Latex Allergy-perhaps someone knows?

[20somethingguy]

If you do decide to book a cruise and find things wrong for your allergy you can always invoke Carnival's Vacation Guarantee

http://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/vacation-guarantee.aspx

 

Only within the 1st 24 hours unfortunately...

[cruise2snorkel]

Hi everyone-I'm new to CC and I am trying to find an answer to a question-thought I'd run it by y'all and see if anyone has ever noticed onboard...

 

 

 

Does anyone know if latex gloves are in use in food prep or serving on board the ships? Maybe someone has noticed during Chef's Table or something.

 

 

 

I have a severe allergy to latex, thanks to years of working in the medical field. We check anytime we go out to eat here locally. A lot of places have started using vinyl or Nitrile gloves in place of latex, because the allergy is getting a lot more common. I don't just have a mild reaction-more like trouble breathing, swallowing, etc. I know what fruits, etc to avoid. I'm just worried about this one aspect.

 

 

 

I did call Carnival on Tuesday, and haven't gotten an answer yet. The lady I spoke with said she would check with the ordering person in charge and email me, but so far, no response. I also emailed John Heald, but I know he is a very busy man.

 

 

 

We're not booked on a cruise yet, but are researching ahead, so it's not an immediate answer I need. I just want to know if I can keep planning or if I need to consider not cruising. :( I sure hope that's not the case.

 

 

 

Thanks for any information you might have!

 

 

Just returned from a RCCL cruise and believe the gloves worn for food prep were the plastic food prep gloves that are latex free. I could be wrong though. I would also contact the RCCL special needs department. Look at all of your options.

[Gallivanting Souls]

 

Balloons are another huge issue for my daughter. Work with the special needs program regarding alternate boarding arrangements. Our family is cleared for active dock access and either the entire family or daughter and 1 parent to board via the crew gangway and are escorted to our room through the crew access points. This avoids the latex balloons on the skybridge to the ship or on the outside deck of the ship. We also make arrangements for the make-up muster drill as the balloons are often still out on the deck until sail away when they are removed.

 

I haven't been on Carnival yet, but on Princess, there were balloons on ~practically every 4th or 5th door of someone celebrating something (including us). I know a friend who has the same allergy, as well as both of her daughters. I could not imagine anyone being able to walk down the hall with the all allergy! I am surprised that the cruise industry hasn't done something yet about latex. It is a very common and increasing allergy and easy to remedy. I too work in a hospital. We don't allow latex balloons, only Mylar. Any gloves we have are all non-latex. I know that price will probably be an issue here? maybe not, I am not the purchaser of the gloves.

[Elaine5715]

I haven't been on Carnival yet, but on Princess, there were balloons on ~practically every 4th or 5th door of someone celebrating something (including us). I know a friend who has the same allergy, as well as both of her daughters. I could not imagine anyone being able to walk down the hall with the all allergy! I am surprised that the cruise industry hasn't done something yet about latex. It is a very common and increasing allergy and easy to remedy. I too work in a hospital. We don't allow latex balloons, only Mylar. Any gloves we have are all non-latex. I know that price will probably be an issue here? maybe not, I am not the purchaser of the gloves.

 

Same latex allergic here, balloons are the worst. However, other than a rare occasion on someone's cabin door, I have never seen a balloon on board any Carnival ship ever. Balloons are not ship friendly, never used by the cruise line

because if the balloons go overbroad into the water, the cruise line is held responsible.

[DebJ14]

I can remember on NCL (I know OP is asking about Carnival), that we used a variety of gloves onboard. I believe the latex are cheaper, so those who didn't have any problem with latex would wear those, while those whose skin reacted would wear nitrile.

 

While you may see cross-contamination in food service ashore, the USPH protocols for hand hygiene are extremely strict, and you will see multiple glove changes if you could observe a meal service behind the scenes. In fact, wait staff, after touching a dirty plate and taking it back to the bus station, must either change gloves or wash their hands before they can touch a clean plate for the next course or table's service. There is even a disconnect between the input end of the dishwashing machine (dirty dishes) and the output end (clean dishes) to the extent that there will be two people stationed there to prevent cross-contamination. I doubt you'd see either practice in any restaurant ashore.

 

Anyone interested in cruise ship sanitation, you can download the 300 page operations manual, or the 120 page construction manual, which covers all cruise ships calling in the US, from the CDC VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) site.

 

You must be kidding if you think the waiters wash their hands between picking up the dirty plates from one course and delivering the next course! Never seen it happen in 55 cruises.

[IPlayWithString]

My wife also has a severe latex allergy, and as such she too wears a medic alert... all I have ever seen on our 5 cruises so far are the NITRILE gloves being used, if any at all.

 

The problem with gloves being used in food service is that they give a false sense of cleanliness to the wearer, but can transmit far more germs etc., than would bare hands. At least if the server is bare handed, and they get "something" on their hands they will wash them.... got something on a glove, and you / they might not notice it since their clean hand is inside the protection of the glove, and thereby cross contaminate some other food stuffs...

 

You - working in the medical field - would know to change your gloves between patients, that doesn't happen in the food service industry if they are wearing gloves, and that causes all kinds of food allergens to cross contaminate food to be consumed by unsuspecting diners.

 

Personally I hate seeing gloves used in food service for just that reason.

 

It's not just the gloves you need to worry about with cross contamination either.

 

On one cruise, we were in line at the Lido buffet and I saw one of the servers taking temps (which I know they have to do. I work in a kitchen and we have to do it at least 3X per shift). Only instead of wiping the thermometer down between items (they have alcohol wipes for just that purpose), he just stuck the thermometer from one item into another.:eek:

 

Yeah..I let guest services know that I was NOT ok with that. Ugh.

[Sailor_Sally]

Besides the food area I would want to know that the medical department had latex free equipment in case it was needed .

[cruisetaker7777]

I also worry about being around non-slip rubber matts. I have seen more people switching to nitrile gloves in the past couple of years. I can definitely tell the difference in food prep (even if they switch gloves - it's all over the cutting board). You can find listings of latex allergy friendly clothes (suitable for a cruise), and also medical, and non medical products here.

[cruisetaker7777]

On 9/17/2018 at 10:39 AM, cruisetaker7777 said:

I also worry about being around non-slip rubber matts. I have seen more people switching to nitrile gloves in the past couple of years. I can definitely tell the difference in food prep (even if they switch gloves - it's all over the cutting board). You can find listings of latex allergy friendly clothes (suitable for a cruise), and also medical, and non medical products here.

 

The link changed to this URL for latex allergy friendly clothing

• Amazon Brand - Daily Ritual Women's Lived-in Cotton Sleeveless Maxi Dress $25
• Amazon Brand - Daily Ritual Women's Lived-in Cotton Short-Sleeve Crewneck Maxi Dress $26
• Forever 21 search for 100% rayon maxi dresses (you need to read the material type for each item)
• Amazon search for 100% rayon maxi dresses (you need to read the material type for each item)

Edited July 24, 2019 by cruisetaker7777