Cleaning/Disinfecting cabins?

Having just returned from Regal (2/11 - 2/18 and Mrs. Daka getting the worst ever case of Flu has me wondering...do these cabins ever get "disinfected"?

Do they even make an effort, who knows what sickness your previous cabin user had....

I think that on our next cruise we will do our own CLEANING and DISINFECTING

UGH.......

On our recent cruise on Grand to Hawaii flu was everywhere.

They did a very deep cleaning on cabins where people reported their illness

Sorry to hear that the Mrs got sick...I know first hand how lousy it is to be sick on vacation [emoji24]. There is no reason to assume that she got sick while being in the cabin. She could have touched a contaminated surface anywhere and then touched her face. The ship has procedures in place for cleanliness, but it only takes a single sneeze/cough to pass germs...

A lot of people including myself travel with "Lysol wipes" to make ourselves feel a little safer....they are good for wiping knobs, handles, the remote, etc....which may be missed during a cleanup.

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I’m sorry Mrs. Daka was so sick. Did she contract influenza or Noro virus or something else?

You need wipes with bleach to kill Noro and flu viruses. They are hard to find; we get them from a friend who works in a hospital. I wipe down everything especially the phone, door knobs, and TV remote. I never thought I’d be one of “those people” but everything changes when you are immunocompromised.

A combination of that, diligent (DILIGENT) hand washing with real soap and water, and a lot of luck has kept us healthy while traveling.

This flu season is nasty.

Disinfecting cabins or using wipes to clean items in your cabin is a complete waste of time as influenza is an airborne virus which can be caught anywhere on the ship or at a port if you are in an area where somebody who already has the virus coughs or sneezes.

You need wipes with bleach to kill Noro and flu viruses. They are hard to find; we get them from a friend who works in a hospital. I wipe down everything especially the phone, door knobs, and TV remote. I never thought I’d be one of “those people” but everything changes when you are immunocompromised.

 

A combination of that, diligent (DILIGENT) hand washing with real soap and water, and a lot of luck has kept us healthy while traveling.

 

This flu season is nasty.

Lots of products available as sprays and aerosol cans. We take our own. As above we, also lift up the pillow cases and give a good spray on each side of the pillow. By the way the hand gel dispensed at the various eating places is no good for noro , keep washing your hands with soap and water. Yes agreed, everything changes when you are immunocompromised. Which DW is, but then living in this old world of ours is full of risks so enjoy every moment.:)

I take a can of lysol disinfected spray..or odor ban . (like odor ban better smells fresh too and spray. )

Just wash...wash.. wash..your hands.... keep your hands away from your face too.

and cough/sneeze into your inner elbow.. lets all help with the prevention of spreading germs.

I have a suppressed immune system still, after chemo. The flu is bad EVERYWHERE this year. You could have picked it up anywhere. We were on the Grand to Hawaii in April last year, and I was a bit concerned about germs so soon after treatment. I bought a hand sanitizer and soap from Zylast. it is supposed to provide protection against Noro, as well as other germs. We both used it and were aware of where we were putting our hands (railings etc). We didn't catch anything. I do think it is just that the flu is everywhere right now.

I

My daughter is a RN and she said what they use in the hospital are the best wipes for cleaning. CLOROX HEALTHCARE GERMICIDAL WIPES OR THE SPRAY. I use them almost everywhere airlines, cruise ships, hotel rooms, and the good thing about them !! they are unscented.

Somewhere I read a good tip: put the remote in a ziplock bag, it will still work...

I like to wipe knobs and drawer handles, etc with Clorox wipes, too. Even if the virus is airborne, there are germs that can be eliminated by cleaning/disinfecting surfaces as best we can. It's easy to carry a few Clorox wipes in a ziplock bag, and it makes me feel better. I also wipe down shopping cart handles and baby seats before using, and all items at the gym -- plus a good hand wash immediately after using!

Agree about washing hands frequently, not only on cruise ships.

Sadly I have some experience in this matter. Princess has a dedicated crew that takes care of cabins with quarentined passengers. The normal steward does not do the cleaning.

Sadly I have some experience in this matter. Princess has a dedicated crew that takes care of cabins with quarentined passengers. The normal steward does not do the cleaning.

That's great if the previous occupant (or the one before that) reported an illness. If they were ill but didn't report it, the cabin wont get the special cleaning. Turnover day is busy and the stewards are working fast.

Influenza is an airborne virus; You can wipe all day, but if someone sneezes and you breathe in the virus, you may become ill. Wipes containing bleach will help with noro and other hand to mouth transmissions. So, are you crazy to do your own wipe down--no. Will it help--maybe, depending on the virus you are afraid of and the product you use.

Flu is everywhere right now and can be caught anywhere esp on airplanes

! But it is still best to clean your own cabin against cold germs because just like hotels they don’t get disinfected. Just buy special wipes and hand sanitizer. Keep hands washed and use your own bathroom.

Somewhere I read a good tip: put the remote in a ziplock bag, it will still work...

 

I like to wipe knobs and drawer handles, etc with Clorox wipes, too. Even if the virus is airborne, there are germs that can be eliminated by cleaning/disinfecting surfaces as best we can. It's easy to carry a few Clorox wipes in a ziplock bag, and it makes me feel better. I also wipe down shopping cart handles and baby seats before using, and all items at the gym -- plus a good hand wash immediately after using!

 

Agree about washing hands frequently, not only on cruise ships.

Don't forget the menus in the MDR and specialty restaurants. I'm pretty sure they're rarely (if ever) cleaned.

You need wipes with bleach to kill Noro and flu viruses. They are hard to find; we get them from a friend who works in a hospital. I wipe down everything especially the phone, door knobs, and TV remote. I never thought I’d be one of “those people” but everything changes when you are immunocompromised.

 

A combination of that, diligent (DILIGENT) hand washing with real soap and water, and a lot of luck has kept us healthy while traveling.

 

This flu season is nasty.

I've been getting Noro wipes at Amazon for years: https://www.amazon.com/Saalfeld-30824-Healthcare-Disinfectant-Norovirus/dp/B01MU9QV9W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519234774&sr=8-3&keywords=norovirus+wipes

These are proven to kill Noro Virus. I make up Ziploc baggies of them ahead of time: one for each flight we take, one for the first day in the cabin, and one for a mid-week wipe-down too.

Guess we're bad ... don't do any extra cleaning on embarkation when we go to our cabin.

We do wash our hands LOTS with soap & water on the ship.

Influenza is an airborne virus; You can wipe all day' date=' but if someone sneezes and you breathe in the virus, you may become ill. Wipes containing bleach will help with noro and other hand to mouth transmissions. So, are you crazy to do your own wipe down--no. Will it help--maybe, depending on the virus you are afraid of and the product you use.[/quote']

Exactly. And the OP hasn’t clarified if the illness was influenza or Noro virus, both commonly referred to as “the flu” but totally different in symptoms and transmission. We wash hands fastidiously all the time, and twice that often on a cruise, and I’ve still had respiratory illnesses on ships, because transmission is airborne. Bottom line...if you’re around a lot of people, especially this time of year and especially this year, illness is always a strong possibility.

Clarification, Mrs. Daka had FLU, not noro, but now at home our personal MD, has diagnosed her as ACUTE BRONCHITIS, which can follow the flu that she had...

Wheezing, coughing....(sound awful)

I just returned from that same cruise aboard the Regal. I was even remarking with other passengers the lack of sick people. Rarely saw coughing and sneezing. Most seemed fairly healthy.

I worry more about the plane ride to the ship. I always take clorox wipes and do the air vents, seat arms, tray table, my headrest and the one in front of me.

I think Princess does a good job on turn-around day. I just keep my hands away from my face and wash them often. :D

It may help with anxiety over it all only, but I always take my lysol spray and clorox wipes with me and wipe / spray down the whole room as soon as I get onboard. I also carry Purell with me and use it often (the kind that is effective against both bacteria and virus ... but not necessarily Noro) and wash my hands all the time. Washy, washy, washy ... ALL the live long day.

BTW, I just hate being seated next to someone in the MDR or even the theater that is coughing and sneezing. I get up and move, yes, even in the MDR. I excuse myself and go back up to the hostess and tell her I need to be reseated next to someone that is not sick. I am sure I don't score any points as being the most friendly person onboard, but hey, just trying to stay healthy. Oh ... and my pet peeve is when someone you meet onboard, usually in a dining situation, wants to shake my hand. I try to politely decline but realize this is usually awkward and not considered polite to refuse a hand shake. I explain I just washed up for dinner and would rather not have to go back and do it again. I don't know why people even persist in doing the obligatory hand shake, especially once seated at the dining table. I've seen people walk right out of the stall, past the sink and out of the bathroom ... yuk!!

Hope Mrs. Daka is feeling better soon.

We were on a cruise and the fellow at the next table was coughing and hacking..

well the waiter picked up his glass then ours.. well hubby got sick. (was just finishing radiation too)

Booking another vacation should do the trick.

Clarification, Mrs. Daka had FLU, not noro, but now at home our personal MD, has diagnosed her as ACUTE BRONCHITIS, which can follow the flu that she had...

Wheezing, coughing....(sound awful)

Grandma? Is that you?! ;)

It's Grandpa ;p

It may help with anxiety over it all only, but I always take my lysol spray and clorox wipes with me and wipe / spray down the whole room as soon as I get onboard. I also carry Purell with me and use it often (the kind that is effective against both bacteria and virus ... but not necessarily Noro) and wash my hands all the time. Washy, washy, washy ... ALL the live long day.

BTW, I just hate being seated next to someone in the MDR or even the theater that is coughing and sneezing. I get up and move, yes, even in the MDR. I excuse myself and go back up to the hostess and tell her I need to be reseated next to someone that is not sick. I am sure I don't score any points as being the most friendly person onboard, but hey, just trying to stay healthy. Oh ... and my pet peeve is when someone you meet onboard, usually in a dining situation, wants to shake my hand. I try to politely decline but realize this is usually awkward and not considered polite to refuse a hand shake. I explain I just washed up for dinner and would rather not have to go back and do it again. I don't know why people even persist in doing the obligatory hand shake, especially once seated at the dining table. I've seen people walk right out of the stall, past the sink and out of the bathroom ... yuk!!

I agree that hand-shaking should go overboard on a cruise....I’m practicing my fist-bump for our cruise in a few weeks. I’ve seen women leave the ladies room who “dangle” one finger under the faucet....ugh!

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I've been getting Noro wipes at Amazon for years: https://www.amazon.com/Saalfeld-30824-Healthcare-Disinfectant-Norovirus/dp/B01MU9QV9W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519234774&sr=8-3&keywords=norovirus+wipes

 

These are proven to kill Noro Virus. I make up Ziploc baggies of them ahead of time: one for each flight we take, one for the first day in the cabin, and one for a mid-week wipe-down too.

We also use the same hydrogen peroxide wipes.

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