paper towel dispensers at or after handwashing stations and a waste receptacle near the last exit door(s) to allow for towel disposal.

36.2 Self-closing Doors

All public toilet room exit doors must be self-closing.

[Aquahound]

Water temps have nothing to do with washing germs from your hands....the SOAP does that, and the rinsing (in any temp. water) will remove them from your skin.

 

Really? Then why does the CDC and all other advice groups say use warm or hot water?

 

Nothing like exposure often to build up your immune system.

 

Nothing like being too clean to make yourself weak to any and all buggies when you travel.

 

Good hygene is always good idea but for virus best medicine is a strong immune system and common sense, but not touching anything is just silly...

 

Agreed! This sanitizing hype has gone way too far.

[Travelcat2]

Very interesting thread. Just have to add one more thing to think about when comparing the different experiences for men and women. We just returned from a cruise in the Med. and found that approximately 75% of public restrooms are open to both sexes. Some have a couple of stalls for men and a few more marked for women. Even the ones with separations had men and women washing hands together. And, all of them had a fee to enter.

 

Thought some of you would find this interesting.

[beachchick]

Nothing like exposure often to build up your immune system.

 

Nothing like being too clean to make yourself weak to any and all buggies when you travel.

 

Good hygene is always good idea but for virus best medicine is a strong immune system and common sense, but not touching anything is just silly...

 

True, but only to a point. Some germs do not help our immune systems or offer immunity after one infection. It's possible to get noro and related infections repeatedly. I also doubt anyone feels that being exposed to illnesses such as hepatitis or malaria would benefit immune systems.

 

Is it really a bad idea to try be vigilent on vacation? I'm not going to live in a vacuum sealed world, but I'm definitely going to be on guard and practice great hygiene so that I might enjoy my cruises and other fun times illness free. I don't think it's silly to not touch things that we know are usually more contaminated than others. Of course it's possible to go too far with precautions and of course general exposure to every day life is important for our immune systems. Most people seem to be able to find a balance between two extremes. (Lastly, there are people such as infants, elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system who should be far more vigilant than the every day, healthy child or adult.)

 

What you've missed is that he fastens his belt before he washes his hands. His belt is therefore full of germs. If he touches his belt again - and he will - then he's passed the germs back to his hands and we're back to square one.

 

Um, why doesn't he wash his hands after he fastens his belt? Would it be somehow inconvenient? In fact, why would a man stand at the sink with his belt unbuckled?

 

The only way to stay save is to stay in a bubble. You can wash, use tissues, back into doors, put gloves on, carry lysol, and a host of other things, but you will get something you.

 

How many times today did you touch your face? How many services did you touch today? That's why this whole thread along with and discussion is silly. There are no solutions.

 

I agree that people can take hygeine practices to a ridiculous level. However, I don't think it's silly to discuss reasonable and logical ways to make our cruises and lives in general more sanitary. We all get exposed to germs of various types through our daily life. Unfortunately, exposure can lead to illness and that's something we'd all prefer to avoid during vacation and other special times.

 

 

A general note: I believe in hand washing, not touching our faces or eyes when we're out and about, and using reasonable measures to avoid illness. Sadly, some people do not practice good hygiene, so we have to watch out for ourselves.

 

beachchick

[DanJ]

 

 

Um, why doesn't he wash his hands after he fastens his belt? Would it be somehow inconvenient? In fact, why would a man stand at the sink with his belt unbuckled?

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure where the confusion comes from. I undo my pants, sit down and do my business, stand up do up my pants and fasten my belt. Then I wash my hands. I'm not really talented enough to use one hand to do my belt back up, so one of the hands touching my belt I just used to clean myself. So potentially, by touching my belt, I just contaminated it. Then I leave the stall and wash my hands. I supposed if I don't touch my belt again, then I am fine, but most guys do touch their belt again, multiple times, even without really thinking about it.

[feathersandnananose]

The digression towards germs/immunity reminded me of something my mom always said, "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you're two."

 

Well, it turns out for MOST people, that old folk saying is "...before you die." And means sh&&^%% happens.

 

But from my mom, it meant that no matter how much Mom wanted to control, her little prize would be putting a VERY INTERESTING variety of things in the mouth. (Which in my case, was accurate - I ate mud!!!)(And remember how it tastes and feels in the mouth - though I'm 60 now.)

 

At any rate, I do wash my hands religiously but accept that lots of stuff is getting through to me anyways....

[EdmPair]

Mostly good discussion points on the thread. My mom too said we would eat a pound (or two) of dirt before we grow up. I guess we did. There is no problem exposing your immune system to many germs but not all. And the shotgun approach may be true but some soil bacteria just like some fecal bacteria will not be overcome by your immune system. You can become one of the people who keeps the life expectancy from getting too high -- if you get my drift.

 

I deal with building codes all the time wrt fire exits. I am not highly surprised to hear the CDC having guidelines for cruise ship washrooms. Alas, as international vessels they may not be final decision.thenones posted sound good. The issue of burning a few square feet is lessened if you position a few larger WR site on each floor instead of many smaller ones. If they see the market demanding change, they will listen.

 

I guess I think, but not worry, of these issues when not on vacation. However, missing a single day of work would bother me less than being sick on my trip. I think that justifies higher vigilance. BTW, I do like my job.

[smeyer418]

Mostly good discussion points on the thread. My mom too said we would eat a pound (or two) of dirt before we grow up. I guess we did. There is no problem exposing your immune system to many germs but not all. And the shotgun approach may be true but some soil bacteria just like some fecal bacteria will not be overcome by your immune system. You can become one of the people who keeps the life expectancy from getting too high -- if you get my drift.

 

I deal with building codes all the time wrt fire exits. I am not highly surprised to hear the CDC having guidelines for cruise ship washrooms. Alas, as international vessels they may not be final decision.thenones posted sound good. The issue of burning a few square feet is lessened if you position a few larger WR site on each floor instead of many smaller ones. If they see the market demanding change, they will listen.

 

I guess I think, but not worry, of these issues when not on vacation. However, missing a single day of work would bother me less than being sick on my trip. I think that justifies higher vigilance. BTW, I do like my job.

 

 

since the US market still makes up 2/3 of the cruisers and most ships spend sometime in the US, the cruise lines generally follow the CDC guidelines...yes I know its technically a voluntary program...but I bet if they don't followthe guidelines they won't pass the twice a year inspection...

[sjcruiser]

The paper towels are a great idea on Carnival, and I know on Royal they have push plates. I also like that they have hand sanitizer at restaurant entrances.