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Carnival Fantasy and NASTY ice!!!

Gulf Breezer

By Gulf Breezer,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Gulf Breezer

Gulf Breezer

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We got off the Fantasy this morning. The cruise was great, and we loved the ship. We took the Behind the Scenes tour and specifically asked the captain about the oil slick. We went around it but who knows what will happen as the slick migrates further east. This was our sixth cruise with our seventh already booked for October 2010 on the Elation. Now for the NASTY part.

 

The Lido buffet area inside had two small ice dispensers with the same outside near the grill. However, there were so many people eating during the specified hours, that these small ice dispensers would run out of ice every day. So, they would bring out huge tubs of ice with a scoop in it. Each person would use the scoop and then throw the scoop back into the ice--handle and all! Now just imagine where these hands have been. I even saw people grabbing the scoop out of mostly ice water and skimming what little ice they could into their glass. This just made me sick. I don't think that would fly in the United States. In my opinion, a Carnival worker should have been there with gloves on scooping the ice for people. That way there would have been ONE clean gloved hand involved in the ice instead of all the nasty hands.

 

Overall the rest of the cruise was great. We did the highlights and shopping tour where we visited Discover Mexico and we also went to Hacienda Antigua (museum of a tequila factory) complete with tasting many different types of tequila. I'll be ready to go cruising again in October, and I can only hope that the ice situation will not be the same on the Elation as it was on the Fantasy.

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Sarah@Sea

Sarah@Sea

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We got off the Fantasy this morning. The cruise was great, and we loved the ship. We took the Behind the Scenes tour and specifically asked the captain about the oil slick. We went around it but who knows what will happen as the slick migrates further east. This was our sixth cruise with our seventh already booked for October 2010 on the Elation. Now for the NASTY part.

 

The Lido buffet area inside had two small ice dispensers with the same outside near the grill. However, there were so many people eating during the specified hours, that these small ice dispensers would run out of ice every day. So, they would bring out huge tubs of ice with a scoop in it. Each person would use the scoop and then throw the scoop back into the ice--handle and all! Now just imagine where these hands have been. I even saw people grabbing the scoop out of mostly ice water and skimming what little ice they could into their glass. This just made me sick. I don't think that would fly in the United States. In my opinion, a Carnival worker should have been there with gloves on scooping the ice for people. That way there would have been ONE clean gloved hand involved in the ice instead of all the nasty hands.

 

Overall the rest of the cruise was great. We did the highlights and shopping tour where we visited Discover Mexico and we also went to Hacienda Antigua (museum of a tequila factory) complete with tasting many different types of tequila. I'll be ready to go cruising again in October, and I can only hope that the ice situation will not be the same on the Elation as it was on the Fantasy.

 

I've seen this done...at a major hospital's cafeteria....either use it or move on.

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pokergirl34

pokergirl34

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I worked in a restaurant in college and we used this same bucket and scoop to haul ice from the ice maker to the soda machines....no one EVER washed either the scoop or the bucket and we'd handle money/credit cards, then go over and scoop the ice into the bucket and throw the scoop back into the bucket.

 

Oh yeah and that was definitely in the good ol' U.S. of A. At least they aren't handling money before they scoop the ice :D

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kyrisong1

kyrisong1

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OP I agree with you in a way, however think about the buffet...... same thing can be said there. Tons of people, no idea how their hand hygene is but they are helping themselves to the food with the same scoop you are, and handles can go further into the food where hands have touched.

I feel like it's kinda the same thing.

But I am put off by buffets too. Mostly because I notice how many people wash their hands in public restrooms, and it's scary. I especially love the ones that rinse the fingers of one hand with no soap and think they've washed:rolleyes:

There are tons of hand sanitizers around and as others have said, the ice killed the germs mostly. But think more of your HANDS after touching the scoops anywhere. And then WASH.

Cheers, Carole

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Gulf Breezer

Gulf Breezer

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Shigella and Giardia come to mind and it does not matter how great your immune system is with these bacteria. I'm not OCD or a germaphobe. It just amazed me how people didn't give it a second thought. By the way, I have an aunt who lives in Bradenton. I live in Pensacola--cautiously watching and waiting to see what the oil slick will do.

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CCbaby817

CCbaby817

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Ice is 32 degrees or less, germs multiply when it is 40-140 degrees. No germs were being spread, they were dying.

 

Actually, most germs are not killed by cold. They simply go into like a hibernation period. Once they are reheated, such as the nice 98.6 in your tummy, they can once again grow and multiply. That being said, I kinda have to agree with the OP. Kinda nasty. I wouldn't have used the ice from the bucket, either. Glad you enjoyed the trip overall, though.

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gtalum

gtalum

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it's not the germs....but who wants sweaty crotch residue from somebodies dirty hands in their drink???? yeah..I know...sounds disgusting... :eek:

 

So I take it you never order drinks in sit-down restaurants? ;)

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LemurCat

LemurCat

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it's not the germs....but who wants sweaty crotch residue from somebodies dirty hands in their drink???? yeah..I know...sounds disgusting... :eek:

 

Don't you think that happens every time you order a drink from a place that uses icechests instead of ice machines? What about people scooping ice cream? The possibilities of encountering sweaty crotch residue are endless ...

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LemurCat

LemurCat

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Actually, most germs are not killed by cold. They simply go into like a hibernation period. Once they are reheated, such as the nice 98.6 in your tummy, they can once again grow and multiply. That being said, I kinda have to agree with the OP. Kinda nasty. I wouldn't have used the ice from the bucket, either. Glad you enjoyed the trip overall, though.

 

Yes, I agree it's nasty. I also agree I'd wait patiently for a working ice machine. That said, if you really think about the possibilities of encountering other people's dirt inadvertantly, it's pretty mindblowing.

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Traveler353

Traveler353

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OP: I noticed the same thing on the Fantasy a couple of weeks ago. Never gave it a second thought, I needed ice so I scooped away. So I guess that I was one of the people that made you sick. I have also seen it done my whole life in the US, so yes the same thing does happen here. The way people complain about the so called "bacon police" I could just hear the comments it they started handing out ice also.

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ck53

ck53

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I agree it does sound nasty but that aside I am glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

After bartending for some years, in our state if a glass breaks in the ice chest or even in in the big ice making machines, it all has to be dumped. If not you could have a law suit.

 

As Kap Jack said alcohol helps too!

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