Re-filling water bottles at Horizon Court on Royal Princess !!!

[lovevacadays]

I think you are right. It never ceases to amaze what you might see. I can't tell you how many times I have seen passengers using the public restrooms and leave without washing their hands.

[Astro Flyer]

In another current discussion I learned much more about shipboard water systems from a cruise ship chief engineer...chengkp75

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2503781

[Potstech]

Anybody want to give us figures on the number of people who have gotten sick from some one filling their water bottle "improperly" in the Horizon Court or anywhere else on a ship?

[frugaltravel]

Anybody want to give us figures on the number of people who have gotten sick from some one filling their water bottle "improperly" in the Horizon Court or anywhere else on a ship?

 

I wish we could attribute every sickness on the ship to a specific person or activity. Unfortunately you know as well as I do that it is not possible. The key is to minimize the risk as much as possible. But obviously some people really don't give a rip about it and/or make excuses to continue their potential negative behavior.

[RDC1]

Since the Royal cruises out of the US part of the year, I'm surprised there is no signage, as this is a USPH violation not to have signage to this effect. In Europe, the ship fall under the EU ShipSan program, which while similar is not as comprehensive as the USPH VSP, and I see no mention of refilling beverage containers.

 

I seem to recall you posting that depending upon the type of fountain one could fill directly. Specifically if the filling station has a button and the bottle does not come in contact with any portion of the filling station then it was allowed. And if the water flow is triggered b the bottle pushing against a lever then it was not allowed and a clean glass needed to be used to capture and transfer water.

 

I see that you have basically posted the same thing in a later message in this stream.

 

What type is on the Royal?

Edited May 30, 2017 by RDC1

[RDC1]

The dispenser spout is only one part of the possible cross-contamination. Most of these dispensers use a "push bar" to activate, where the glass is used to press a lever to open the valve. Parts of a used glass that had come in contact with a person's mouth or hands, will touch the push bar, and transfer any germs to the next glass that touches the push bar. This is why RCI, for one example, has gone to "touchless" dispensers, like their freestyle machines, where you must press a button to dispense, not use the glass to touch anything. These machines, whether soda or water, are exempt from the ban on reusing glassware.

 

Just to be clear since your posts can be taken different ways.

 

If the dispenser on Princess is of the touchless variety and the bottle does not come in contact with any portion of the dispenser then it seems that refilling is allowed (exempt from ban as you put it) and that would explain why there is no sign. In such cases it would seem that filling of bottles would be allowed.

[capecodollie]

After reading all these posts I'm thankful I was raised as a child with a healthful exposure to germs. Dogs, cats, dirt, etc...my siblings and I were exposed to it all, and did it around the world as we were a military family. All of us are now in our 60's and all of us are healthy as are our children and grandchildren who were raised and are being raised in a similar manner. I realize that not everyone is as lucky as we are, perhaps genetically as well, and people are certainly more susceptible to the myriad of infectious diseases that we're all exposed to every day. But, regardless, you're safer today on a cruise ship, drinking water out of a fountain, than you are in an average hospital where tens of thousands die every year from C-Diff, Mrsa and other super bugs that proliferate due to our over exposure to antibiotics and the unhealthy practices of some medical staff. It's wise to use common sense to protect yourself day to day, but don't overreact to the small, usually harmless stuff.

[Potstech]

I wish we could attribute every sickness on the ship to a specific person or activity. Unfortunately you know as well as I do that it is not possible. The key is to minimize the risk as much as possible. But obviously some people really don't give a rip about it and/or make excuses to continue their potential negative behavior.

 

I am so glad you emphasized "potential" as so far all as I see posting here are people who want others to do things their way because of unfounded fears. And get all upset and nasty whem they don't conform.

[chengkp75]

Anybody want to give us figures on the number of people who have gotten sick from some one filling their water bottle "improperly" in the Horizon Court or anywhere else on a ship?

 

I am so glad you emphasized "potential" as so far all as I see posting here are people who want others to do things their way because of unfounded fears. And get all upset and nasty whem they don't conform.

 

Can you give us figures on how many people have gotten sick from touching handrails on the stairs? Of course not.

 

It's not people wanting you to do things "their way", it is a federal requirement for ships calling in the US. The requirment to not reuse a water bottle or glass is part of the USPH VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) created by the CDC, who are world renown experts on epidemiology and the transmission vectors of contagious disease. They feel it is a serious enough threat to include the restrictions.

 

If you wish the lines would discard the VSP, that's fine. The alternative is to have the USPH fulfill its mandate of preventing the introduction of contagious disease into the US by inspecting every cruise ship, every time it enters a US port, with a full sanitation inspection, random crew and passenger health interviews, prior to allowing anyone off the ship.

[RDC1]

Can you give us figures on how many people have gotten sick from touching handrails on the stairs? Of course not.

 

It's not people wanting you to do things "their way", it is a federal requirement for ships calling in the US. The requirment to not reuse a water bottle or glass is part of the USPH VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) created by the CDC, who are world renown experts on epidemiology and the transmission vectors of contagious disease. They feel it is a serious enough threat to include the restrictions.

 

If you wish the lines would discard the VSP, that's fine. The alternative is to have the USPH fulfill its mandate of preventing the introduction of contagious disease into the US by inspecting every cruise ship, every time it enters a US port, with a full sanitation inspection, random crew and passenger health interviews, prior to allowing anyone off the ship.

 

Please confirm if the filling locations are touchless is the filling of water bottles allowed under VSP?

 

Do you know if the ones in the HC on the Royal are touchless?

 

It's pretty clear about the general case about fill stations that require physical contact, with good reason.

 

Not so clear about the case of touchless or the specific case of the Royal.

[Potstech]

Can you give us figures on how many people have gotten sick from touching handrails on the stairs? Of course not.

 

It's not people wanting you to do things "their way", it is a federal requirement for ships calling in the US. The requirment to not reuse a water bottle or glass is part of the USPH VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) created by the CDC, who are world renown experts on epidemiology and the transmission vectors of contagious disease. They feel it is a serious enough threat to include the restrictions.

 

If you wish the lines would discard the VSP, that's fine. The alternative is to have the USPH fulfill its mandate of preventing the introduction of contagious disease into the US by inspecting every cruise ship, every time it enters a US port, with a full sanitation inspection, random crew and passenger health interviews, prior to allowing anyone off the ship.

 

As if that will ever happen. Love these hypothetical theories that people bring up to try to make their points. Again there is no proof that a refillsble bottle touching a filling spouse spreads anything. Otherwise they would be totally banned which they are not.

[chengkp75]

Please confirm if the filling locations are touchless is the filling of water bottles allowed under VSP?

 

Do you know if the ones in the HC on the Royal are touchless?

 

It's pretty clear about the general case about fill stations that require physical contact, with good reason.

 

Not so clear about the case of touchless or the specific case of the Royal.

 

Yes, for touchless dispensers refilling is allowed per VSP, see RCI's freestyle coke machines.

 

I have no idea what dispensers are on the Royal.

[chengkp75]

As if that will ever happen. Love these hypothetical theories that people bring up to try to make their points. Again there is no proof that a refillsble bottle touching a filling spouse spreads anything. Otherwise they would be totally banned which they are not.

 

You can believe what you wish as far as hypothetical theories.

 

I have sailed on merchant vessels for over 40 years, and every time even a US vessel enters the US from a foreign voyage, there is a Public Health Inspector to inspect the general sanitation of the ship and the health of the crew before providing the "free pratique" (as the health certificate is known), and allowing the ship to discharge cargo and the crew to go ashore.

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjor8P_mJnUAhUKbhQKHQOVDCQQFgg2MAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.law.cornell.edu%2Fcfr%2Ftext%2F42%2F71.1&usg=AFQjCNHIGkdNcHSc8y7y7n7xkNiIfTb-lw

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi4k8HDmZnUAhUGshQKHca1CbYQFggmMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.law.cornell.edu%2Fcfr%2Ftext%2F42%2F71.41&usg=AFQjCNFOEQ-o944Mv0eLzBFLG-K4YVpyrg

 

So, I guess in the hypothetical world of international maritime activity, every time a cruise ship entered a US port after being in a foreign port, the law says it needs to get a free pratique, or health and sanitation certificate. As I've stated, the VSP was designed by both the USPH/CDC and the cruise industry to streamline this process, whereby passenger ships that abide by the construction and operation requirements of the VSP will be deemed to have met the requirements for free pratique, and will only be inspected twice a year.

 

I have been to the USPH VSP training course, and been through many USPH inspections onboard cruise ships, from the crew's standpoint, so I know the VSP and all the areas of shipboard operations it covers.

 

As for banning refillable water bottles, where exactly do you mean by banning them? Everywhere in the US? That is not the USPH's or CDC's choice to make, as their jurisdiction does not cover that. That is up to local and state health codes. The USPH and CDC do, however, have jurisdiction over the cruise ships, and they have decided that refilling water bottles or glasses from touch type drink dispensers is a viable disease transmission vector. I am not an epidemiologist, but they sure are.

 

In a similar note, regarding jurisdiction, the CDC did a study of public swimming pools around the US. They found that 80% of the public pools they inspected would have failed a VSP inspection, and been closed immediately, had those pools been under USPH/CDC jurisdiction, not state and local health codes.

[pablo222]

. Again there is no proof that a refillsble bottle touching a filling spouse spreads anything.

 

I guess it would depend on the mood of the spouse...

[BigWaveDave87]

I just came off the Island Princess (9/20/17-9/23/17) and where I find issue with refilling bottles is not with the drinking water dispenser but rather the coffee, ice tea,and "Hot Water" dispensers. The drinking water dispensers have a nozzle guard so that you can not get the lip of a bottle close enough to touch the nozzle when refilling without really trying.

 

The coffee, ice tea, and hot water dispensers have no guard to protect the 3" spigot nozzle. What I saw was person after person filling thermos bottles with hot water. In a few cases they would fill the bottle and take a drink and then top off. While filling, the spigot nozzle would be in contact with the bottle lip. This lip just came from the persons mouth.

There was a sign on the water/ice dispensers saying you could not fill any bottles but nothing at the coffee spigots. On my first cruise on the Crown I was told not to fill my own large coffee mug at the spigot by a crew member. I used the provided coffee cups instead.

 

Happy Trails

 

:whiskey-glass:

[Ron the Rev]

There's an old saying " You've got to eat a peck (old time measure) of dirt before you die. I guess that goes for drinking as well. Ships water in your stateroom bathroom is as good as you get on board so why not fill your container from there.

[Colo Cruiser]

I seem to recall another saying that seems to fit with these observations ......"its my cruise".

[stvandy1]

Horizon Court has staff members bring you a new glass of water if you’re eating.

[TriumphGuy]

Paranoia will destroy ya.

Fill it, move on and enjoy your cruise.

[scbntraveler]

Why are cruise lines giving out refillable bottles for their drink packages?

Wouldn't the same issue apply in this case?

You have people or servers handling the used unwashed drinking utensils.

Edited February 21, 2019 by scbntraveler

[TracieABD]

On 2/18/2019 at 8:07 PM, TriumphGuy said:

Paranoia will destroy ya.

Fill it, move on and enjoy your cruise.

I agree... to a point...

Until, you get sick on a cruise ship-- especially respiratory messes-- that tissue will tear up your nose!

[TriumphGuy]

1 minute ago, TracieABD said:

I agree... to a point...

Until, you get sick on a cruise ship-- especially respiratory messes-- that tissue will tear up your nose!

True. We just got off the Crown last week. On the day of disembarkation, my wife came down with a cold. Here it is, a week later and she is miserable. At least it waited until the last day!

[TracieABD]

2 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

True. We just got off the Crown last week. On the day of disembarkation, my wife came down with a cold. Here it is, a week later and she is miserable. At least it waited until the last day!

To be truthful, after getting an epic "man cold" in Jan 2015- I now carry a box of Puffs Plus with lotion. I am not sure what was more miserable- getting sick or having to use that sandpaper tissue for 4 days.