Preparing to travel - Wet Ones

[Vict0riann]

Leave the Wet Ones home.

We have been on quite a few HAL ships that were in Code Red.

We just used common sense and and constantly washed our hands.

I do bring a couple of bars of hand soap from home as we do not care for HAL's Elemis products.

And I do have a small bottle of Purell that we put into the back pack for when we are off the ship.

When we were on the Prinsendam in Code Red, the ship supplied everyone with the little bottles of Purell on every shore excursion. On person evidently threw up in one of the busses, so I imagine that had to be disinfected scrupulously! I came down with the gastroenteritis and the nurse immediately appeared with a shot - so in the long run the Immodium was not even required! We do wash hands a lot, but I also must hold onto the handrails, so there's always a risk of touching an area that has been contaminated, and so I will take the wipes with me, as well as soap!

[jer_l]

For those taking various wipes on their cruise is apparently they are a major cause of blockages in the toilet system. We had a few problems on our last cruise and according to the maintenance guys they were caused by someone further along the corridor flushing wipes. They don't disintegrate and can block the smaller bore pipes in the vacuum systems.

 

We always throw the wipes in a trash can where they belong.

 

Although there are those say leave the wipes at home, we will still take wipes just for the peace of mind that those areas not always part of a good room cleaning (remote controls, door knobs, light switches, drawer pulls) are germ free both in the hotel and on the ship. Having sailed Code Red for the first week of a b2b and then being quarantined for 24 hours of the second week (because we had been exposed on that first week) we are more diligent than ever, even though we never got the dreaded NORO even before we took those precautions.

 

Of course, hand washing is even more important. When we were sailing Code Red everyday the Captain would tell everyone to wash their hands for "the length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday to You, and not just that line, but the whole song."

 

BTW, when we were on that cruise, the staff was amazing. Many staff members were also ill. It hit the shop keepers first and only half of the shops open at any given time for for the rest of the week. The entertainers, the entertainment staff and the Captains wife were among those that did extra duty in the Lido to fill in the empty spots and serve up food. We were quite impressed at how well it was handled. On the turn around day of our b2b we were given a complimentary all-day excursion to keep us off the ship so that a special team could come in and disinfect everything. Then we returned and were sent to our cabins for that 24-hour period. They kept us supplied with free dvd's and food from a special menu during that time. Second week--no problems!

[SilvertoGold]

Unfortunately, HAL has stopped providing Elemis bars of soap they used to supply. I never thought I'd have to bring my own soap for my 'luxury' cruise. If we don't bring our own soap, all they now have is that fig mush that I find very unpleasant to look at or use.

 

I liked the round white bars of Elemis soap and particularly liked the Elemis glycerine and miss both.

 

 

We had the round white bars of Elemis on our last cruise. Very nice soap and it lasts really well!

[sail7seas]

We had the round white bars of Elemis on our last cruise. Very nice soap and it lasts really well!

 

 

We always had the round white bars of Elemis but our last cruises on Maasdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Oosterdam and Westerdam we were given that tiny bar of fig soap that is awful. We have not been provided Elemis bars of glycerine of the white bath soap in quite some time now.

 

What ship were you on that distributed it?

 

[Scrapnana]

Then we returned and were sent to our cabins for that 24-hour period. They kept us supplied with free dvd's and food from a special menu during that time. Second week--no problems!

 

Do you mean everyone on the ship had to stay in their cabins?

[Typhoon1]

Exactly.

 

IMO, the best think you can make sure you have and use often is a big bar of soap.

 

I do not depend upon HAL's tiny bar of melting fig stuff they now supply. :rolleyes: I now feel responsible to provide soap for ourselves seeing HAL no longer puts a decent bar of soap on the sinks in the cabins.

 

DH always packs the largest bottle of anti bacterial soap he can find. By the end of the cruise, there's not much left.

[jer_l]

Do you mean everyone on the ship had to stay in their cabins?

 

No,, just the 200 who were doing a b2b.

[HamOp]

No,, just the 200 who were doing a b2b.

 

So how did that work with the safety drill? A separate drill for the b2b cruisers? Or did the let you mingle with the new passengers and then send you to your cabin for 24 hours?

 

Were it me, I'd be ticked off at being sent to my cabin for 24 hours if I showed no sign of sickness.

[Daisyloo]

We always had the round white bars of Elemis but our last cruises on Maasdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Oosterdam and Westerdam we were given that tiny bar of fig soap that is awful. We have not been provided Elemis bars of glycerine of the white bath soap in quite some time now.

 

What ship were you on that distributed it?

 

 

We were on the Maasdam in April and had small round bars of a yellow glycerine soap for the sink area, and the dispensors in the shower for liquid soap.

[RuthC]

We were on the Maasdam in April and had small round bars of a yellow glycerine soap for the sink area, ....

By June it was no longer the round bars; we had the rectangular bars I've been seeing for the last several cruises. It was definitely not Elemis. :(

I find that soap all right, but just all right. It really doesn't work up a good lather, which I like when washing.

I have taken to bringing the bath soap bar from the pre-cruise hotel along with me to use in the shower. It's not as if the hotel could re-use it, so might as well.

[iancal]

We do not take any wipes on our cruises.

 

We are very careful about washing our hands thoroughly and often. We don't use the restrooms in public areas, we avoid using the handrails etc.

 

We avoid certain items in the Lido...including cookies, breads, butter (somehow people think it is fine to reach in and take wrapped butter patties), and fruits. All too often we see people reaching in with their hands. It seems to be more prevalent on HAL...could be a demographic thing, I don't know. But it really turns us off the Lido. If you doubt this, try getting a table opposite where the cookies are and just watch. The offenders are usually older males.

 

Touch wood, we have never contracted the dreaded noro virus.

[California Traveler]

Dinner conversation on a recent Westerdam cruise. First cruiser, "what precautions do you take to avoid getting sick on trips?" Second cruiser " None! And we seldom get sick on a cruise." Third person, "Did you ever notice how those who do all these weird things like bringing wipes, using Purrell, wiping down their cabin, etc....are the ones who always get sick?"

 

Ok....so I may regret saying this...but after more then 3 years on tons of different cruises neither DW or I have ever had a serious GI problem on a cruise. We have both had our share of respiratory colds,....but most of these are spread by airborne bugs. So what is our secret of avoiding the GI stuff (like Noro). Probably luck. But, we do try to make our own luck by simply washing our hands, as often as possible, with soap and water. According to the CDC this is the most effective way to avoid the dreaded Noro.....and when I worked in hospital Emergency Rooms this was how the staff avoided catching all the nasty bugs.

 

Hank

P.S. And then there was the cruiser who lectured us about how to avoid the mal de mer (seasickness) by using seabands. The next night that lady got quite seasick in moderate seas.

 

I agree with the above - I do have the handi-wipes with me at all times use only when absolutely needed, when there is no option for good old soap and water. We believe over sanitizing can actually deter your body from building those all important antibodies to germs. Just my opinion and experience from travels to third world countries.

 

And yes singing the Happy Birthday song in it's entirety is what we teach our granddaughter. My husband retired from 40 years of restaurant management also taught this to all his staff.

 

CT

[jer_l]

So how did that work with the safety drill? A separate drill for the b2b cruisers? Or did the let you mingle with the new passengers and then send you to your cabin for 24 hours?

 

Were it me, I'd be ticked off at being sent to my cabin for 24 hours if I showed no sign of sickness.

 

The b2b was actually sold as a 14 day cruise (Vancouver to Seward and back) so we had done the safety drill before leaving Vancouver. We weren't real happy, but I guess the Noro outbreak was severe enough to warrant this. We missed a rainy day at the Hubbard Glacier; however, we were there 2 days before during the first week when it was a beautiful sunny day.

 

They were also quite generous to those who were confined. In addition to a choice of all-day excursions in Seward (we did a 9 hour Kenai Fjords boat excursion all the way to the Northwest Glacier) we were given a bottle of wine during the quarantine and each of us received $200 ship board credit.

[iancal]

DW is a nurse.

 

We do the birthday song....any time we go back to our cabin we wash our hands. And if I move the birthday song from 33RPM's to 78RPM's, I hear about it.

 

But is has worked for us. All the wipes in the world are great but nothing beats common sense and washing your hands often and vigorously.

[HamOp]

DW is a nurse.

 

We do the birthday song....any time we go back to our cabin we wash our hands. And if I move the birthday song from 33RPM's to 78RPM's, I hear about it.

 

But is has worked for us. All the wipes in the world are great but nothing beats common sense and washing your hands often and vigorously.

 

Good thing most here are old enough to know that "33RPM's to 78RPM's" refers to those old time audio recording devices!

[iancal]

I think the wipes are popular because of advertising.

 

And because people are somewhat lazy, they want a quick, easy fix.

 

I suspect most health experts would much prefer washing hands with soap vigorously at regular intervals to using wipes.

[blacksand]

Here in Australia there has been tonnes of stuff on increased allergic reactions, bacteria born illnesses, etc, especially amongst children. There is a belief that we sanitise our lives too much and we all should get out and 'play in the dirt' to build up immunities.

 

On our cruise in March I never wiped, swiped or avoided anything. Just took the basic precautions of washing hands well. Did use the Purell stations but that was more a courtesy for other people's concerns as I knew my hands were clean. Didn't come down with a thing.

 

Same in the office, everyone here is always using things to prevent colds, flu etc -I just eat well and maintain a good hygiene regime and haven't had a cold in over 3 years when everyone else around me have several a season. Oops I might have jinxed myself now :D

 

This is also my method, and we do not get sick very often. Only when we visit my sister's young children :rolleyes:, and their house is very, very clean and (over)sanitized. I never use hand sanitizers at home, but do on the ship, as a courtesy. I do wipe down the shopping cart handle at the grocery store (when I remember!).

[iancal]

Same here. Travelled for six months. Never used a wipe. Just followed good hygiene regime.

 

Every so often I will hear DW, a nurse, laughing out loud at a commercial for some cleaner, wipe, etc. that claims to be the bees knees in keeping your family safe from germs, etc. Most of the claims are, well just silly. But people sure do buy them. Most of them are grossly overpriced given the basic ingredients. There must be a lot of margin in the product. It is just good advertising...selling a dream, in this case the dream that if you use them you will protect your family from Noro.

 

Germs are everywhere. Wiping a phone or a table won't decrease your chances measurably of getting hit with a virus when there are millions of bacteria on every surface that you come into contact with.

[retdon]

I believe the Benzethonium Chloride is the ticket!

 

Sorry to tell you this is a very poor disinfectant, alcohol or bleach is the best and that is what you want to look for on the label. As a nurse I have worked with a lot of these products. Bleach is what the ships use to clean all "hand" touchables.

 

I bring a container of Clorax wipes and wipe down the cabin items when we first come in it. I always carry wipes in my pocket. Make sure you wash your hands taking even longer than usual, especially after playing in the casino.

[Johanna7]

Exactly.

 

IMO, the best think you can make sure you have and use often is a big bar of soap.

 

I do not depend upon HAL's tiny bar of melting fig stuff they now supply. :rolleyes: I now feel responsible to provide soap for ourselves seeing HAL no longer puts a decent bar of soap on the sinks in the cabins.

 

 

 

 

When we are on a cruise, we wash our hands with the shower gel in the shower or bathtub and it works great. Smells nice too..If I wash out some delicates, I use the shampoo to wash them and after rinsing, I use the hair conditioner to soak them in a few minutes before I rinse them out and hang them in the shower or over the bathtub. Works great.