Use of Hand Sanitizer

[seannyice81]

Wow!! Can't believe that I am in the minority here. I use hand sanitizer all of the time if we are eating out. If I thought that it was hurting my hands or drying out my skin, I would try another brand. After I touch a menu, hand sanitizer before food. If I tough tongs or a spoon at the buffet, hand sanitizer before food. DH and I are in the medical profession and know that hand washing is the first defense, but sometimes it is not convenient. My little bottle is always in my purse and at the ready. We also spray Lysol on knobs, buttons, and exposed surfaces first thing when we walk in our cabin and at least once a day afterward. My thinking is every little bit helps.

 

Lysol wipes are a good idea and have done it a couple times.

 

Whatever, anything is better than nothing, seen people in the bathrooms not even washing their hands:mad:

 

Some people tend to put their hygiene/manners on vacation when they are. :rolleyes:

[txmom11]

As a nurse, I have to "foam in and out" (use hand sanitizer foam) every time I enter or leave a patient's room. I'm one of a profession that washes my hands BEFORE and AFTER using the restroom. :rolleyes: Having said that, I RARELY use hand sanitizers away from work. Give me good old fashioned soap and water. The friction of hand washing removes c. diff spores and helps combat Norovirus.

 

On a positive side, I wish every place had the tissues on the doors to open like the restrooms on Carnival. I've suggested them at our hospital. No success yet, but I'm persistent.

[stargate fan]

Sanitizer is just alcohol gel. It's the antibiotic soaps that are making the germs more resilient, not hand sanitizer.

 

Sanitizer doesn't always work particularly well, but it's just rubbing ethanol on your hands. Regular soap is the best. Antibiotic soap leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria.

 

Good point.

The only antibacterial soap in the house is in the kitchen. I wash with it after handling raw meat and poultry. Otherwise we buy regular old liquid soap and have pump bottles in every bathroom.

[jimbo5544]

Hand sanitizer does nothing to prevent the spread of Norovirus. Only washing hands with soap and water to rinse the Norovirus off and down the drain works.

 

 

Good example of that is on rccl where they practically tackle you going in and out of any food places and yet they have a pretty bad record of noro in the industry.

[Raxter54]

On a positive side, I wish every place had the tissues on the doors to open like the restrooms on Carnival. I've suggested them at our hospital. No success yet, but I'm persistent.

 

When they dry-dock ships, they new to construct new bathroom entrances. Most retail stores now have open entrances with a wall that you walk around to enter the restroom. That way there are no doors you have to touch going in or out....

[FloridaKevin]

The tongs used in the buffet by the passengers have been proven to be the site of the highest bacteria count.

 

It would make sense to wash and/or sanitize one's hands both before and after using them.

 

On every cruise I see people walking with their tray of food and sucking their fingers clean as they walk back to their table then see the same people right back in line getting ready to fondle the tongs.... It makes me gag. We try to avoid the buffets if possible also.

I guess having the option to have access the antibacterial gel is better than nothing. But, good old fashion hand washing is always best.

[sanmarcosman]

Good example of that is on rccl where they practically tackle you going in and out of any food places and yet they have a pretty bad record of noro in the industry.

Would you please share source(s) on the "pretty bad record of noro in the industry" ?

[jimbo5544]

Would you please share source(s) on the "pretty bad record of noro in the industry" ?

 

 

Do you doubt me?

 

CDC, not even close between them and number 2

[jimbo5544]

Actually I will correct myself. The other royal company Celebrity leads then list then Royal. Princess has a less than great record as well, but the real

point of me mentioning it was that Carnival is a leader in this area as well.

[sanmarcosman]

Actually I will correct myself. The other royal company Celebrity leads then list then Royal. Princess has a less than great record as well, but the real

point of me mentioning it was that Carnival is a leader in this area as well.

This is why I asked.

[jimbo5544]

This is why I asked.

 

 

So l could correct myself?

[Archie796]

We just got off the Conquest and were amazed by the lack of the use of hand sanitizer by nearly everyone. Most evenings we were the only ones using it going into the MDR. Rarely saw anyone using it at breakfast either. We were also surprised that none of the crew encouraged anyone to use it. This was our first Carnival cruise in two or three years. We've been on a couple of other lines lately and the sanitizer was practically shoved down our throat-or at least deposited on our hands. Is this the new normal for Carnival?

 

So you are the only ones who chose not to carry their own like everyone else. You are depending on just using it at the entrance to the dining room, because obviously you didn't think to always carry it with you so you could use it more often.

 

So you are only cleaning you hands with sanitizer and never washing your hands or using some at other times.

 

Of course I am taking liberties because I am just seeing you use the sanitizer at the entrance to the dining room, and you are the only one using it.

 

The same liberties you are taking when people do not use it. Maybe they just washed their hands which is much better than you who only use the sanitizer entering the dining room. Maybe they use their own in the elevator and then at their table before eating. You wouldn't know that because you think the only place people wash or use sanitizer is at a dirty station where everyone put their hands.

 

So you have no idea of what others are doing besides the few seconds you are playing sanitizer police. Many people need to use certain brands due to allergies.

 

A bit judgmental are you?

[ready2cruzagain]

Actually I will correct myself. The other royal company Celebrity leads then list then Royal. Princess has a less than great record as well, but the real

point of me mentioning it was that Carnival is a leader in this area as well.

Celebrity and Princess, (never been on RCCL), both push the sanitizers down your throat. Last time I was on Princess I got tired of trying to get by without using it and just started faking it. For those of you that say yuck, I did wash my hands before and after touching the utensils in the buffet.

 

I have to agree that they do get noro a lot more than Carnival.

[jimbo5544]

Celebrity and Princess, (never been on RCCL), both push the sanitizers down your throat. Last time I was on Princess I got tired of trying to get by without using it and just started faking it. For those of you that say yuck, I did wash my hands before and after touching the utensils in the buffet.

 

I have to agree that they do get noro a lot more than Carnival.

 

While I know they are trying to contain it, or to give comfort to their cruisers regarding that, but it makes one wonder if they are spreading it more by doing so.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

2015 CDC reports of Norovirus

 

Princess Cruises Star Princess 4/29 - 5/14 Norovirus

Oceania Cruises Oceania Marina 4/21 - 5/7 Norovirus

Holland America Line ms Maasdam 4/17 - 5/1 Norovirus

Princess Cruises Coral Princess 4/12 - 4/27 Norovirus

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Legend of the Seas 3/30 - 4/14 Norovirus

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Infinity 3/29 - 4/13 Norovirus

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Pearl 3/26 - 4/6 Norovirus

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Equinox 2/13 - 2/23 Norovirus

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Grandeur of the Seas 1/24 - 2/3 Norovirus

[TEXASMUNK]

The amount of water and soap used prior to every meal on every ship with as many people "claiming" they wash their hands in hot water and soap prior to eating?

 

Yeah, I believe them all, don't you?

[crookedhalo]

The amount of water and soap used prior to every meal on every ship with as many people "claiming" they wash their hands in hot water and soap prior to eating?

 

Yeah, I believe them all, don't you?

 

Wow, just wow.

 

Hand sanitizers are for use when you can't get to a sink with hot water and soap. That is their purpose in life. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen a mother in a rest room line up her little ducklings RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SINK and then have them hold their little hands up so she can go down the line and squirt hand sanitizer in them! Hand sanitizer kills every germ (it's very non-discriminatory) even the ones you need PLUS it just moves the dirt around:eek:

 

I have a sister who embraces the anti-bac life. You name it - if it says anti-bac on it she has it in her house (towels, soap, cleaners etc.). She and her family are constantly sick. My family on the other hand does not use any anti-bac products AT ALL and we are very seldom sick. Do the math.

 

JMHO YMMV

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

If someone is a germaphobe, hand sanitizers can be a mental health lifesaver. Same with carrying around a pocketful of clorox wipes to open doors and rub on banisters. I have actually seen passengers who wear surgical gloves in the buffet. And, good for them if it can alleviate some stresses.

 

But for any cruiseline to do the NCL "washy-washy" with sanitizers is a bit intrusive and probably not effective in the long run since airborne germs can't be controlled by their use. It is much more effective for a cruise line to keep a ship clean, to replace serving utensils frequently, keep portions on the buffet minimal and replace them often, and for servers to wear the gloves.

 

Anytime people are out of their "home environments" for extended periods of time they will be exposed to germs and bacteria at a higher rate than they would in their normal routines where occupying a relatively enclosed space with 4000 other humans is not the norm.

[TEXASMUNK]

I guess I take my comment back! I guess none of those folks that use the restroom and ignore the soap and water after they are done NEVER shake the hand some one they just met or pick up a folk in the MDR, or, rummage thru the food in the Buffet.

Everyone onboard uses soap and water religiously!

And only ignorant folks waste their time with the hand sanitizer..

So my apologies!...How about every cruise line install wash basins at the entrance to every food venue?

[LTS1960]

Sanitizer is just alcohol gel. It's the antibiotic soaps that are making the germs more resilient, not hand sanitizer.

 

 

 

Sanitizer doesn't always work particularly well, but it's just rubbing ethanol on your hands. Regular soap is the best. Antibiotic soap leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria.

 

 

There is no such thing as antibiotic soap. It's anti bacterial soap you must be talking about.

In general, the overuse of antibiotics is what is causing resistant bacteria but with the overuse of hand sanitizer and anti bacterial soap, it has caused a reduced exposure to some of the normal bacteria out there and creates and decreased resistance in some people.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I guess I take my comment back! I guess none of those folks that use the restroom and ignore the soap and water after they are done NEVER shake the hand some one they just met or pick up a folk in the MDR, or, rummage thru the food in the Buffet.

Everyone onboard uses soap and water religiously!

And only ignorant folks waste their time with the hand sanitizer..

So my apologies!...How about every cruise line install wash basins at the entrance to every food venue?

 

It would be nice if everyone was concerned about personal hygiene and the spread of "germs" but it isn't realistic. Most people use the "facilities" and hopefully wash their hands but I don't think "everyone" thinks to hit the sink before they enter the buffet...and, luckily, that "misstep" hasn't caused many ships to fall victim to norovirus or other harmful and potentially dangerous transmitted infections. Based on what I have read the "threat" is greatly exaggerated and 99% of cruises sail and return without these kinds of outbreaks.

[sanmarcosman]

Based on what I have read the "threat" is greatly exaggerated and 99% of cruises sail and return without these kinds of outbreaks.

99% of statistics are made up ;)

[Towel Critter]

Carnival has fewer incidences of norovirus of all the major cruise lines, including NCL. This tells me hand sanitizers aren't very effective, since NCL practically bathes you in the stuff. Short of bleach, soap and water are the most effective weapons against germs. Hand sanitizers are a fair, but inferior, option when soap and water aren't available.

 

See link for history of norovirus outbreaks by cruiseline.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm

Edited November 1, 2015 by Towel Critter

[cruising maniac]

I seriously doubt that every beautiful, wonderful, well-mannered, unsupervised tyke thoroughly washed his or her hands prior to touching the tongs at the buffet. Hence my sanitizer in my pocket. Makes me feel like I'm doing something to try and protect myself and others in a mass population environment.

[Towel Critter]

I seriously doubt that every beautiful, wonderful, well-mannered, unsupervised tyke thoroughly washed his or her hands prior to touching the tongs at the buffet. Hence my sanitizer in my pocket. Makes me feel like I'm doing something to try and protect myself and others in a mass population environment.

 

I also doubt they did. If one is seriously troubled by the possibility of coming into contact with germs at the buffet, disposable vinyl gloves are probably the best option.

 

I have a question about hand sanitizers, and this is a sincere question. I don't know the answer to it. Are they only supposedly effective on germs already on your hands at the time you use it, or do they also supposedly guard against germs you touch after you've used it? I have to think using it both before and after going through the buffet line would be the most effective approach, short of washing your hands both times.