The Truth About Norovirus and Cruise Ships

[boscobeans]

According to the safety video shown on the ships in the staterooms, normal hand sanitizers do not kill Noro and the versions used on the cruise ship dispensers is a special formulation with ingredients made to specifically counter Noro. The video requests guests not use their own and instead use that provided by the ship for this purpose.

 

Most don't work but some do.

 

What happens after you use the ship's, hopefully effective, gel in the dining room or buffet?

 

You use your, supposedly sanitized, hands touching tongs, salt and pepper shakers, menus as well as using them to adjust the chair you are sitting in.

 

Be safe. Washing hands is the best. Use the dispenser at the entrance. Use a highly rated hand sanitizer that is rated as effective against Noro once you have taken your seat, salted and peppered or whatever and are actually ready to eat.

 

No guarantees given but just think about all the un-sanitized hands and other things that day after day come in contact with the chair you sit in. The same goes for all chairs in any venue just like elevator buttons and hand rails.

 

Do your best and hope for the best. 16 sailings or more?? Never had the problem even on so called infected cruises.

 

OMO

 

bosco

[vulcan1971]

There is no point to actually quote anyone here as each person has their own thoughts and ideas about what they think is best to do (or not do) when it comes to cleaning their hands. And there are those people that think they have sufficiently cleaned their hands, but chances are they only used water and no soap or only quickly washed their hands instead of time needed to sing in your head the proverbial 2 versus of "happy birthday". Paper towels or hand dryers... Honestly, the effectiveness of your hand washing, with warm water and hand soap is the most important thing you can do to help yourself and to help your fellow guest. The frequency of hand washing is also very important, but most people cannot remember when they last washed their hands or how many foreign surfaces they touched since last washing their hands. If you can't remember either? Then it probably needs to be done again.... and certainly immediately before and after you consume food.