What have we been missing at the Windjammer??

[sellwingri]

5 hours ago, SRF said:

 

 

And are you sure nobody touches your plate or food when it is served to you?

 

And really, how many people get sick on a cruise?

 

BTW, if you really afraid of germs, don't breathe.  You would be amazed at what is in the air.

Never said I was afraid of germs.  I just don’t want to be around more than I need to be.  Additionally like I said, I don’t enjoy the food in the Windjammer.  Food is never hot and I rarely find anything that I like.  My opinion.  

Edited January 16, 2020 by sellwingri

[Judyrem]

4 hours ago, Canmilitarywife said:

Yes he is, 37 years this Aug. 

Tell him thank you for his service!  My son in law just retired after 20 years in the Navy.

 

BTW, he said he will never cruise, he cruised enough and they didn't have a Lido deck!😉

They just had jets and stuff LOL.

Edited January 16, 2020 by Judyrem

[SRF]

1 hour ago, rusty nut said:

Tons of people get sick on a cruise. Here's a challenge for you. get a seat in the Winjammer, anywhere is fine, and just observe. You will see plenty of sick people sneezing, coughing, sniffling, hacking and wiping their noses. Watch as those same people touch all the serving utensils, which sit in a warm, bacteria breeding environment. You will see dozens of people within minutes doing this. Now imagine this going on for an hour, or more. 

Like I said, I love the WJ and I am truly saddened that I can't go in there without being extraordinarily careful. The sanitary prep and avoidance is just too much for me. I believe that most passengers that get sick on a cruise, get it from the buffet. 

 

Yeap, and I eat in the WJ most meals on a cruise, and I have not been sick.   And no one I know has gotten sick.  Even norovirus outbreaks are not common.  If they were common, they would not be news.

 

Exposure to germs does not guarantee that you will get sick.

 

And anyway, you are breathing plenty of germs every breath you take.

 

Oh, by the way, food retention temperatures are set to INHIBIT bacterial growth.   And most people touch the HANDLES, which are not in contact with food.

[SRF]

21 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

Tell him thank you for his service!  My son in law just retired after 20 years in the Navy.

 

BTW, he said he will never cruise, he cruised enough and they didn't have a Lido deck!😉

They just had jets and stuff LOL.

 

My Dad did 37 years in the Navy.  Said the same thing.  And enjoyed the cruise we went on.  But that was 30+ years after he retired. 😄

 

[SRF]

38 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

Never said I was afraid of germs.  I just don’t want to be around more than I need to be.  Additionally like I said, I don’t enjoy the food in the Windjammer.  Food is never hot and I rarely find anything that I like.  My opinion.  

 

Hmm, first sentence is in direct contradiction t your posts.

 

If you don't like the food, that is another issue.  However, most every evening, I see the same things in the WJ that are on the menu for the MDR.  And since you seem to like the food in the MDR .......

 

Oh, and do you think they clean the underside of the chairs in the MDR that you grab????

[Canmilitarywife]

1 hour ago, Magicat said:

Congratulations.  I was only 2 years at Gagetown before my knees blew up.  Can I assume he knows the perks with luggage on Air Canada and Via Rail?  

Aww that sucks. Oh yes I know the perks. We use them all the time. 

[Judyrem]

10 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

My Dad did 37 years in the Navy.  Said the same thing.  And enjoyed the cruise we went on.  But that was 30+ years after he retired. 😄

 

I think he will need around 30 years too😉.

[mac66]

30 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

Tell him thank you for his service!  My son in law just retired after 20 years in the Navy.

 

BTW, he said he will never cruise, he cruised enough and they didn't have a Lido deck!😉

They just had jets and stuff LOL.

 

I met a guy on a cruise who was retired navy. He swore he'd never, ever get on another ship as long as he lived.  Well he met a woman who talked him into taking a cruise. He loved it and became a diamond within a year or two. He lived in Florida close to the port and jumped on every cheap cruise he could find. He dumped the woman but not cruising.

[ONECRUISER]

On 1/14/2020 at 1:11 AM, Tee & Chilli said:

Serenade Windjammer - excellent!

Agree, done 200 nites on Serenade since 2012 and last year plus Serenade has offered best Taste and Selection in WJ Dinners. Lunches usually same with many different things you'd expect as a Dinner offering

[goldfish65]

Novice here, I'm thinking during the day we'll ask a buffet attendant what special dinner offerings they will have? When we know we will go to WJ do we let the MDR know we aren't coming?

[Clarea]

41 minutes ago, goldfish65 said:

Novice here, I'm thinking during the day we'll ask a buffet attendant what special dinner offerings they will have? When we know we will go to WJ do we let the MDR know we aren't coming?

 

Ask the buffet attendant to speak to the Windjammer Chef.  The Chef will know the schedule.

[Bailey & Sophie]

8 hours ago, rusty nut said:

Tons of people get sick on a cruise. Here's a challenge for you. get a seat in the Winjammer, anywhere is fine, and just observe. You will see plenty of sick people sneezing, coughing, sniffling, hacking and wiping their noses. Watch as those same people touch all the serving utensils, which sit in a warm, bacteria breeding environment. You will see dozens of people within minutes doing this. Now imagine this going on for an hour, or more. 

Like I said, I love the WJ and I am truly saddened that I can't go in there without being extraordinarily careful. The sanitary prep and avoidance is just too much for me. I believe that most passengers that get sick on a cruise, get it from the buffet. 

 

This coughing and sneezing is not confined to the buffet area. It's also in the MDR, specialty restaurants, pool area, etc. It's everywhere! Quit giving the buffet a bad rap.

[toxicfairy]

On 1/15/2020 at 9:49 AM, rusty nut said:

In my home, I'm not touching vile serving spoons that breed bacteria and that hundreds of people, many of them sick have touched.

But on a ship you touch the buttons on the elevator, the railings on the stairs, the bar stools, the loungers, the phone in your room, the tv remote....all of these things can get you sick. It's from people that use the toilet and DO NOT wash their hands, or get sick and don't wash. Stomach virus is caused by germs in fecal matter and vomit. So the people that you really need to watch out for are those leaving the bathroom with out washing their hands. Oh and don't be fooled that alcohol gel does Not kill that particular germ... only good old soap and water!😥

[hal2008]

Missing in WJ?  Dish labelling.

 

They put up a "V" sign on Menu in MDR but it is always a gamble in WJ

 

is that brocoli soup really Vegeterian or has some bacon pieces in it?

potato salad one day can be veg and next day can have bacon pieces.

 

They label the food in MDR. Would be nice if they can do it in MDR too (most of the time it is the same dish from the same kitchen any way)

Edited January 17, 2020 by hal2008

[rusty nut]

13 hours ago, toxicfairy said:

But on a ship you touch the buttons on the elevator, the railings on the stairs, the bar stools, the loungers, the phone in your room, the tv remote....all of these things can get you sick. It's from people that use the toilet and DO NOT wash their hands, or get sick and don't wash. Stomach virus is caused by germs in fecal matter and vomit. So the people that you really need to watch out for are those leaving the bathroom with out washing their hands. Oh and don't be fooled that alcohol gel does Not kill that particular germ... only good old soap and water!😥

All good points. Completely agree. However, it's worse in the WJ simply because of the heat and warm environment of the heat lamps. Sure, there's germs and bacteria everywhere, but nothing like there is on the end of that serving spoon. It's amplified 100 times. So we're clear, I'm not talking about stomach virus, I'm referring to passengers that go into the WJ with a cold or flu and spread their germs everywhere. 

@Bailey & Sophie I'm not bashing the WJ. As I've said several times, I enjoy the WJ. Many times, the food is better that the MDR. I wish I could enjoy it more often.

[palmettostatecruiser]

16 hours ago, toxicfairy said:

But on a ship you touch the buttons on the elevator, the railings on the stairs, the bar stools, the loungers, the phone in your room, the tv remote....all of these things can get you sick. It's from people that use the toilet and DO NOT wash their hands, or get sick and don't wash. Stomach virus is caused by germs in fecal matter and vomit. So the people that you really need to watch out for are those leaving the bathroom with out washing their hands. Oh and don't be fooled that alcohol gel does Not kill that particular germ... only good old soap and water!😥

And not just soap and water but really scrubbing your hands well for at least 20 seconds.  and yep, Hand sanitizer doesn't kill every germ and only ones that contain 60% alcohol do any good. I laugh when I watch people constantly use those sanitizer by just rubbing a little on their hands for a couple of seconds...you're not doing anything but likely drying your hands out🤣

[SRF]

6 hours ago, rusty nut said:

All good points. Completely agree. However, it's worse in the WJ simply because of the heat and warm environment of the heat lamps. Sure, there's germs and bacteria everywhere, but nothing like there is on the end of that serving spoon. It's amplified 100 times. So we're clear, I'm not talking about stomach virus, I'm referring to passengers that go into the WJ with a cold or flu and spread their germs everywhere. 

@Bailey & Sophie I'm not bashing the WJ. As I've said several times, I enjoy the WJ. Many times, the food is better that the MDR. I wish I could enjoy it more often.

 

Food holding temperatures are set to reduce the bacterial growth.  Bacteria need a fairly narrow temperature range to grow.

 

And, they do not multiply instantly.  They reproduce about every 30 minutes to an hour (depending on conditions and the specific bacteria).  So if one bacteria gets into a dish, in 30 - 60 minutes, there are TWO.  And in another 30 - 60 minutes, there are FOUR, and so forth.  So how long do you think the food lasts?????  Even if it sits there for 4 hours, you are looking at 128 to 256 bacteria from that one.

 

The issue with bacterial growth in food is typically from LONG times, and incorrect temps.  Making the potato salad the night before, leaving it out, and then taking it to the picnic not chilled.

 

And, there is what is called the infectious dose.  You need to ingest a certain range of numbers of bacteria to get sick.  That number can range from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands.  Viruses can be much more infectious, with some only needing a single virus to possibly infect you.

 

And BTW, viruses do NOT grow in food.  They need to be in a living organism.  And typically, they are very limited in what organisms that can grow in.

[toxicfairy]

On 1/16/2020 at 2:19 PM, goldfish65 said:

Novice here, I'm thinking during the day we'll ask a buffet attendant what special dinner offerings they will have? When we know we will go to WJ do we let the MDR know we aren't coming?

Yes. If you don't let your MDR server know then they hold up the whole table for a while to see if you are coming. Because they like to take all the orders and serve everyone together.

[RN4Nsy]

On Formal Night I ran up to the Windjammer for something and they had Mountains of cold Shrimp. My son is highly allergic but I may be going up for a snack!