Novovirus from menus

[derekthesailor]

As a first time cruiser, it seems to me, from looking at posted photographs, that the menus on board are of the shared "polypocket" type, rather than the old fashioned individual "souvenir" type.

 

Surely sharing a menu book is a risk when so much effort is put into preventing the transmission of novovirus.

[DeltaOne]

Surely sharing a menu book is a risk when so much effort is put into preventing the transmission of novovirus.

So many things we touch can transmit a virus. I remember being surprised seeing the back of the chairs cleaned -- at the top where you grab the chair to slide it back.

[sweethrt7985]

Purell!!!

[CC Help Michell]

Menus, utensils in the buffet line, the backs and arms of your dining chairs, salt and pepper shakers.... all carry the potential for germs. Purell often and keep your hands away from your face if you've touched stuff since you washed/used the sanitizer. If I order "finger food" like sandwiches, tacos or fried chicken, I either use the hand sanitizer at the table after ordering from the menu, or leave the table to wash my hands in the restroom. Since I particularly hate being ill on vacation, I'm even more proactive about these practices while on a cruise.

 

I work in an elementary school, which is one of those places vulnerable to outbreaks, so germ awareness and use of the sanitizers have become second nature for me. It doesn't feel "weird" to me to do it now, like it did at the beginning, and I don't think it's a coincidence that I rarely become ill, either (knock wood!).

[DMH15]

Last year on the Jewel my mother and I were asked if we minded sharing a table. We sai ok and were seated with a nice couple from the area where we live and this other man "Nick" who I had seen in the casino.

 

He was coughing and siad his daugher had turned the air down so cold in their cabin he had gotten sick. He sneezed into both his hands, wiped them on his shirt and then the other couple excused themselves (with a nod I knew they were escaping Nick). Before I could stop her, my mother accepted the bread backet from Nick and within 2 days she was sick as could be and missed two ports, an excursion and had to see the doctor in Athens twice. Some people just do not care. He should have had room service.

 

Also, I learned this from an ettiqute author years ago. If you are right handed, use your right hand socially and your left hand personally. Shake hands with the right, touch your face with your left. Ever since I started that practice I really believe I have stayed healthier. In addition, I always have my purell in my purse. Not only do I use it to clean my hands, I clean other things off like silverware handles, salt shakers, etc.

 

Being sick on a cruise is awful. My poor mom. We will have to do that cruise over sometime so she can make up what she missed. At least she DID have insurance through NCL. At her age, and goign out of the country, made it a no-brainer.

[nyflush]

Nick is gross! If there is an outbreak on board you have to assume it is on everything use caution. Like others have said purell and I bring wipes in the casino and wipe the buttons before I play any machine even on land. If you are worried about the menu you can wipe them down too.

[G'ma]

If you wash your hands with soap and water frequently and use hand sanitizer, you won't need to worry about it.

 

If touching the menus upsets you, use your napkin to hold it open.....or use sanitizer after you have touched it....or go wash your hands again.

 

I suppose one could wear latex gloves, discarding them after each exposure to publicly used things....replacing them from the stash kept in your purse, pocket or bag.

 

Use reasonable caution, wash hands frequently and don't obsess over it.

[salty dingo]

Menus, as well as anything else you touch, can transmit norovirus. I think during outbreaks staff must wipe down menus with disenfectant after every seating.

 

They also remove salt and pepper dispensers from tables and anything else that is not absolutely needed. They will salt and pepper your food for you upon request.

 

Life is different when sailing during or immediately after an outbreak. Staff goes to great lengths to sanitize what they can. The rest is up to passengers and that involves basic hygiene and hand washing.

 

If people were not pigs sometimes, leaving the restroom without washing hands, norovirus would be pretty rare.

[DMH15]

About people being pigs - I once saw a "friend" come out of the stall and leave. I asked why she didn't wash her hands and she said "I didn't pee on them". I said, "yeah, well you touched the door handle". Some people are just selfish, even in their own hygeine. YUK!

[gooch47]

Does Purell really help with Norovirus?

[Cruizer_J]

Does Purell really help with Norovirus?

Purell is not certified to kill Noro, but the hand sanitizers that are provided on the ships are. We had a thread about this on the Alaska board at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=798024 if interested.

[gooch47]

That is what I thought. Purell is for germs, not viruses.

[Bennett'sCruise]

As a first time cruiser, it seems to me, from looking at posted photographs, that the menus on board are of the shared "polypocket" type, rather than the old fashioned individual "souvenir" type.

 

Surely sharing a menu book is a risk when so much effort is put into preventing the transmission of novovirus.

 

Menus, as well as anything else you touch, can transmit norovirus. I think during outbreaks staff must wipe down menus with disenfectant after every seating.

 

They also remove salt and pepper dispensers from tables and anything else that is not absolutely needed. They will salt and pepper your food for you upon request.

 

Life is different when sailing during or immediately after an outbreak. Staff goes to great lengths to sanitize what they can. The rest is up to passengers and that involves basic hygiene and hand washing.

 

If people were not pigs sometimes, leaving the restroom without washing hands, norovirus would be pretty rare.

 

Yeppers, that's exactly what they do ... after each passenger has returned their menu, they are taken to a sanitation station and sanitized. We watched them do this during our last cruise.

Also, they replaced all salt & pepper shakers with the little packets.

Even the doors to the public restrooms were left open so folks would not touch them. :o

 

Does Purell really help with Norovirus?

 

Nope ... Purell does not help with Noro ... as well as the hand sanitizer stations. NOTHING helps except prevention ... WASH YOUR HANDS ... AND THEN WASH THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN ... AND DON'T PUT THEM NEAR YOUR FACE ... ever!

Okay ... off my soap box ... :cool:

 

~d

[derekthesailor]

Oh dear - I was hoping this thread would take another direction.

 

The return to souvenir menus would make nice - well - souvenirs, as well as being hygienic.

[salty dingo]

The return to souvenir menus would make nice - well - souvenirs, as well as being hygienic.

If it is more expensive to print the souvenier menus then I can bet they won't have them. It does sound like less work than cleaning them. Probably, they are not equipped to produce different menus when noro breaks out.

[Bennett'sCruise]

Oh dear - I was hoping this thread would take another direction.

 

The return to souvenir menus would make nice - well - souvenirs, as well as being hygienic.

 

It would be nice, eh? I have a friend who has decorated the walls of her guest bedroom with framed cruise line menus. Very nice!

~d

[iheartbda]

Oh dear - I was hoping this thread would take another direction.

 

The return to souvenir menus would make nice - well - souvenirs, as well as being hygienic.

 

Then I guess I would have asked, "would anyone like to see the return of souvenir menus?";) :)

[nyflush]

Sure why not I may not take one home, but I have no problem with that:)

[gagirl789]

When I travel I bring a small mini bottle of lysol. I spray the tv remote, the bathroom doors etc. I am certain that housekeeping does their best. I just think it does not hurt to be proactive. I hate to be sick on vacation! I learned this lesson the hard way after my husband got the chicken pox on our honeymoon 10 years ago! The week before someone stayed in the condo with a child that had chicken pox.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Come on now, people! Norovirus is a virus. Hand sanitizers are effective only against bacteria ("99%"). Two different bugs but both are "germs." Hand washing is the best way to prevent illness...on land or sea. Of course, this works best when everyone washes their hands.

 

Diane

[nyflush]

Come on now, people! Norovirus is a virus. Hand sanitizers are effective only against bacteria ("99%"). Two different bugs but both are "germs." Hand washing is the best way to prevent illness...on land or sea. Of course, this works best when everyone washes their hands.

 

Diane

 

I think everyone is in agreement on hand washing.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I think everyone is in agreement on hand washing.

 

True...I just wish everyone would adhere to it.

 

Diane

[nyflush]

Well said Diane:)

[Ms belp]

Come on now, people! Norovirus is a virus. Hand sanitizers are effective only against bacteria ("99%"). Two different bugs but both are "germs." Hand washing is the best way to prevent illness...on land or sea. Of course, this works best when everyone washes their hands.

 

Diane

 

Hand washing is the best way. I've posted before that I can't believe people at work who walk out of the bathroom before the toilet is through flushing. They obviously didn't wash their hands. It's the same people who later go to feed at the common snack area and stick their hands right in the pretzels, etc. It really is disgusting and I wish they knew how they appear to others.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Hand washing is the best way. I've posted before that I can't believe people at work who walk out of the bathroom before the toilet is through flushing. They obviously didn't wash their hands. It's the same people who later go to feed at the common snack area and stick their hands right in the pretzels, etc. It really is disgusting and I wish they knew how they appear to others.

 

Some people are just nasty. I actually have a small phobia of pubic restrooms because of this. In fact, when running errands around town I'll drop by my house to use the restroom rather than use the one at WalMart, etc. It's not that I won't use them at all, I just prefer to use my own if at all possible.