Another Reason I Don't Like Cruises

[jehb2]

I wonder if this is more common now due to the mega-mega cruise ships? I never used to hear about mass outbreaks of illness in the past.

I can remember maybe around 2001 this was happening on quite a number of cruise ships and was in the news a lot. It got so bad at one point that Florida made a ship(s) dock for 30 days. That’s because the ships would have a bad outbreak but would immediate turn around and set sail on a new cruise.

 

[pedro47]

Passengers get sick more on a cruise ships because some passengers feel that they are to good to wash their dirty, germs hands after using a restroom with soap and warm water. This lazy and inconsiderate actions by passengers will thus causes a Noro Virus breakout on a cruise ship.

Then these lazy inconsiderate privileges passengers with dirty hands will go to a buffet restaurant with their dirty germs hands, using the cruise ship spoons & forks for guests at the various buffet lines stations and then they will spread their germs to other passengers on the cruise ship. That process is repeated over and over until a large number of passengers become ill. IMHO.

I have seen passengers leave the restroom area without washing their hands with soap & water; blowing their nose, wiping their nose with their hands, coughing in their hands and then they would passed the cruise ship personnel with liquid sanitizer soap and go directly to a buffet station.

The true reason we hear more about the norovirus from cruise ships immediately is because they Must report it ASAP to federal government and they Must take action immediately to stop the problem.

Example look how long it took the federal government to report to the general public the lettuce and turkey meat problems before they were recalled.

Do you remember the Tacos Bell problems or the Chilopote problems . They all came about because restaurant staff were not washing their dirty hands after using the restroom. Then these employees would returned to their work stations fixing the public their food orders
and some of the general public became ill. This also was the Noro Virus.

Please wash your hands with soap and warm water for ten (10) seconds or more.
Before you return to work and guess what this also, applies to your home.

Please Wash Your Hands with Soap and Water for Ten (10) Seconds.
Thanks

 

[dioxide45]

Passengers get sick more on a cruise ships because some passengers feel that they are to good to wash their dirty, germs hands after using a restroom with soap and warm water. This lazy actions by passengers will causes a Noro Virus breakout .

Then these lazy privileges passengers with dirty hands will go to a buffet restaurant with their dirty germs hands, using the cruise ship spoons & forks for guests at the various buffet lines stations and then they will spread their germs to other passengers on the cruise ship. That process is repeated over and over until a large number of passengers become ill. IMHO.

Another problem is if you simply open a bathroom door with your bare hands. You have just touched where that person that didin't wash their hands touched. It could just take one person to touch the handle without washing and then another hundred or more can wash and then touch the same handle. Not using a paper towel to open the door is almost as bad as washing your hands. The cruise lines put little napkin dispensers by the bathroom doors for this reason.

It is also important to note that it may not always be the guests on board that can cause an outbreak. Staff not following proper procedure can also be the source. With all the precautions they can take, it just takes one infected person to not follow proper precautions to cause a severe outbreak.

 

[WinniWoman]

Washing hands is very important. BUT- I will tell you- as far as touching door handles and shopping carts and all that stuff- I worked for many years in the field- going in and out of doctors offices day in and day out. Opening and closing the doors to the offices and their bathrooms. Touching the counters. Hands on the waiting room seats. Shaking hands with the practitioners. Meeting in the hallways and exam rooms. Hands placed on the stair banisters. All day every day. And- same going into the hospitals and medical centers. And running errands for the center- in and out of stores-- going food shopping- I never wipe the shopping carts. Yes- I always washed my hands after using the bathroom but that was it for the most part. I never even washed them before eating lunch after being out all morning.

Then there was my office with my phone and computer shared by other employees at times and the lunch room. I could go on and on.

I must be very lucky because I cannot recall taking ill more than once or twice with a cold in all these years.

 

[PigsDad]

I must be very lucky because I cannot recall taking ill more than once or twice with a cold in all these years.

Not luck -- it is because you had been constantly exposed to those germs and viruses that you have a natural immunity to them. Parents who constantly disinfect everything their kid touches are doing a huge disservice to them, IMO.

Kurt

 

[artringwald]

Washing hands is very important. BUT- I will tell you- as far as touching door handles and shopping carts and all that stuff- I worked for many years in the field- going in and out of doctors offices day in and day out. Opening and closing the doors to the offices and their bathrooms. Touching the counters. Hands on the waiting room seats. Shaking hands with the practitioners. Meeting in the hallways and exam rooms. Hands placed on the stair banisters. All day every day. And- same going into the hospitals and medical centers. And running errands for the center- in and out of stores-- going food shopping- I never wipe the shopping carts. Yes- I always washed my hands after using the bathroom but that was it for the most part. I never even washed them before eating lunch after being out all morning.

Then there was my office with my phone and computer shared by other employees at times and the lunch room. I could go on and on.

I must be very lucky because I cannot recall taking ill more than once or twice with a cold in all these years.

I don't pay much attention to germ exposure either, and have had very few colds over the years. At one point my 6 grandchildren were in 6 different schools, and 2 went to daycare after school. My immune system should be quite robust after all that exposure. I do sanitize my hands every time I enter a dining room when on a cruise. Even if I don't get a virus, I don't want to spread it to others.

 

[VacationForever]

Not touching food and not touching my face before first washing my hands with soap and water are what I do. I rarely catch a cold anymore. My husband catches a cold on almost every major trip that we take. I think the big difference is that I would absolutely not touch my food with my hands unless they are washed or wiped using wet ones or Clorox wipes. I think my husband catches a cold whenever he lets his guards down, like using his hands to hold bread after handling a menu. We wipe down our seats, trays and seat belts on the plane. We do not eat at buffets on cruise ships. If sitdown restaurants are closed because we need an early breakfast for an excursion or we stay on the ship while in port, we order room service. We always bring a tube of Clorox hydrogen peroxide to clean our stateroon and timeshare/hotel room. Hand santizers and most alcohol based wipes do not kill noro virus. Chlorine and hydrogen peroxide do.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Then these lazy inconsiderate privileges passengers with dirty hands will go to a buffet restaurant with their dirty germs hands, using the cruise ship spoons & forks for guests at the various buffet lines stations and then they will spread their germs to other passengers on the cruise ship. That process is repeated over and over until a large number of passengers become ill. IMHO.

I have seen passengers leave the restroom area without washing their hands with soap & water; blowing their nose, wiping their nose with their hands, coughing in their hands and then they would passed the cruise ship personnel with liquid sanitizer soap and go directly to a buffet station.

Please Wash Your Hands with Soap and Water for Ten (10) Seconds.
Thanks

Ick! I never thought of the spoons in buffet lines spreading germs. (I wash my hands and have found that I rarely catch colds now.)

LoL if we get attacked by pirates I will beat them off with a buffet spoon so they get all the germs!

 

[clifffaith]

Ick! I never thought of the spoons and forks in buffet lines spreading germs. (I also always wash my hands and have found that I rarely catch colds now.)

LoL if we get attacked by pirates I will beat them off with a buffet spoon so they get all the germs!

In my 30s and 40s, when we were working 7 days a week, I swore the only time I got sick was a day or two after we'd been out to eat. I felt I was picking up germs off glasses or utensils. We didn't eat out that often, so I was convinced restaurants were making me sick. As we've aged and started to travel a fair amount, I feel like I have some resistance and don't worry about getting sick as much. And, knock wood, I don't seem to be quite as susceptible to airplane germs anymore. Probably tempting fate since we are getting on a plane to Hawaii next week!