Topic: Gastro Outbreak on Boudicca

QUOTE:

That's all well and good, aloysius, but stair rails and door handles are not the usual culprits for these gastro-intestinal outbreaks.
It's simply the lack of personal hygene and lack food handling and storage knowledge by the cooks, waiters, bar staff, cleaners and indeed any other crew member involved with the handling and preparation of food or drink. (Cross contamination ? ... what's that? .. I hear the Indonesian waiter ask ! )
There is also past evidence of disgruntled crew members deliberately contaminating passengers' food and drink with various bodily fluids - perhaps this accounts for the disparity between crew and pax infections.
Be careful - yes. But also - beware.

Sorry Jobo, but most Norovirus and other sickness viruses ARE spread by passengers not washing their hands and the germs ARE spread by hand to stair rails, door handles, lift interior rails and buttons and leaning on chair arms and bar surfaces, hence antiseptic handwash dispensers everywhere food is dispensed and eaten.
Think about it logically,the Cruise Lines want passengers to come back time after time for holidays, so I can assure you they will NOT stand for any crew nonsense and other crew members would report fellow crew sabotaging driks and meals because they were putting their own jobs at risk.
The kitchens are always spotless with acres of stainless work surfaces with Senior Crew Management observing everything and P & O are sticklers on hygene. Cruise Safe !

I agree that it is lack of personal hygiene that spreads this bug.

We have been on a cruise that was evenutually terminated as there were so many cases.
We did not catch it, but witnessed many people male and female leaving the toilet without washing their hands. We always avoid the buffet for this reason. Who wants to use serving spoons just used by someone straight from the toilet ! Or a cruet set or a drinks dispenser come to that.
We never touch lift buttons with our hands or use hand rails. Also, if at all possible return to our cabin to use our own toilet rather than share facilites with people who do not practice basic hygiene.
The cruise companies should introduce automatic doors on the entrance to the toilets, have sensor taps and toilet flush and use paper towels instead of hot air dryers. This would help proptect the hygienic from the unhygienic.

I say again we are preaching to the converted, and hopefully to new cruisers who read this forum.
I have never been on a ship that I haven’t been satisfied with the ships cleanliness and F.O are the tops, for whatever reason they just seem to have been unfortunate this last year.
It's the cruise companies themselves that should take the lead, and it is to them that we should address our comments about automatic water taps and doors etc, etc, lets all write a letter to our favourite cruise line.

Sadly many of these gastric outbreaks are caused more by the passengers than the crew.
People go on board with bugs which quickly spread and worse do not wash their hands and often handle food !!!
Mind you these Viruses can hit any ship old or new and it soon spreads round.

It does worry me at times when I see larger and larger cruise ships as germs spread so quickly in confined spaces. Its why I also avoid London Tubes now as well and thank goodness I am retired so no longer need to commute to the City each day,

I also avoid older ships as think some of the essential facilites can sometimes break down. I remember the toilets leaking on an old Costa Ship one Christmas due to listing and had to be flown home Christmas eve to an empty house as ship had to be docked in Sicily !!!

Aloysius - I agree that germs are indeed present on stair rails, door handles, etc ., and also that the majority of ships' galleys are spotless examples of stainless steel engineering and well supervised.
I was merely pointing out the additional hazards that we as passengers face when at the mercy of a poorly briefed or an isolated rogue or disgruntled crew member.

QUOTE:

On our last four Cruises in the last three years, when in the Gentlemans Toilet approx: 1 in 4 passengers leave without washing their hands, they generally being the more aged of the older generation. Forgetfulness, onset of senility, take your pick, I'm 71 and most particular myself about cleanliness, I even open and close the doors using my sleeve or a tissue and try not to touch stair rails going for meals. Touch wood, never been sick on any of our 11 Cruises over the last 17 years. Be careful.

Howard Hughes of 'Spruce Goose' mega aircraft fame, aka Howard Hawkes the American millionaire and Hollywood film Director used to take the same precautions as you, including placing unfolded newspaper pages on the floor to avoid contact with it.
He went completely off his head, so much for his millions eh!
Still, you know the old saying, 'cleanliness is next to godliness.'
Wishing you better luck than poor old Howard.

When we were on the Balmoral in October and had an outbreak of the Norovirus, we noticed that cabin stewards were going from cabin to cabin using the same rubber gloves. Could this be the main cause of the virus being spread.

QUOTE:

We always avoid the buffet for this reason.
Who wants to use serving spoons just used by someone straight from the toilet !
Or a cruet set -or a drinks dispenser, come to that.

The cruise companies should ALL introduce
automatic doors on the entrance to the toilets,
and have sensor taps and auto-toilet-flushers.

Another brilliant reason for avoiding the Lido Buffet.
Thanks very much for that one.
You've just strengthened my argument for eating in the dining rooms, by 100%


Yes, cruise lines need to start taking out those antique 'handled' taps and faucets
and replace them with the auto-flow types
wot use a little infra-red sensor to magically run water
when it senses your hand under it!

Auto-flush toilets too would be nice!


It's time to come forward to the future -the year is now 2010.
Happy New Year to you all, and healthier cruising,too!

QUOTE:

When we were on the Balmoral in October and had an outbreak of the Norovirus,
we noticed that cabin stewards were going from cabin to cabin
using the same rubber gloves.
Could this be the main cause of the virus being spread.

Hopefully they rinsed those gloved hands under a running tap, between cabins.
Doing that alone would accomplish much.

Simply dipping/wiping those gloved hands between cabins
in a dilute Clorox bleach solution would do even more.
.