Germs on ship what do you do?

[plumeria]

I was reading posts on other boards, members were discussing a TV program that claimed, some cruise ships are full of dirt and germs. I say just wipe everything down (including remote control) and hope for the best, you can ask room stewert for fresh bedspread, some members are bringing their own pillows etc. I think you just need to wash hands a lot and enjoy your trip what do you think?

 

Plumeria

[Cruise Arizona]

6 moths before your cruise, Go to a pre-school or day care center and run your hands across every surface and toy and then touch you hands to your mouth. :D This way you can build up your immunity to all sorts of things before you go on your cruise.

 

Seriously, I volunteer at our local VA Hospital, and I would do just what I do there. Wash your hands often, use a hand sanitizer or anti bacterial soap and warm water. Be concious of not eating or touching your hands to your mouth after touching other surfaces.

 

Another tip is to stay hydrated, which can be hard if you are drinking a lot of alcohol or caffinated beverages. If you are prone to soar throats, staying hydrated really helps. When you get dehydrated your throat can become raw and then an infection can easily get in. So drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic beverage or caffinated beverage. Of course you'll have to make more restroom trip, and that gives you another chance to wash you hands really well too.

[wv4891]

I drink lots of Martinis, beer, wine, etc. Cuz I was told alcohol kills germs. :eek:

[LunchCompanion]

Bring antibacterial soap. Try to use the bathroom in your cabin instead of the "public" rest rooms on the ship. Wash your hands often. When washing hands, hold hands under comfortably hot water until you say the alphabet.

 

Don't go into anyplace on shore that looks the least bit dirty.

[madforcruising]

some cruise ships are full of dirt and germs.

 

 

Just like the rest of the world. Do the same you do at home / work / public bus / subway / street car / ........

 

Using disinfectant everytime and everywhere is not a good idea in my eyes. It will simply weaken your immune system. We need germs to train our immune system to be able to catch up with germs. Tjis is of course for healthy people only. It can be different for immune suppressed people or for children and old people.

 

However don´t over react.

[hdawson]

Contrary to popular belief, Anti-bacterial products have little effect on viruses. Neither do anti-biotics. Frequent and vigorous hand washing is the very best preventive from getting a Noro-virus infection.

[Shari2]

I have always brought a small travel bottle of Lysol. I wash out the bathroom and anything else washable when we first check in. I make sure the sheets are clean, and don't use the bedspread. I get my flu shot if I can, and wash my hands a lot. After that, I forget about it and have a good time.

[ImpulsivePuppy]

i ask the germs very nicely if they would please stay off me. most do but some of them are just mean. :mad:

[DaisyL]

Do the Celebrity ships still use bedspreads? My last 2 cruises on the NCL Dawn and CCL Legend used duvet covers. Loved those things ...

[Blazerboy]

I drink lots of Martinis, beer, wine, etc. Cuz I was told alcohol kills germs. :eek:

I have used the same rationale- enough bourbon, and the germs hide from me! Also when I was a smoker in my 30's, and people would yell that there's formaldehyde in cigarettes, I'd smile, and say, "How do you think I keep my face looking so young- I'm really 70!"

 

Of course, if they nodded as though they beleived my age to be seventy, I blew smoke in their face to give me time to reach for a glass of water to throw at them- no sense wasting good bourbon!:D

[CruisingChick]

I drink lots of Martinis, beer, wine, etc. Cuz I was told alcohol kills germs. :eek:

 

We must have gone to the same school because that's exactly what I do.

 

Anne Maria

[Pincus]

A physician told me to simply wash my hands frequently, and always before dinner, and then keep one's hands OFF the face. Try it...it's amazing to learn how much time we spend with hands on our faces.

 

Pincus

[Leela]

Wash your hands every time you return to your cabin from anywhere, before each meal or snack, and after every trip to the bathroom. Touch the elevator buttons with the back of your hand or your elbow. Also, every time I happen to pass through the cafe on the way to someplace else, I'll take a squirt or two of the hand sanitizer whether I'm about to eat or not.

[peanutter]

I work in healthcare and I agree that the best way to keep germs at bay is to wash hands often - regular soap not anti-bacterial. According to the professionals, this is creating all sorts of resistant strains of viruses and bacteria (plus you kill the good bacteria along with the bad). I also agree with keeping hands off the face (helps with complexion, too!)

 

Laughter and fun are definitely the best "medicine," but I really like the bourbon remedy the best :D

[patlanta]

You can read the Galapagos/Celebrity Xpedition thread. This past winter so many people got ill there was a lot of discussion on what you could do and what Celebrity could do.

 

Changes happened because not so many people have been getting ill recently.

 

This means it depends on which Celebrity ship you're going on.

[Blazerboy]

This means it depends on which Celebrity ship you're going on

More than likely it depends more on the health of your fellow passengers and crew when they board, and the common sense you use about washing your hands.:)

[shofer]

I am a registered nurse and last winter the hospital I worked in and all the other area hospitals were filled to capacity because of flu & upper respiratory infections. It was probably one of the worst flu seasons we have seen recently. Remember, you don't have to go on a cruise ship to get sick.

[joramrose]

I saw on CNN last night that the average home has thousands, and I mean THOUSANDS! of bacteria, dust mites, germs, insect fecal matter, whatever. Wash your hands.

 

Most of us have occasional bouts of "stomach flu" -- we don't wash our hnds often enough at home either. Wash your hands.

 

I don't pass up one of those sanitizer dispensers on a ship. I also wet down the head of my cane each time since I handle it frequently after touching other surfaces. And wash your hands.

 

Main thing, do as you do at home. Be clean. Wash your hands. Take along a vial of Lomotil just in case. And wash your hands.

 

And wash your hands.

 

love

joan

[C 2 C]

We were on the Veendam in Jan when the NLV was on board. A month later we were on the Zenith and it too was a plague ship... We were not the carriers and we did not get sick. People who used sanitizers fared no better than the bourbon or martini drinkers...

 

months before your cruise, Go to a pre-school or day care center and run your hands across every surface and toy and then touch you hands to your mouth. This way you can build up your immunity to all sorts of things before you go on your cruise. ..... is the closest remedy.

 

When the CDC were onboard the Veendam they told us the crew is only half as likely to get sick as the pax because they have greater resistance .... they come from a .... how to say this in a politically correct way... less pristine environment

 

white wine has proven to be a better anti-bacterial agent than all those cleansers..... probably cheaper and more enjoyable too.. just slop some on your hands while imbibing ;)

[hdawson]

But Noro is not bacterial. It's a virus.

[hermang]

You could wear a full body condom or a bio hazzard suit.

Latex gloves to push the elevator buttons

Face mask so you won't breath other people's germs

 

Take vitamins, drink plenty of water, get lots of sleep, dont worry be happy!

[IggleDoer]

I use the back of a can of Lysol to push elevator buttons.

[greydog]

I just live by my lifelong credo:

 

"CLEAN MIND, CLEAN BODY, - CHOOSE ONE"

[Cruise Arizona]

LOL someone liked my idea for building one's immunity. Quite funny.

 

I did here on the news recently the children who "go outside and play in the dirt" have more developed immune systems than those who have hyper clean moms.

 

It happens a lot on the news that kids from the city go to a petting zoo and all contract a bad bacterial infection. Our county fair has put in the hand sanitizing station to help with this.

 

But LOL, we live in an area that is still rurual, and I can't help but think that the germs my kids are exposed to in low levels at school help them develope stronger immune systems.

 

My daughter atteneded the birthday party of one of her class mates and on her property she had goats, pigs, chickens, rabits and a pony. I'm sure that the little girl who lives on this farm brings in low levels of the bacteria that thrive on these animals to the class room. Thus the other kids build up immunity to those types of germs.

 

The highlight of the party was enjoying the home made goat mild ice cream. We just have dog, so I'm sure we don't have all the exocitc bacteria that thrive on a farm, but I have heard that having even a dog or cat, build the immune system for your children.

 

So, you might want to visit one of these less pristine environments in the year before your cruise, It could help.

[newmexicoNita]

I believe the program OP was referring to aired quite awhile ago: germs are everywhere, please don't any of you come to my house, I know they are in my sink, my bathroom and probably under my finger nails. We did take wipes with us on one cruise when the news about everyone getting sick was so new, about 3 years ago: we forgot to use them, shows how concerned we really were. If you wash your hands often enough, especially in the left over martini and you never kiss a stranger without washing your mouth out with wine before and after the kiss you should be quite alright. NMNita