Topic: Hygiene Standards

QUOTE:

It is very difficult to police without people getting upset ===> The alternative is an outbreak of Noro-virus!
but I do believe that ships must play a part in the re-education of people
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The Ship's senior doctor should also 'lecture' on hygiene immediately afterwards.
If this was done every cruise, then those passengers who see others blatantly ignoring the hygiene rules
would feel more able to remind fellow passengers of the error of their ways.
Or report them to officers/buffet staff.

Cruise lines put people off their ships for all sorts of anti-social behaviours!

Those caught with drugs, youths fighting, trashing cabins etc are quickly put in the brig,
to be put ashore at the next Port of Call.

Although this sounds extreme, if/when push comes to shove
people repeatedly engaging in anti-social behaviours
dangerous to the health and well-being of everyone on board
might likewise be put ashore.
Either that or you clean up your act, mate!

Arrogant/ignorant old ladies
who 'won't be dictated to by people younger than her' re. basic health and hygiene issues
likewise need to be warned and spoken to sternly -or be put ashore at the next stop!

Let's hope it never comes to this!


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I truly believe that The sickness virus is often passed from one cruise to the next by the staff!!
If passengers have it then some staff are bound to get it. It isn't always the passengers fault.

I was on the Grand recently and the number of people who didn't gel their hands before they entered shocked me . For the first couple of days they had staff standing there to make sure you did , but after that I suppose they thought everyone would know what they had to do and there was no one there checking. People were going in the exit and enterance without bothering to gel.

QUOTE:

I truly believe that The sickness virus is often passed from one cruise to the next by the staff!!
If passengers have it then some staff are bound to get it. It isn't always the passengers fault.

Many cruise ships now do the open style breakfast buffet and with the current virus and I am sure you have seen the advert featuring someone sneezing, what happens if a passenger sneezes over the food in this open plan setting. Both in hotels and cruise ships it is becoming popular but a nightmare waiting to happen. I think more so now as the food is usually at best only lukewarm, I have rarely had hot food from this type of service. my stomach is sore.

How difficult is it to erect glass/perspex 'sneeze-guards' over the buffet offerings?
I see these all the time now in land restaurants.
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We recently took a Nile River Cruise where there were no gel dispensers. We took our own but, to my knowledge, no-one on board got "gippy tummy". A cleaner seemed to be cleaning hand rails etc all the time. I do think that, in the main, it is down to passengers to maintain high standards of hygiene - something we have noticed isn't always done.

that's interesting to hear because the very first time we came across the hand gel was on our Nile Cruise several years ago where one couldn't enter the dining room without using it.....

QUOTE:

How difficult is it to erect glass/perspex 'sneeze-guards' over the buffet offerings?
I see these all the time now in land restaurants.
.

Thomson Destiny had these on all their food in the buffet section ,,

I have read extensively on the efficacy of alcohol hand wash with particular reference to Norovirus and the considered expert opinion seems to be that use of alcohol wash has little effect, because of the amount of time it's antibacterial properties are active for. The reports I have read differ a little in their estimate of how long the 'wash' is active for but the time scale seems to run between 5 and 20 minutes. ALL the reports I have read have stated very strongly that these washes simply do not replace standard hygiene, i.e. good old soap and water! Many cruise lines have dispensed with alcohol washes because of these reports so really what is needed is for the public to attend to the very basic hygiene which we are all taught from cradle to grave - namely "WASH YOUR HANDS" Personally, I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who leave a toilet cubicle and walk straight out ot the toilet area, touching door handles of course! These people disgust me but I am even angrier at myself becuse I haven't got the courage to ask them why they aren't going to wash their hands! I wish I wasn't such an abject coward!!! Incidentally, I do NOT agree that it is the 'older' people who are generally guilty! It goes across all age ranges and in fact the one group which angers me most are the mothers and toddlers! What a dreadful example to set our children and I would have to say that this group is most guilty in my experience! Undoubtedly it is the 'nuisance' factor of herding small children through the washing/drying scenario that causes mothers to take the easy way out, but they are doing irreparable harm to their children's basic hygiene training! How does one explain to a two year old that it is too much of a nuisance holding them up to a blow drier to dry their hands! How much easier it is for them to simply walk out, adding insult ro injury by not washing their own hands as well as those of the children! I rather think that, where there is an outbreak of Norovirus, cruise lines will be forced to have staff permanently on duty in the toilets on every deck during waking hours to ensure that hygiene rules are met! Should the attendants meet with the public who refuse to carry out the most basic task of hand washing, then those people should be reported and drastic action taken against them, i.e. confinement to quarters or removal from the ship! No one should be permitted to put the health of other passengers/crew in jeopardy!

QUOTE:

Since the incident on the Marco Polo it is becoming clear cruise lines need a review to ensure they are providing the rights things in the right place and that the gel dispensers are checked regularly and topped up. There clearly needs to be more information possibly in the pack when you join the ship and more reminder in the toilets on the back of the door and on the walls to remind the passengers to wash there hands. There are daily news sheets issued to guests another way to get the message over. One reply was from someone who had written a review on the Marco Polo in March and he describes some of the problems he saw then and took the view it was an accident waiting to happen. Maybe others have got tips the cruise lines could think about using to get the message over to their guests.

I agree that people not washing their hands is a problem but I think this sort of stomach bug is around all the time, but on a cruise ship it is in a confined space so if a number of people go down with it then it is headline news but the same thing happens ashore and as the people involved are spread over a wider area it is just a background problem not worthy of news and often not investigated. Simple things like washing hands not holding on to handrails help. But the thing is don’t put your fingers in your mouth unless you have washed them! I carry gel and clean my hands again when I get to the table in the buffet as you then butter your bread or pick up your roll. Pay particular attention that wonderful cigarette after the meal! Wash your hand first. (No more comments about smoking please) When ashore be very careful of what and where you eat this is often how it gets onboard.