Oasis - no 'Washy Washy' before entering dining room.

[cello56]

Last week was my 23rd. cruise. I have been very lucky that until now, I had never contracted an illness while on board. This past week on Oasis I noticed that the main dining room staff made no effort at all to enforce hand sanitizing at the 8:30pm dinner seating. The staff would open the doors, then stand back to the side and allow everyone to enter. While the Purell stations were there, no one at all was suggesting that they be used. And guess what? Hardly anyone was using them!! DH and I made sure to use them every night, but if others are skipping that step, then it is an uphill battle against germs.

 

I came down with a truly awful head cold/upper respiratory illness around day 4. I am still fighting this today on day 8. First cold that I have had in about ten years.

 

I can't help but wonder if there is a connection between staff not being vigilant in reminding passengers to clean their hands, and the only cruise I have ever gotten sick on?

[Mary1951]

I am sorry that you got sick but not everybody can use the purelle , I can't ! I carry my soap with me and wash hands but refuse to use it , last year it took my 2 weeks to clear up my hands after my cruise .

[Melozone]

Purell will not kill Noro. I wash with soap and water and then use Clorox 02174 Bleach-Free Hand Sanitizer after we handle the menus. Soap and hot water are the best thing to use.

[Ourusualbeach]

I have not seen the staff doing the washy washy at the MDR, only at the WJ.

[Mikew0805]

Wash your hands correctly, with regular or antibacterial soap regularly. Keep your hands out of your eyes, nose, mouth and any other portals of entry.

 

This is the best way to keep yourself healthy, year round. Does not just apply to a cruise ship, since a cruise ship is the least likely place in our world to pick up Noro. ;)

[OCruisers]

I am sorry that you got sick but not everybody can use the purelle , I can't ! I carry my soap with me and wash hands but refuse to use it , last year it took my 2 weeks to clear up my hands after my cruise .

 

Glad you said this. I can't use it either. Makes my hands break out into big whelps and sores. :(

 

LuLu

[TripleU]

I was on this past week too. We did MTD on deck 3, and they were also not enforcing the hand sanitizing. I did forget one night, and it bothered me. My family and I were lucky though and did not get sick. They were definitely enforcing it in the Windjammer though (the 2 times I ate there).

[Ti2m]

I came down with a truly awful head cold/upper respiratory illness around day 4. I am still fighting this today on day 8. First cold that I have had in about ten years.

 

Maybe the reason is hand sanitizer?

 

Read this http://time.com/96112/why-im-breaking-up-with-hand-sanitizer/

[mollyeilis]

I came down with a truly awful head cold/upper respiratory illness around day 4. I am still fighting this today on day 8. First cold that I have had in about ten years.

 

If you believe that the sanitizer would have prevented this, and if you were using the sanitizer, then you shouldn't have come down with this, *no matter* what others were doing.

 

Sometimes we get sick. Part of being alive.

[Robinola]

Thoroughly wash hands before going to dinner, and do no touch anything like doors, elevator buttons on your way there

[GUT2407]

And washing hands with or without sanitizer won't stop a cold. The cold virus is air borne not skin.

[TM38Rob]

The "Washy - Washy" is strongly encouraged in the Windjammer due to the buffet. Helps prevent the spread of germs when handling utensils (tongs or a giant spoon) that's others will touch when picking up or scooping food items.

 

In the Main Dining Room, the waitstaff hold the tongs when you pick you choice of breads. Butter is individually wrapped. Food is not served family style, so there is little chance for someone to come in contact with food to be eaten by someone else and contaminating it.

[Paulxyz2004]

I´m more than happy to hear this as it´s a PITA to hear that stupid washy washy and even worse if you have to argue with those Folks about refusing to use their Hand sanitizer.

 

I know it´s just assistant waiters having to do a Job they have no knowledge about and not knowing what a disservice they do to the passengers. I´m always prepared, in case they force their stuff on me, I have some tissue ready to wipe it off immediately.

 

Hand sanitizing belongs into Areas like hospitals, there´s no Need for the public to sanitize. BTW to proper sanitize your Hands it Needs some knowledge and if have that knowledge and just watch what People are doing on the ships you already know it doesn´t matter what´s in the dispenser it won´t work anyway.

 

That´s btw the biggest Problem here, it´s ineffective, but People get the false sense about it and they skip the much better and more needed handwashing because of the sanitizer being available and thinking that´s better than handwashing anyway and they can easily skip the handwashing.

 

Last but not least we Need exposure to germs to have a good immune System and use of sanitizers weaken our immune System.

[gr8.guy]

Last week was my 23rd. cruise. I have been very lucky that until now, I had never contracted an illness while on board. This past week on Oasis I noticed that the main dining room staff made no effort at all to enforce hand sanitizing at the 8:30pm dinner seating. The staff would open the doors, then stand back to the side and allow everyone to enter. While the Purell stations were there, no one at all was suggesting that they be used. And guess what? Hardly anyone was using them!! DH and I made sure to use them every night, but if others are skipping that step, then it is an uphill battle against germs.

 

I came down with a truly awful head cold/upper respiratory illness around day 4. I am still fighting this today on day 8. First cold that I have had in about ten years.

 

I can't help but wonder if there is a connection between staff not being vigilant in reminding passengers to clean their hands, and the only cruise I have ever gotten sick on?

 

I find it incredible that on a cruise, people forego basic hygiene and need to be reminded to wash their hands. Often the little squirts of purell weren't enough to be much effective if any in my opinion. I also bring my own hand sanitizer, and sometimes pass it around the table.

[Homosassa]

I wash my hands thoroughly and often on a cruise ship.

 

As a microbiologist, I know the so called hand sanitizers are ineffective. If someone hamds are very dirty, the sanitizer will not begin to penetrate the dirt layer.

 

A URI most likely was caught through a aerosol droplet (i.e., a sneeze or a cough) from someone sick.

[knittinggirl]

This winter I ended up with an extreme case of dry hands. And I asked my dermatologist about it, and she said to avoid the hand sanitizers, because they were very bad on dry skin.

 

If I must use the gel, then immediately out comes my hand cream.

[Midwestgal]

Washy-washy tips :)

 

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/seven-things-that-can-protect-you-from-norovirus-116553897652.html

Edited April 19, 2015 by Midwestgal

[ccotting]

It is interesting that so many people refer to use of Purell as hand washing. It isn't. Wash with soap and water and do it thoroughly, between the fingers and on the backs of your hands. Sometimes we only do the palms and don't realize what we have missed.

 

Try not to touch your face. You inadvertently pass germs to your mouth that way. That's actually really hard.

 

I think a lot of folks think purell is an acceptable substitute for actual washing. Studies show it is most effective after hand washing. Which is to say the actual washing is what makes the difference. And, it is heavily fragranced which many people are allergic to or very uncomfortable with. So it is most unfair to be angry if folks choose not to use it. The ship message is 'wash your hands' and that's what you need to do and do often.

 

Watch for the ship practice. If they have noro on board you should see staff washing the railings more often and, washing cabin doors and the hall railings. Since the recent problems RCI had with some major outbreaks in the past few years, you should see stepped up cleaning practice if a case of noro is reported. They have received new guidelines for cleaning practice in this circumstance.

 

It's a miserable health problem and I'm so sorry to hear you had it.

[gizfish]

And washing hands with or without sanitizer won't stop a cold. The cold virus is air borne not skin.

 

That is so not true. Hand washing and alcohol based sanitizers absolutely do kill the cold virus. Yes, if someone sneezes or coughs without covering their mouth and nose, and you walk into that, you may catch their cold. But colds are mainly transmitted by someone having one, touching something, you touching it and then touching your face/eyes. Washing your hands before touching your face will certainly help to prevent catching a cold.

[Gquie]

On the allure a couple weeks back the wait staff at the MDR and Windjammer were very vigilant about getting people to use the purell. I cannot or at least choose not to use it because I have dry hands from, what some would call OCD hand washing, and it stings and burns when I use it unless my hands are properly moisturized.

 

As I always am very mindful of touching public surfaces and keeping my hands clean I felt it rather rude of RCI to think that they knew better and to pressure me into using the purell.

 

I have nothing against their intentions of wanting to keep the guests healthy aboard and I fully understand that a lot of people dont share the same hygienic standards as others might but the judging and insistence from the workers that I use their bottles of hand sanitizer was not appreciated.

[TM38Rob]

Just remembered about the video playing when I entered my stateroom on Oasis and again in the MDR during Muster Drill about washing your hands. There was a song, "Wash Your Hands...", and showed a cartoon about washing hands under running water with soap.

[JamesEM]

When eating in the Windjammer I use a napkin to hold the utensils, my hands turn when using RCL's sanitizers.

[danv3]

Just remembered about the video playing when I entered my stateroom on Oasis and again in the MDR during Muster Drill about washing your hands. There was a song, "Wash Your Hands...", and showed a cartoon about washing hands under running water with soap.

 

 

Saw that on Brilliance last week. It was certainly "interesting." LOL.

[marci22]

I don't like the washy stuff at the entrance but I suppose it covers a certain percentage of people who just don't think to wash their hands and so the rest of us suffer with these preschool games.

[Big_G]

I have not seen the staff doing the washy washy at the MDR, only at the WJ.

 

The "Washy - Washy" is strongly encouraged in the Windjammer due to the buffet. Helps prevent the spread of germs when handling utensils (tongs or a giant spoon) that's others will touch when picking up or scooping food items.

 

In the Main Dining Room, the waitstaff hold the tongs when you pick you choice of breads. Butter is individually wrapped. Food is not served family style, so there is little chance for someone to come in contact with food to be eaten by someone else and contaminating it.

 

Agree with both of these. It's become a habit just to use it but that's why it's not pushed in the MDR.