cleaning of the cabins

[bermuda lover]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happen to know what NCL uses to clean the cabins between cruises; with the norovirues, ect..

 

I am hoping they use bleach.. The other thing, they are in pressure to turn over the rooms.. I just want to make sure no one gets sick

 

 

Lisa

[punkincc]

Looks like you have already done this Bermuda run with NCL three times since 2009. Why are you asking now? I'm sure you have seen the washy washy people and the hand sanitizer stations all over the ship. Probably more emphasis on hand washing and prevention than any other cruise line out there.

 

Go to the CDC website and look up the list of Noro outbreaks by ship/cruiseline on an annual basis. NCL looks pretty good in comparison. I have no idea what they use to clean. I doubt anyone does. They do step up measures in the event of an outbreak. I don't think you are at any more risk on NCL than you would be on any other line. Probably more risk at your local grocery store.

[kcwingwalker]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happen to know what NCL uses to clean the cabins between cruises; with the norovirues, ect..

 

I am hoping they use bleach.. The other thing, they are in pressure to turn over the rooms.. I just want to make sure no one gets sick

 

 

Lisa

 

Think of the wonderful time you'll have in Bermuda and stop worrying. NCL and IMO all of the cruise lines do their very best to prevent illness. It does happen, but not often.

[Tyskie]

You have more of a risk on airplanes, I know I got it that way! (Wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy! lol). Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands. I always wipe everything down in my cabin too - remote, handles, door knobs. Does it help, who knows but it can't hurt!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[chengkp75]

For a normal turn-around, all hard surfaces are wiped down with a commercial strength anti-bacterial cleanser.

 

Any room that has had a case of GI illness (whether there was an "outbreak" or not, I can't think of many cruises I've worked where there were NO GI cases), and all cabins after a reportable outbreak, will be fogged with Virkon, an agent registered with the EPA as effective against norovirus (and not just feline calicivirus, a close relative to noro, which most consumer products are tested on). Fogging allows for the Virkon to adhere to soft, porous surfaces such as carpets, drapery, upholstery, and mattresses, as well as hard surfaces.

 

These practices are standard across the industry.

[tropicana1]

Wash your hands please! Wash your hands with warm water and friction! I hate the false security they give with happy happy washy washy. Yes it's a nice idea, but it does NOT kill Norovirus.

[SissasMomE]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happen to know what NCL uses to clean the cabins between cruises; with the norovirues, ect..

 

I am hoping they use bleach.. The other thing, they are in pressure to turn over the rooms.. I just want to make sure no one gets sick

 

 

Lisa

 

They use bleach in the cabins every day, not just between the cruises.

[garycarla]

They work hard to keep the ship clean. They do NOT want any outbreak.

 

Sadly, the outbreak is from idiots that do not wash CORRECTLY or at all in some cases after having a bowel movement. Then they touch things. Simple stuff.

 

Again, they totally hate to deal with this stuff. Sick passengers. Sick crew. Paperwork. Even more cleaning. More news hounds driving them nuts. More officials getting in their face.

 

And as said, you can just as easy get this at Publix, but you would not know it.

[SissasMomE]

They work hard to keep the ship clean. They do NOT want any outbreak.

 

Sadly, the outbreak is from idiots that do not wash CORRECTLY or at all in some cases after having a bowel movement. Then they touch things. Simple stuff.

 

Again, they totally hate to deal with this stuff. Sick passengers. Sick crew. Paperwork. Even more cleaning. More news hounds driving them nuts. More officials getting in their face.

 

And as said, you can just as easy get this at Publix, but you would not know it.

 

You have Publix in TN?? I LOVE Publix! It's one of the things I really miss about Florida, and am looking forward to having again once we move LOL

[silvercrikhix]

As another poster does, we also take the 1st 5 minutes in the cabin and wipe down anything someone would touch with Lysol/Clorox wipes.

Think, remotes, drawer handles, cupboard knobs, door handles, the phones, faucet handles, etc... we do a fairly thorough job of it "just in case".

It certainly can not hurt and is done quickly.

Four cruises down and so far so good...thank goodness.

 

It sure would be nice if EVERYONE would get that they MUST wash their hands after bathroom use....shhheeesh.....I can not count the number of people I see who don't, from stores, restaurants and everything in between!

It is just disgusting.....DH and I always share with each other after we meet up outside a restroom........you'd be surprised how often it is seen.

It does help us weed out who to hang (or shake hands) with sometimes too.

Edited April 24, 2014 by silvercrikhix

[ohiochick]

I was reading online about norovirus and the article stated that clorox wipes or lysol wipes do not kill the norovirus. If you are that worried about it, they suggested using Lysol III spray disinfectant and of course washing your hands with soap and water a lot.

 

The article was specific about cruise ships, and honestly the chance of outbreak on a cruise is very small comparitively. But, I plan on bringing a can of Lysol III just in case! You can never be too careful!

[dalgirl]

You have more of a risk on airplanes, I know I got it that way! (Wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy! lol). Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands. I always wipe everything down in my cabin too - remote, handles, door knobs. Does it help, who knows but it can't hurt!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I do this too - I take the bleach wipes and go through every surface, switch, handle, remote, even the chairs on the balcony. They are mostly good at cleaning, but no one cleans like you do:)

[chengkp75]

I was reading online about norovirus and the article stated that clorox wipes or lysol wipes do not kill the norovirus. If you are that worried about it, they suggested using Lysol III spray disinfectant and of course washing your hands with soap and water a lot.

 

The article was specific about cruise ships, and honestly the chance of outbreak on a cruise is very small comparitively. But, I plan on bringing a can of Lysol III just in case! You can never be too careful!

 

While the active ingredient in Lysol III products is known to be effective against noro, I don't believe it is in sufficient strength in this consumer product to be effective. If you dig a little deeper in their product description, it says that it has been tested against feline calicivirus (a cat virus) that is a close cousin to noro, and is what most consumer products claiming noro effectiveness use. CDC has not shown that effectiveness against calicivirus is proof of effectiveness against noro. However, wiping down hard surfaces with anything will remove bacteria and viruses from the surfaces, so the Lysol III is just as effective as anything else.

[2red4u]

Is there anything we can buy that that has been proven to kill noro virus?

[chengkp75]

Is there anything we can buy that that has been proven to kill noro virus?

 

Not to my knowledge. There are some products that are available to health care professionals, that contain benzethonium chloride, but consumer products containing this are at too low a concentration, and the professional stuff comes with all the warnings. The ships use Virkon or similar sanitizers, but it comes in concentrate, and must be handled by licensed personnel.

 

If you go to the USPH/CDC website and look under norovirus, you will find a link to the EPA list of registered agents effective against noro. While you may find some products with familiar names there, and some of the ingredients may be in consumer products, you have to check the concentrations, as well as the application methods and contact time (time the wet sanitizer must contact the virus in order to kill it).

[blackwing]

I too take a pack of Clorox wipes and wipe down everything. Door handles, light switches, remotes, bedside tables, shelves in the closet, safe buttons, inside the safe, all the shelves and counters in the bathroom, the knobs and racks in the shower, and especially the toilet flush button, the entire lid of the toilet, toilet seat, and the outsides of the porcelain part. Not sure if it does any good, but it's better than nothing and at least I know I did everything I could.

 

I too am amazed at how many people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom. Men especially can be disgusting. I can't tell you the number of times I've witnessed a pair of feet belonging to a man taking a dump in a stall. Toilet flushes. Stall door opens. And the man just WALKS OUT OF THE BATHROOM. Disgusting. In addition to having touched his genitals and buttocks, he quite possible has feces on his hands.

 

Meanwhile, I'm the guy who opens all public bathroom doors with paper towel. I use toilet paper to lock the stall door, and where a manual flush is required, I use my feet. And I know some people that are way more germophobic than me.

[Ewoodspark]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happen to know what NCL uses to clean the cabins between cruises; with the norovirues, ect..

 

 

On our last cruise, we joined the Pearl at Ocho Rios in Jamaica and had a balcony on deck 9. As soon as we walked into the cabin, we were shocked as to how dirty it was. The floor on the balcony had coffee stains on it and the same with the table and had certainly not been cleaned at all. The coffee maker had dust all over it as it appeared that it had not been used for some time. I went down to customer services and advised them of the situation and by the time I arrived back at the cabin, there was an employee there to properly clean everything.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Ewoodspark
spelling

[dalgirl]

and where a manual flush is required, I use my feet. And I know some people that are way more germophobic than me.

 

I will tell you what I told my Mom when I saw her do this DISGUSTING THING - do NOT use your feet to flush a toilet - use the toilet paper and let it flush with everything else!!!! For those who act like humans and use their hands, your dirty shoe that has been more places than any hand has gone is a worse health hazard. There are children who will be in there after you who don't realize that such people exist - and they may flush and not wash as children are likely to do. I respect your need for cleanliness, but not with YOUR FEET!!!! Thank goodness she saw the logic in my thinking and no longer does that. Flush the toilet with paper and let the paper go with the rest, PLEASE.

 

Yes, I meant to yell:(

[HokiePoq]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happen to know what NCL uses to clean the cabins between cruises; with the norovirues, ect..

 

I am hoping they use bleach.. The other thing, they are in pressure to turn over the rooms.. I just want to make sure no one gets sick

 

 

Lisa

 

I imagine it varies as to whether there has been a CDC reporting level outbreak whether they used the strong stuff. I take Clorox wipes and wipe down the door handles,etc. Yes, risk is much worse on an airplane and I try to remember to wipe down the tray and arm rests there, too.

Cruising has made me a germophobe but I don't think that's a bad thing, lol.

[blackwing]

I will tell you what I told my Mom when I saw her do this DISGUSTING THING - do NOT use your feet to flush a toilet - use the toilet paper and let it flush with everything else!!!! For those who act like humans and use their hands, your dirty shoe that has been more places than any hand has gone is a worse health hazard. There are children who will be in there after you who don't realize that such people exist - and they may flush and not wash as children are likely to do. I respect your need for cleanliness, but not with YOUR FEET!!!! Thank goodness she saw the logic in my thinking and no longer does that. Flush the toilet with paper and let the paper go with the rest, PLEASE.

 

Yes, I meant to yell:(

 

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but...

 

1. Some public toilets don't have the tank of water attached to the back like at home, so they don't have a flush handle like at home. They have a metal bar at the way back and close to the seat level. Do you also take a piece of toilet paper and flush with your hand. Because some toilets spray when flushed. And even if you can't see or feel anything, I've read that particles can be sprayed up to 3 feet in the air when a toilet is flushed. If you flush with your hand, congrats, you now possibly have urine or fecal matter on your hand and arm, and since you have to lean down a little to flush that bar with your hand, you have possibly inhaled it too.

 

2. Children should be taught to wash their hands after using the bathroom. Additionally, I have taught my children to flush with their feet as well and I have seen other children do the same in public bathrooms.

 

3. I don't feel at all sorry for adults who use a toilet, flush it, open the stall door, and then fail to wash their hands.

 

4. If you are washing your hands, then it really shouldn't matter to you how others flush the toilet.

 

The whole point is to avoid particle spray, and better on your foot/leg (which you are less likely to touch) than your hand/arm/face. In the end, I think everyone should be responsible for their own cleanliness, and I can't worry about how the next person is going to take care of himself.

 

Unfortunately, some people aren't going to wash their hands no matter what, and that's why noro is so dangerous on cruise ships. I saw so many people complete ignore the washy washy happy happy lady. There's a reason why there are signs on the walls near the public bathroom door exits on the NCL ships encouraging you to use a paper towel to open the door, and yet I saw some guys not wash their hands after urinating and then just opening the door with their hand. I guess I worry about keeping myself healthy, and can't do anything about other people's habits. If everyone took it upon themselves to keep themselves healthy, there would probably be less noro incidents onboard ships.

Edited April 24, 2014 by blackwing

[SeagoingMom]

I'm sure you have seen the washy washy people and the hand sanitizer stations all over the ship. Probably more emphasis on hand washing and prevention than any other cruise line out there.

 

Hand sanitizers not of much use against Noro -- just looks good to the public to force it on pax, I guess... So as poster points out, hand washing is key!!

 

Quote from CDC website: "Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be used in addition to hand washing. But, they should not be used as a substitute for washing with soap and water."

 

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html

[SeagoingMom]

For a normal turn-around, all hard surfaces are wiped down with a commercial strength anti-bacterial cleanser.

 

Which, of course, as poster points out below, ain't much good against viruses... Perhaps this is why viruses break out -- only anti-bacterials are used routinely.

Any room that has had a case of GI illness (whether there was an "outbreak" or not, I can't think of many cruises I've worked where there were NO GI cases), and all cabins after a reportable outbreak, will be fogged with Virkon, an agent registered with the EPA as effective against norovirus (and not just feline calicivirus, a close relative to noro, which most consumer products are tested on). Fogging allows for the Virkon to adhere to soft, porous surfaces such as carpets, drapery, upholstery, and mattresses, as well as hard surfaces.

 

These practices are standard across the industry.

[chengkp75]

Which, of course, as poster points out below, ain't much good against viruses... Perhaps this is why viruses break out -- only anti-bacterials are used routinely.

 

Not really. Unlike bacteria which can live for quite some time outside a host body (they can be grown in petri dishes for experiments), viruses, particularly noro virus, cannot remain viable outside a host cell for very long. This is why studying the effectiveness of sanitizing agents against noro is so difficult, and usually results in testing against Feline Calicivirus, a close cousin to noro, which can live in vitro. So using anti-bacterial cleansers take away the long term threat, and the short term virus tends to limit itself, if there is no continuing source of recontamination.

[bermuda lover]

For a normal turn-around, all hard surfaces are wiped down with a commercial strength anti-bacterial cleanser.

 

Any room that has had a case of GI illness (whether there was an "outbreak" or not, I can't think of many cruises I've worked where there were NO GI cases), and all cabins after a reportable outbreak, will be fogged with Virkon, an agent registered with the EPA as effective against norovirus (and not just feline calicivirus, a close relative to noro, which most consumer products are tested on). Fogging allows for the Virkon to adhere to soft, porous surfaces such as carpets, drapery, upholstery, and mattresses, as well as hard surfaces.

 

These practices are standard across the industry.

 

Thank you so much for your response. I am in the health care business and I deal with infection prevention. I appreciate your response.

Like to see professionalism on this board.

 

Lisa

[bermuda lover]

Wash your hands please! Wash your hands with warm water and friction! I hate the false security they give with happy happy washy washy. Yes it's a nice idea, but it does NOT kill Norovirus.

 

Exactly…. for all, I normally bring a whole bunch of bleach wipes and I was asking so I didn't have to bring so many…

 

this is the first time with a tub… was trying to prepare.

 

Lisa