Obligatory handwashing on Princess???

[kathylynnt]

Thank you for all the information that everyone has shared. I never knew that there were differences in hand sanitizers! (I would have probably just gotten the strawberry scented one.) This will help me as I prepare for our upcoming trip. :) I do have a question-if you do get norovirus, is there anything that you can take to "hurry up" or help get rid of it? Thankfully, I've never been on a ship with an outbreak, but I wouldn't even know what over-the-counter medicines to take. Thanks, in advance. Kathy

[cruiselvr1]

I was on the Royal at the beginning of August and they were insistent about hand-washing. The Captain even came over the intercom at least once a day to give updates about the Noro outbreak followed by instructions on HOW to wash your hands. He pointed out that washing your hands was the single best defense against getting sick.

 

And yet, there were those who resisted. One woman told the attendant at the buffet entrance "I just washed my hands in my stateroom." The attendant replied, "Did you touch anything on your way here?" She ignored him.

 

That struck a nerve with me so I started thinking about how many times I touched something throughout the day that had been touched by others. Stair rails, door handles, elevator buttons. Then gave thought to how many times I touched my face. Wow. You won't have to remind me again to wash my hands before I eat.

 

I thought the hand-washing stations were a good idea and not at all upsetting. What IS upsetting is hearing the Captain remind people to wash their hands "after using the toilet". Yes, he mentioned that, among other things, on a daily basis. Unbelievable that he found it necessary to even mention.

Unfortunately their are so many people who were not taught by their parents to wash their hands, before eating dinner.

[Hlitner]

Thank you for all the information that everyone has shared. I never knew that there were differences in hand sanitizers! (I would have probably just gotten the strawberry scented one.) This will help me as I prepare for our upcoming trip. :) I do have a question-if you do get norovirus, is there anything that you can take to "hurry up" or help get rid of it? Thankfully, I've never been on a ship with an outbreak, but I wouldn't even know what over-the-counter medicines to take. Thanks, in advance. Kathy

 

Noro is certainly no fun. But there is little that can be done other then to just try and stay hydrated and wait for it to pass (in more ways then one). If you get it on a ship you will be confined to your cabin into the medical staff is convinced you are no longer infectious (usually 2-3 days). There really are no meds that help (and they would be darn near impossible to keep down anyway). My own physician tells his patients to try and drink Gatorade, but this is simply a way to stay hydrated and get some electrolytes.

 

Hank

[hansi]

We just returned from a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft Lauderdale on Royal Princess. To our astonishment, we were informed that in order to enter the cafeterias on Deck 16 all passengers were required to wash their hands, in view of the steward(s) at the door. Refusal was met with refusal to let the passenger enter the cafeteria.

 

After a week this humiliating practice ended and the ship (finally) installed the Purell machines all other cruise lines use (and which Royal Princess itself uses in the main dining rooms!) without announcement or explanation. An excess of zeal by the Capitain? Paranoia about shipboard viral :eek:contamination? Who knows? No official announcement of the policy or explanation was ever issued or given anyone.

 

Bizarre and very unsettling. Will be interested to see if future passengers encounter the same nonsense.

 

 

Humiliating practice?? Are you for real?? Washing your hands is t,he best way to prevent noro virus and you are complaining about it. Priceless!! You couldn't make it up.:eek:

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Looking forward to have the opportunity to wash my hands numerous times a day.

 

 

 

yours Shogun

[Grego]

Hi All

 

Looking forward to have the opportunity to wash my hands numerous times a day.

 

 

 

yours Shogun

 

Great way to look at it. Wonder what the record is for visiting the various dining areas are?

[shredie]

Great way to look at it. Wonder what the record is for visiting the various dining areas are?

 

I'm betting my son-in-law can break it, whatever it is. :) (And yes, he washes his hands every time.)

[gisnered]

,snip> (Nor have I ever seen anyone refer to the Lido on Royal Princess as a 'cafeteria' either :rolleyes:)

 

I always call it the cafeteria 'cause that's what it is. From Merriam Webster online:

 

1: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter and take the food to tables to eat

 

2: lunchroom 2

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria

 

From Merriam also:

lido

noun li·do \ˈlē-(ˌ)dō\

 

: a public outdoor swimming pool or swimming area

 

I generally don't eat in the pool, rarely around the swimming area. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Edited October 1, 2015 by gisnered

[Cappycas1]

I agree the self service places on cruise ships should be called cafeterias. They might give them fancy names but they are cafes, no more, no less. :)

[shredie]

I agree the self service places on cruise ships should be called cafeterias. They might give them fancy names but they are cafes, no more, no less. :)

 

But is a cafe a cafeteria? :p I don't think it makes much difference what they're called, myself.

[gottagocit]

...astonishment

...An excess of zeal

... Paranoia

...Bizarre and very unsettling...nonsense.

 

I am astonished and unsettled that anyone would find it astonishing, bizarre or unsettling to be asked to wash their hands before serving themselves in a buffet line where thousands of passengers are eating and where history has shown outbreaks of bacteria or virus based illnesses are often spread!

 

People like these cause me to use the hand sanitizer provided at the entrance while entering AND when exiting the serving area. No kidding I grab a handful of the stuff on the way to my table where I then spread it on both hands.

 

Simply amazing.

[Hlitner]

Just keep in mind that most hand sanitizers do very little to mitigate the spread of Norovirus. So far, there is no substitute for washing your hands with soap and warm water for about 30 seconds.

 

Hank

[oceanseagle12]

I reached out to Purell on their Facebook page regarding VF481 and Purell Advanced. They confirmed that they are different products, as we've already discussed. And had this to say:

 

"In the US, the FDA does not permit the promotion of hand sanitizing products for effectiveness against viruses, nor does it have an approved method for demonstrating effectiveness of hand sanitizers against viruses such as norovirus."

 

They did say VF481 is available through distributors. So if you want hand sanitizer that is effective against viruses, including noro, you can go that route. Or try the other brands like Clorox.

 

Edit to add: I agree with the previous post about handwashing. But the research shows that handwashing combined with products like VF481 is more effective than either method alone. And those hand sanitizers are better than nothing in those situations when you dont have access to soap and water. For example, I like to use it after I'm seated in the buffet area, before I start eating.

Edited October 2, 2015 by oceanseagle12

[bigenna]

[quote name=oceanseagle12;47902118

 

Edit to add: I agree with the previous post about handwashing. But the research shows that handwashing combined with products like VF481 is more effective than either method alone. And those hand sanitizers are better than nothing in those situations when you dont have access to soap and water. For example' date=' I like to use it after I'm seated in the buffet area, before I start eating.[/quote]

 

In total agreement with you. It is sometimes difficult to get back to the sanitizer area after exiting the buffet line though. Wish they had more around the area.

[Morisnfan]

For our last cruise, we bought individually wrapped sanitizing wipes, and although I don't remember the ingredient, supposedly it is good for preventing noro. We got them on Amazon. There were so many, we still have enough for our upcoming cruise. These made me feel more secure, as we used them after sitting before eating, every time! I'm also a fan of sanitizing cabin surfaces with a wipe (Monk disinfectant wipes). We have been on cruises in the past with noro outbreaks, and have both escaped it's wrath! I'd rather be a little more paranoid then sorry. The brand name of the hand wipes is PDI.

[Aquahound]

I'm genuinly curious....back 20+ years ago before we became a sanitizing society, how much of a problem was norovirus on cruise ships? :confused: I don't seem to remember anything like this in my early cruising days.

[BlewWater]

My two cents worth:

 

It seems that those who have more knowledge about this topic are more accepting of mandatory handwashing.

 

First of all, many comments in this thread are aimed toward Norovirus. This is by far the primary concern, but is certainly not the ONLY thing that causes illness. There are many other viruses and bacteria that make people ill and can be spread via hands. I have been on numerous cruises where I have seen the number of people coughing and sniffling skyrocket between the start and the end of the cruise.

 

Purell with vf481 might not kill 100% of virus or bacteria, but certainly decreases transmission better than not using Purell at all. Handwashing might not kill 100% of virus or bacteria, but decreases transmission better than not washing hands at all. Using both might increase safety even a bit more. Granted, some people have legitimate concerns about the effect of gel sanitizers on their skin. But simply not liking it is not a legitimate concern.

 

 

Not all people with Norovirus have symptoms. It is possible to be infected with Norovirus, spread the disease to others, and not show symptoms.

 

Norovirus can be transmitted from someone’s hands to a surface just by touching that surface. That includes the cabin doorknob, handrails in the hallway, handrails in stairs, elevator buttons, menus, food serving utensils, buttons on beverage dispensers. Even seemingly innocuous items such as salt and pepper shakers. Washing hands in the cabin or bathroom does not mean hands will still be safe by the time one starts eating.

 

There are a number of medical conditions that cause one’s immune system to be compromised, but those people still functions just fine in everyday life. They usually are acutely aware of disease transmission and are very careful. What might be an annoying illness to most people can be a very serious problem for those with weak immune systems. It only takes one careless person to put these people at serious risk.

 

Those who are vigilant with their hygiene aren’t necessarily germaphobes. They are simply very cautious. Most of them think it is great when cruise lines try to enforce mandatory handwashing or mandatory sanitizing gel. They might appreciate the ships that have the crew serve up the food at buffets. They wash hands frequently, and might use hand sanitizer after touching the menu, right before beginning to eat. They avoid touching hand rails unless they really need to (it’s easy to use handrails simply out of habit rather than necessity). They use knuckles to press buttons. If they cough or sneeze, they try to do so into a sleeved arm, not into bare hands, and certainly not into the thin air. These precautions often extend to off-the-ship activities also.

 

Bravo to Princess for their efforts! And bravo to the original poster, who unintentionally is helping to make the cruise ship a safer place via the conversations provoked!

[metairiegal]

For our last cruise, we bought individually wrapped sanitizing wipes, and although I don't remember the ingredient, supposedly it is good for preventing noro. We got them on Amazon. There were so many, we still have enough for our upcoming cruise. These made me feel more secure, as we used them after sitting before eating, every time! I'm also a fan of sanitizing cabin surfaces with a wipe (Monk disinfectant wipes). We have been on cruises in the past with noro outbreaks, and have both escaped it's wrath! I'd rather be a little more paranoid then sorry. The brand name of the hand wipes is PDI.

 

Disney Cruise Line hands outs wipes in front of the MDRs and the buffet area. I like that much better than using the the gel.

[beg3yrs]

I'm genuinly curious....back 20+ years ago before we became a sanitizing society, how much of a problem was norovirus on cruise ships? :confused: I don't seem to remember anything like this in my early cruising days.

 

Noro has always been around.

 

What hasn't been around for 20+ years is 24 hour news reporting and Internet forums where it can be reported quickly.

 

Here's an interesting link. http://www.norovirus.com/history-of-norovirus/

[2siestas]

We just rec'd this note from Princess for our upcoming cruise.. Since when is cleanliness humiliating?

 

Please read the following important notice regarding your cruise. Click to view online.

 

 

 

 

Princess Cruises® - come back new℠

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING YOUR CRUISE

Star Princess - Voyage 9533 -

 

Dear Princess Guest:

 

We look forward to welcoming you aboard Star Princess for your upcoming cruise.

 

Please be advised that during the current cruise there has been a higher than expected number of cases of gastrointestinal illness among guests suspected to be caused by norovirus. Throughout the cruise we have been carrying out a comprehensive sanitation program in coordination with several international public health authorities. Please click here to view the pre-boarding heath advisory for more information about norovirus.

 

We have also arranged for the ship to undergo an additional disinfection in Vancouver on Sunday, October 4, 2015. Check-in for your cruise will begin at 1:00 PM and will close promptly at 3:30 PM.

 

Embarkation will not begin until 2:00 PM, and cabins will not be ready until 3:00 PM. Guests will be unable to exit the terminal after security screening and immigration, and there will be no access to food or beverage in the terminal post security screening. Guests who arrive at the pier early may drop off their luggage and enjoy the surrounding area. All guests must be checked in by 3:30 PM.

 

We will reach out to you should there be any additional changes to communicate. Please be sure you have your mobile phone number listed in your Cruise Personalizer.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important message. The entire staff and crew of Star Princess look forward to welcoming you on board.

 

 

Sincerly,

 

Princess Cruises

[CZEE]

We just returned from a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft Lauderdale on Royal Princess. To our astonishment, we were informed that in order to enter the cafeterias on Deck 16 all passengers were required to wash their hands, in view of the steward(s) at the door. Refusal was met with refusal to let the passenger enter the cafeteria.

 

After a week this humiliating practice ended and the ship (finally) installed the Purell machines all other cruise lines use (and which Royal Princess itself uses in the main dining rooms!) without announcement or explanation. An excess of zeal by the Capitain? Paranoia about shipboard viral :eek:contamination? Who knows? No official announcement of the policy or explanation was ever issued or given anyone.

 

Bizarre and very unsettling. Will be interested to see if future passengers encounter the same nonsense.

 

I think the practice is fabulous. It's way better than that awful Purell stuff which doesn't work.

[CZEE]

Cruise lines use Purell's VF-481, not the standard over-the-counter product which relies on alcohol alone. This enhanced hand sanitizer has added ingredients specifically designed to be effective against Noro and other similar viruses. Hand washing is the gold standard, but VF-481 is still very effective.

 

Princess is not forthcoming about much. . .wondering how you know this. Thanks.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I'm genuinly curious....back 20+ years ago before we became a sanitizing society, how much of a problem was norovirus on cruise ships? :confused: I don't seem to remember anything like this in my early cruising days.

 

That many years ago, cruise ships were much smaller, and had far fewer passengers. There was less chance of an infected passenger boarding a given ship, and fewer people to spread Noro to if one did.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Princess is not forthcoming about much. . .wondering how you know this. Thanks.

 

I have read the labels on the Purell used in dispensers on both the Ruby and the Golden, so can confirm this.

[MGnut]

I have read the labels on the Purell used in dispensers on both the Ruby and the Golden, so can confirm this.

 

They were also using the Purell VF-481 formula on our recent Ocean Princess Iceland/Norway cruise. The headwaiter was squirting onto our hands as we entered the restaurant, and I could see the label.