Enhanced Sanitation Measures

[lambs2]

HAL does a great job with their buffet service. Salads are made FOR you at several different stations. Desserts are all individually plated and most beverages already poured.They also have plenty of staff in the buffet going from table to table to get beverages for the passengers. The only place I saw serve yourself was at the pizza station.

[KansasTexan]

2 hours ago, BBlake43 said:

Problem is I think people sometimes forget they're not at home.. I see people lick their fingers or cough into their hands and then handle serving spoons or touch other things that are public use.. I think there should be more emphasis on etiquette especially in the buffet area.. Coughing into arm if you must cough, don't reuse plates, just to name a couple

 

I've seen the same. And watching someone hold their phone and then grab a serving spoon is just gross.  

[ncl757]

I still see a lot of issues, but better safe than sorry...

 

People handing their water bottles to a crew member, to fill, and then hand back just means the crews gloves are now contaminated, yet they don’t change...  If they were only handling clean glasses, it would be different.

 

Also not sure NCL is staffed for this.  You’ll have 1 chef trying to dish people for 5-6 dishes in their area. They need a little more help on the distribution front.  Also, if it’s slow, the crew is off preparing food, not serving, and at breakfast this morning I stood there for 3-4 minutes and no one was in sight behind the counter.

[mianmike]

The focus is always on the buffet.  We eat in the restaurants and hate those nasty sticky faux leather-bound menus.  People sit there handling the menu while they sneeze, cough, eat bread, lick fingers etc.   I hope they've gone to one-use paper menus. 

[brilliantseas]

On 1/31/2020 at 6:51 PM, mianmike said:

The focus is always on the buffet.  We eat in the restaurants and hate those nasty sticky faux leather-bound menus.  People sit there handling the menu while they sneeze, cough, eat bread, lick fingers etc.   I hope they've gone to one-use paper menus. 

 

You bring up an excellent point. Although NCL was going to great lengths at the buffet, even roping off the ice cream machine and beverage stations and portioning table-top condiments into single use portion cups, they did not make the switch to single-use paper menus in the restaurants. I think this is a miss. In Teppanyaki on Escape last night, my well-used menu was sitting on top of my plate upon arrival. 

 

On an unrelated note, this is also the first ship that I have seen where the staff at all of the bars and hostess stations had sanitizer wipes and would wipe your ship card on both sides before using it to process any transactions. I believe this was in place even before the changes made on Thursday evening, but I think that it is a great idea. 

[casofilia]

One thing you need to be ready for is that the MDRs will become fuller and so there may well be longer wait times.   Service there will be slower too.

 

I hope that when all ships are dry-docked they put in sinks and hot water at all entrances to all dining places.  Then have someone at each one demanding everyone wash their hands.   Hot water and soap is far more effective than any hand cleaner.

[thedriver23]

Great point raised about the menus in MDR

 

Everyone assumes that the MDR will be better than the buffet - on avoiding a contamination issue - yet just by looking at one point in the MDR shows how difficult the situation is.

 

It would be good if the Menus could be shown on the NCL app - that way you could make your decision about food using your own device - if that’s what you wanted

[dd likes to cruise]

On 1/31/2020 at 10:51 AM, mking8288 said:

 

Now, how about a permanent solution to the "abusive" water bottle refilling syndrome - I get disgusted every time watching them jamming the nozzles while spilling & wetting the floor.  

 

I always politely point to the sign that is always on top the machine or somewhere close by and remind the offenders. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they do not.  All we can do is try. 

[dd likes to cruise]

On 1/31/2020 at 6:51 PM, mianmike said:

The focus is always on the buffet.  We eat in the restaurants and hate those nasty sticky faux leather-bound menus.  People sit there handling the menu while they sneeze, cough, eat bread, lick fingers etc.   I hope they've gone to one-use paper menus. 

 

Prior to them handing me the menu, I move my plate and utensils to the far side of the table.  Then I take menu and do not hold it above my stuff. 

[onetimearoundtheworld]

germaphobe anyone? how do you survive in public spaces where someone might have sneezed into their hands and then used the handrails at a train station, pushed elevator buttons in a building or a box of milk and put it back before you buying it?

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

 

I always politely point to the sign that is always on top the machine or somewhere close by and remind the offenders. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they do not.  All we can do is try. 

 

I did just that on the Gem a few weeks ago for a guy with his refillable bottle pressed up to the drink dispenser nozzle.  He said to me, “What are you, the police?”  My reply, “No, just someone who would like to stay healthy on this cruise.”  To which he said, “I don’t care” and continued filling his bottle. 

 

I just don’t understand people like that. 

[david_sobe]

12 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I did just that on the Gem a few weeks ago for a guy with his refillable bottle pressed up to the drink dispenser nozzle.  He said to me, “What are you, the police?”  My reply, “No, just someone who would like to stay healthy on this cruise.”  To which he said, “I don’t care” and continued filling his bottle. 

 

I just don’t understand people like that. 

Lots of people like that.  I don't get why people want to refill bottles.  Empty bottles breed germs and bacteria immediately since they stay moist inside.  We live in a world of "rules are for other people."  Everyone thinks the world revolves around them. Just look at airplanes when they start boarding.  Few pay attention to their boarding number and just push to the front.  It will only get worse because manners are not taught anymore.

[Envelope21]

Disembarking Joy today. Procedures have been in place for 3 days. DH and I wash our hands religiously. Don’t touch hand rails going up and down stairs. Use knuckle to push elevator buttons. Both still got sick. Do what you can, but there is no guarantee. We still had a great cruise. Joy is beautiful! 😀

[dd likes to cruise]

4 hours ago, onetimearoundtheworld said:

germaphobe anyone? how do you survive in public spaces where someone might have sneezed into their hands and then used the handrails at a train station, pushed elevator buttons in a building or a box of milk and put it back before you buying it?

 

I am not a germaphobe by any means. But there are common sense things we should do to attempt not to get sick.        To allow a dirty menu to sit on top of my plate is one of them.        I also try not to use the handrails under normal conditions. But if I feel like I might fall, or if it is very rough, yes I hold the handrail, I’m not going to allow myself to fall.       If paper towels are available, I use it to open doors of bathroom, considering I’ve just washed my hands I want to have them clean as long as possible.     I might also use my knuckle to push elevator buttons if I think about it. 

 

But I ‘m not in the group that says sinks should be at all food entrances, and people should force us to use them.   We can not live in a bubble, but we can TRY to stay as safe as possible within reason. To each his own!  

[Nebr.cruiser]

5 hours ago, thedriver23 said:

Great point raised about the menus in MDR

 

Everyone assumes that the MDR will be better than the buffet - on avoiding a contamination issue - yet just by looking at one point in the MDR shows how difficult the situation is.

 

It would be good if the Menus could be shown on the NCL app - that way you could make your decision about food using your own device - if that’s what you wanted

We were on the Pearl on a Transatlantic last year when a supposed Noro outbreak occurred.  Besides all the above mentioned precautions in the buffet and lots and lots of cleaning around the ship, paper menus, no tablecloths, no sale shakers, etc., were steps taken in the main dining room.  

 

I did feel sorry for the staff as they did a lot of extra work.  And still some passengers defied all such precautions or refused to report their illness or ignored quarantines.

[tumblew467]

2 hours ago, Envelope21 said:

Disembarking Joy today. Procedures have been in place for 3 days. DH and I wash our hands religiously. Don’t touch hand rails going up and down stairs. Use knuckle to push elevator buttons. Both still got sick. Do what you can, but there is no guarantee. We still had a great cruise. Joy is beautiful! 😀

What did you come down with ?Just curious

[MotownVoice]

3 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

But I ‘m not in the group that says sinks should be at all food entrances, and people should force us to use them.   We can not live in a bubble, but we can TRY to stay as safe as possible within reason. To each his own!  

Ok the day we decide as a society that personal hygiene with disease prevention in mind is “living in a bubble” will be the day I’ll want to buy property on Galapagos.

 

There is no acceptable such thing as “to each his own” when we’re talking about preventing the spread of communicable diseases.    It was “to each his own” in 14th Century Europe when 200 million people dropped dead of the Black Plague.

 

Hopefully the adults in the room can band together to make sure the people whose minds are still in the dark ages don’t kill us all.

 

again.

[dd likes to cruise]

53 minutes ago, MotownVoice said:

 

There is no acceptable such thing as “to each his own” when we’re talking about preventing the spread of communicable diseases.    It was “to each his own” in 14th Century Europe when 200 million people dropped dead of the Black Plague.

 

 

 

My “to each his own” is not to say lets not be careful.  But who is to decide?  Are we each going to have to a scrub down like surgeons do prior to surgery before we step out of our homes, or ship cabin, or at the sink some want to be at the food venues door?  I do believe that is impossible. We each need to do what makes us feel safe. Yes, we need to continue to try to educate others on what is acceptable. 

[mking8288]

10 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

 

I always politely point to the sign that is always on top the machine or somewhere close by and remind the offenders. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they do not.  All we can do is try. 

 

Great suggestions, but not while there are "working" crew members nearby on duty at those water/beverage stations ... they know & see what's been going on, cleaning & moping the wet floor in between, even had the safety orange "Wet Floor" sign out.  Other guests are tip-toeing around the slippery floor. 

 

If they aren't confronting or explaining to the guests on what to do & NOT to do, or pointing out the signage (in English only) - which isn't always understood clearly by "foreign" travelers unfamiliar with the language - I am not about to engage them directly myself. 

 

The problem with hygenic behavior on a cruise ship isn't, as others pointed out, limited to and just a problem with the water bottles alone.  I would say, easily 50% of the guests walking into the MDR don't bother to sanitize their hands with the dispenser and there is usually nobody doing "washy washy" duties at the entrance, only in the buffet ... not even at O'Sheehan's or Locals.  Compliance in hand wash is basically, really, voluntary & easily faked when deemed "mandatory".   

 

 

[jcscv]

I think it's great having the staff serve you from the buffet.  I can't tell you how many times I see people picking food out with their hands because they're too lazy to use a serving utensil (especially at bread stations). And I've seen people spoon food on their plates, and then change their mind and put it back.  The serving utensils handles sometimes get pretty gross with all the use also. 

 

And while I realize it may cause delays at the buffet, I'd rather wait a extra couple of minutes than risk illness. While I agree you can't avoid all the germs,  inconsiderate people will still be inconsiderate, but some small measures could definitely help with possible illnesses on board. 

 

 

[MotownVoice]

2 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

 

My “to each his own” is not to say lets not be careful.  But who is to decide?  Are we each going to have to a scrub down like surgeons do prior to surgery before we step out of our homes, or ship cabin, or at the sink some want to be at the food venues door?  I do believe that is impossible. We each need to do what makes us feel safe. Yes, we need to continue to try to educate others on what is acceptable. 

We don’t have to be Mr or Mrs Slippery Slope here.   We all know what a good hand washing amounts to.  Soap and hot water.   If you’re not sure how long to scrub sing your ABC’s in your head 3 times.   But by the time we’re 20 we usually have it down.

Edited February 2, 2020 by MotownVoice

[Gershep]

I think the crew should always serve the food in the buffet.  I would rather be safe than sick.

[ray98]

LOL.....5k people all lining up to wash their hands for 3 ABC songs.....no backup there.🙄

[dd likes to cruise]

4 hours ago, ray98 said:

LOL.....5k people all lining up to wash their hands for 3 ABC songs.....no backup there.🙄

 

I thought the same thing. Didn’t want to start a comment war with the poster. 😂

[Bananas27]

I like to just get one bite of a lot of different items to see what I like and then go back.  I couldn't ask the crew to serve me a plate like that.