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Hand washing on cruise ships


froggy9143
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I always wonder what the aversion is to washing your hands after using the restroom. I just got off of the Coral Princess and evey time I was in a public restroom the others just walked out after flushing and never washed? I do not want to get sick while on a ship I said something to each person as they were leaving the restroom about washing, All I get back was a snide look or in one case and older person then me 50+ said FU? really I just want to stay healthy, I also notice that on the Coral they was no staff person standing at the entrance of the buffet or dining room making sure people use the Purell. On the other ships there is alway someone there, on the Star you can't get past them in the buffet they will not hand you a plate till you wash/rinse with the purell.

 

 

Is it just me thats weird about people washing thier hands? Just touching the door handles in the restrooms and the flusher is enough to make anyone want to wash up.

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I agree. It is absolutely mind boggling that adults do not understand the need to wash their hands after using the bathroom? I am semi-germaphobic. I wash my hands as soon as I walk into my house! I taught my daughters good basic hygiene. This is why I carry around Wet Ones (specifically) since they have benzethonium chloride and is not alcohol based. There has been many a threads regarding hand wipes. I am glad you started a thread with the origin of most problems.

 

This is not only a cruise ship issue. It is rampart everywhere.

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We understand others’ perception on the matter and we just practice our own health protection using ship’s facilities like the wash sink at buffet entrance on some ships and Purell dispenser

 

 

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So gross, people that don't wash hands! Good for you for saying something! I also say 'you forgot to wash your hands'... I'm ALWAYS ignored, lol!

 

In May, we were on X, and there was ALWAYS an employee in the entrance to the buffet and ALSO in the restrooms! Not sure if they are there to make sure everyone washes hands. At first, I thought it was a coincidence that there was always an employee in the restroom, but it wasn't. And I'm not talking about only one restroom.....

 

Forget the chair hogs' security, I'd rather have someone on hand washing duty! Take pix of offenders and put them on the wall of shame ;)

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I always wonder what the aversion is to washing your hands after using the restroom. I just got off of the Coral Princess and evey time I was in a public restroom the others just walked out after flushing and never washed? I do not want to get sick while on a ship I said something to each person as they were leaving the restroom about washing, All I get back was a snide look or in one case and older person then me 50+ said FU? really I just want to stay healthy, I also notice that on the Coral they was no staff person standing at the entrance of the buffet or dining room making sure people use the Purell. On the other ships there is alway someone there, on the Star you can't get past them in the buffet they will not hand you a plate till you wash/rinse with the purell.

 

 

Is it just me thats weird about people washing thier hands? Just touching the door handles in the restrooms and the flusher is enough to make anyone want to wash up.

 

 

I do not use the public restrooms.. I got back to my cabin, wash my hands all the time. I refuse to use chemicals because I wash my hands.

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What gets me is the one hand washers. I all ways was my hands when I first get into my cabin. I don't want to brig in any germs, if I can help it. I love the sinks by the buffet. I use them when I go in AND when I leave the buffet after touching my chair and serving spoons

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I've always wondered when/if the staff cleans the menus in the MDR. My guess is "no".

I carry a small hand sanitizer bottle when on board and after we finish with the menu, we clean our hands with it. You never know where that menu has been.:cool:

 

That's a great idea!!

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I do not use the public restrooms.. I got back to my cabin, wash my hands all the time. I refuse to use chemicals because I wash my hands.

Cruise coming up this November 15th and DH and I will be returning to our cabin when we need to use the restroom. Thanks for your tip of doing this. I, also, am mortified that people do not wash their hands after using the toilet. I ALWAYS open doors, when leaving the rest room, with a paper towel.

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What gets me is the one hand washers. I all ways was my hands when I first get into my cabin. I don't want to brig in any germs, if I can help it. I love the sinks by the buffet. I use them when I go in AND when I leave the buffet after touching my chair and serving spoons

 

i had a supervisor that was probably your best friend. before we left the office area, he would wash his hands. then after we went down to the cafeteria and got our food, he washed them again. mind you he never touched any food until he sat down to eat

 

also one time we ate in the Reading Terminal Market in philly and he ordered chinese take outwhich was served in one of those thick rigid styrofoam containers. he put napkins down under the styrofoam to prevent contamination

 

we called him Monk if you recall the tv show

----------------

 

as an aside, timely article

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3018&et_cid=3002902&et_rid=115370586&et_

Giant bottles of shared ketchup, mustard and other condiments can breed germs since so many people touch them. Ask buffet staff for individual single-serve packets. If they aren't available, use a napkin to dispense what you need.

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i had a supervisor that was probably your best friend. before we left the office area, he would wash his hands. then after we went down to the cafeteria and got our food, he washed them again. mind you he never touched any food until he sat down to eat

 

also one time we ate in the Reading Terminal Market in philly and he ordered chinese take outwhich was served in one of those thick rigid styrofoam containers. he put napkins down under the styrofoam to prevent contamination

 

we called him Monk if you recall the tv show

I never saw the show Monk. But I tell you after many, many cruises I have never gotten sick. I have been on at least a dozen cruises where we were in code red. I was also on the Crown cruise a couple of years ago, a lot of PAX were so sick, The crew was sick then too. The next cruise out on the Crown (after we got off) Princess had to turn the ship around and get back to Fl. They never reach one port.

I will never forget that cruise. The Captain was on the speakers tell PAX what to do if they got sick, telling us to wash our hands and not to use public restrooms. He said the medical staff did not have any sleep for over 36 hours. It was really bad. The last two days of that cruise were crazy.

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Perhaps people don't think they could possibly be a source of contamination. Or they were not taught by their parents and never adopted the practice. I agree, it is extremely disgusting and unsanitary. We have a problem at work where some of the ladies, mind you doctors and scientists, who clearly understand how germs are spread and the importance of hand washing, leave the restroom without washing. So we put up signs in the restroom urging people to wash up before they leave. They still won't. So it's probably a lost cause saying anything to anyone. It will likely embarrass them thereby put them in a defensive state of mind. They should teach these things in grade school.

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Years ago, Larsen, who did the Far Side cartoons, drew one where over the restroom door were lights. Wash, Did not Wash. Light flashed on as person walked out. Maybe thats the answer. Lol.

 

 

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Did you really think that by saying something people would change their ways?

They've been doing it all their lives & not going to change now.

 

Well, you maybe right. They MAYBE a 'lost cause'. But.. maybe, just maybe they MIGHT decide to change their habit and wash. After all, what's the harm, because I know what could happen if they don't.:eek:

( I just wish they knew)

 

Mac

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We have far more then 1000 days on cruise ships, and (knock on wood) have never been a victim of Norovirus, influenza, or any other serious onboard illness (DW has had her share of so-called Cabin Cough). Our prevention methods are relatively simple. We both wash our hands (with warm soap and water) as often as practicable, we avoid elevators (as much as possible) which are simply enclosed chambers where you cannot escape a cougher, and we try to avoid sitting near anyone who is obviously sick or a major cougher. And finally, we try to keep reminding ourselves not to touch our faces.

 

Basic stuff,,,,,easy to do......and a way to reduce your chances of getting any infection.

 

Hank

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Clorox bleach free hand sanitizer was recommended to me by doctors I met on a cruise. I use it constantly when on board. I especially use it after pulling my chair up to the dining room table and reading the menu and when using hand rails. It’s supposed to be 99.999% effective at preventing norovirus. Amazon sells small spray bottles.

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I've always wondered when/if the staff cleans the menus in the MDR. My guess is "no".

I carry a small hand sanitizer bottle when on board and after we finish with the menu, we clean our hands with it. You never know where that menu has been.:cool:

 

I'm all for personal hygiene, but if you are worried about the menus, why aren't you taking your dishes, glasses and flatware back to the cabin to wash them before being served food? What about your chair? Oh wait, the dishes come from the kitchen with food on them. The waiters handle the dishes. Oh oh. Don't mean to make fun of you but we can only go so far within reason.

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Not just cruise ships people do this at my work too. It is gross. I always wash and sanitize my hands at all dinner entrances as well as restrooms.Sadly I don't worry about others just try to keep myself healthy

 

 

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Not just cruise ships people do this at my work too. It is gross. I always wash and sanitize my hands at all dinner entrances as well as restrooms.Sadly I don't worry about others just try to keep myself healthy

 

 

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Good idea! :)

 

When we told our friends that we were going on our first cruise, we received all kinds of reactions. One reaction was, "Oh, so-and-so just came back from a cruise to Alaska, and most people on the ship came down with Norovirus. It was so bad that the Center for Disease Control came on board to do inspections and write a report of all the problems."

 

 

With some dread, I asked our friends, " Was it the Emerald Princess?" They said no, it was an HAL ship, but they had heard of Norovirus happening on all ships. Now, we knew that flu bugs spread quickly through passenger ships, but we never heard of Norovirus, as we were brand new cruisers.

 

 

So when we got on board, we were really careful. We read all the advisements that Princess printed about hand washing. We brought our own hand sanitizer, not knowing that hand-sanitizer stations were placed at every dining venue. I brought a container of sanitizing wipes, thinking to wipe down the entire cabin. ( I got as far as wiping down the t.v. remote control, when we were interrupted by an announcement for Muster Drill, then I forgot about wiping everything else down.

 

I decided to bring our own silverware from home in our luggage, so that we could take it to the dining room and explain that we wanted to use our own utensils. ( Forgot to pack it in the suitcase at the last minute)

 

 

Long story short - we did everything Princess advised to keep our hands clean, washed them constantly, always used the Purell at the dining room, only used the bathroom in our own cabin, etc. etc. We were successful in avoiding Norovirus or flu ( already had a flu shot).

 

Even though I forgot the utensils from home and forgot to finish wiping down the cabin, we still avoided getting sick.

 

It's a good idea to follow all the advisements from Princess. :) - EBC

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Clorox bleach free hand sanitizer was recommended to me by doctors I met on a cruise. I use it constantly when on board. I especially use it after pulling my chair up to the dining room table and reading the menu and when using hand rails. It’s supposed to be 99.999% effective at preventing norovirus. Amazon sells small spray bottles.

Well, it's 99.3% effective against the norovirus surrogate Feline Calicvirus.

http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/Home/which-hand-sanitizers-kill-stomach-flu-viruses

Despite their prevalence in the human population, noroviruses have proven difficult to successfully propagate in a cell culture system. Therefore, MS-2 bacteriophage, feline calicivirus, and more recently murine norovirus have been employed as models for human noroviruses in virucidal efficacy studies.

http://microchemlab.com/norovirus

So, it may or may not actually work against human norovirus.

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Those people you think aren't washing their hands after using the restroom may be doing what I do--use a personal wipe after I've touched those grimy doors. Where do you think my hands were in that bathroom? My hands pull down my slacks and pull them back up. I shake things dry. If I need to do the other kind of business I use my cabin.

 

 

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