Passenger Hygiene (or lack of it!)

[Techno123]

Hope everyone in the US is keeping safe and warm during the 'weather bomb' you are experiencing.
 

I loved our recent Regent cruise (service by British Airways excluded) and have just posted the middle two paragraphs as part of a reply on another forum which must not be named on this one 😜 and just wondered what other people's thoughts are. As a retired nurse and Biology teacher it does concern me and I have some suggestions in the last paragraph that Regent could possibly consider.

 

We have just got off the Navigator and on the whole had a wonderful cruise. However, what  really concerned me were hygiene issues linked to other passengers and I have raised this on the post cruise survey as I feel Regent could be more proactive in addressing this particularly in the areas where passengers serve themselves such as La Veranda and Coffee Connection. I followed a lady from the bathroom to La Veranda. She neither washed nor sanitised her hands from leaving the cubicle to picking up the serving tongs at the buffet. The hand sanitising station at La Veranda seemed to bypass quite a few passengers and there were also a number of people coughing over the food as they were serving themselves (Thank goodness for the sneeze guards and the fact the food is replenished frequently😜)   I also saw someone blow their nose on a large hanky, put it in his pocket and then continue serving his food again without sanitising first.

 

This is not specifically a concern about Covid (although it's still out there) there are many other highly contagious diseases (like norovirus) that could rip through a small ship like Navigator ruining the cruise for everyone and it is up to us all to maintain good hygiene measures to protect ourselves and more importantly others.

 

On a Disney cruise, my sister (young children) was amazed to see a member of staff in the washrooms reminding passengers to wash their hands!  As adults I am sure it was drummed into us all to wash our hands before eating and after certain other activities but even if we wash our hands in the suite, on the way to the dining room it is likely we have touched door handles, elevator buttons, hand rails etc which have been touched by those who are less fastidious and so having a cheery member of staff at the entrance to La Veranda suggesting guests sanitise their hands and something prominently in the suite/passages of the importance of this prior to touching shared utensils . Just my thoughts 😁

Edited December 24, 2022 by Techno123

[BBWC]

Earlier this year Regent had a staff member at the entrance to La Veranda making sure that people washed/sanitized their hands before proceeding to the buffet. When we were on Splendor in September/October we noticed that was no longer the case, and we seemed to be almost the only ones still following the practice. 

[Dr. Cocktail]

Actually, even if EVERY person were to sanitize, you'd still have a problem...

 

People eating with their hands or licking their fingers who then went back for seconds would contaminate the serving utensils.

 

As I actually know a thing or two about chains of infection, there are two spectacularly easy answer when using a ship's buffet.

 

1) always eat with a knife and fork - don't let your hands touch your food and that includes cookies!

 

2) take what you want from the buffet and use a pocket sanitizer as soon as you're seated.  Really the easiest answer.

 

This way I don't worry or obsess about other people's actions .... unless of course, they're reaching with their hands directly into the chafing dishes!

[Huggsy]

2 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Hope everyone in the US is keeping safe and warm during the 'weather bomb' you are experiencing.
 

I loved our recent Regent cruise (service by British Airways excluded) and have just posted the middle two paragraphs as part of a reply on another forum which must not be named on this one 😜 and just wondered what other people's thoughts are. As a retired nurse and Biology teacher it does concern me and I have some suggestions in the last paragraph that Regent could possibly consider.

 

We have just got off the Navigator and on the whole had a wonderful cruise. However, what  really concerned me were hygiene issues linked to other passengers and I have raised this on the post cruise survey as I feel Regent could be more proactive in addressing this particularly in the areas where passengers serve themselves such as La Veranda and Coffee Connection. I followed a lady from the bathroom to La Veranda. She neither washed nor sanitised her hands from leaving the cubicle to picking up the serving tongs at the buffet. The hand sanitising station at La Veranda seemed to bypass quite a few passengers and there were also a number of people coughing over the food as they were serving themselves (Thank goodness for the sneeze guards and the fact the food is replenished frequently😜)   I also saw someone blow their nose on a large hanky, put it in his pocket and then continue serving his food again without sanitising first.

 

This is not specifically a concern about Covid (although it's still out there) there are many other highly contagious diseases (like norovirus) that could rip through a small ship like Navigator ruining the cruise for everyone and it is up to us all to maintain good hygiene measures to protect ourselves and more importantly others.

 

On a Disney cruise, my sister (young children) was amazed to see a member of staff in the washrooms reminding passengers to wash their hands!  As adults I am sure it was drummed into us all to wash our hands before eating and after certain other activities but even if we wash our hands in the suite, on the way to the dining room it is likely we have touched door handles, elevator buttons, hand rails etc which have been touched by those who are less fastidious and so having a cheery member of staff at the entrance to La Veranda suggesting guests sanitise their hands and something prominently in the suite/passages of the importance of this prior to touching shared utensils . Just my thoughts 😁

Some years ago I was on a cruise (not Regent but that's by the by) and I was leaving the ladies' room I noticed a girl who made no intention of washing up before she left. I couldn't help myself and called her out. Well, the look on her face was priceless and I felt so empowered as she went over to the sink and applied soap and water to her hands. There is absolutely NO excuse for not washing your hands in those circumstances. And, without hesitation I'd do it again.

[Techno123]

1 hour ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

Actually, even if EVERY person were to sanitize, you'd still have a problem...

 

People eating with their hands or licking their fingers who then went back for seconds would contaminate the serving utensils.

 

As I actually know a thing or two about chains of infection, there are two spectacularly easy answer when using a ship's buffet.

 

1) always eat with a knife and fork - don't let your hands touch your food and that includes cookies!

 

2) take what you want from the buffet and use a pocket sanitizer as soon as you're seated.  Really the easiest answer.

 

This way I don't worry or obsess about other people's actions .... unless of course, they're reaching with their hands directly into the chafing dishes!

Sensible advice but mouths and hands will often make contact inadvertently and yes I have seen people pick up food with their hands and put it back on the display stand (though not on the last cruise fortunately 😜)

[Got2Cruise]

NCL has “washy washy” ladies in front of every dining venue, and upon embarkation from ports. Maybe if enough pax complained, the washy washy ladies would be on Regent also. 

[Techno123]

34 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

NCL has “washy washy” ladies in front of every dining venue, and upon embarkation from ports. Maybe if enough pax complained, the washy washy ladies would be on Regent also. 

It's ridiculous isn't it that after everything we have gone through over the last few years people still need to be 'told' to wash their hands but a combination of hand washing/sanitising together with Dr Cocktails recommendations would reduce ship transmission rates significantly (and coughing and sneezing into the elbow rather than the hands 😜)

[fudgbug]

Techno123 - Especially coughing and sneezing into the elbow rather than the hands would help things immensely. 

[mnocket]

22 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

1) always eat with a knife and fork - don't let your hands touch your food and that includes cookies!

To each their own.  Call me a daredevil but I'll continue to live on the wild side and eat cookies with my hands.  I'm sure you're not alone, but I really can't recall ever seeing anyone eat a cookie with a knife and fork.

[Dr. Cocktail]

11 minutes ago, mnocket said:

To each their own.  Call me a daredevil but I'll continue to live on the wild side and eat cookies with my hands.  I'm sure you're not alone, but I really can't recall ever seeing anyone eat a cookie with a knife and fork.

I was using it as an example!

 

Easiest way for cookes is to hold it with a paper napkin....

 

Just sanitize your hands when you sit down .... it will only take one episode of fomite transmitted food poisoning for you to change your mind. A bowl of chips and salsa at the Hilton in Ft. Lauderdale knocked me out - almost 100% from the chips from someone else's bowl being dumped into the bowl that I ate.

 

My partner and I have both had this on different vacations - always fun when you feel like you want to die but yet the two of us are using our training to figure out what the cause was!

 

 

[mrlevin]

20 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

NCL has “washy washy” ladies in front of every dining venue, and upon embarkation from ports. Maybe if enough pax complained, the washy washy ladies would be on Regent also. 

PLEASE NO!!!!

 

Yes, I am shouting.  If you need more emphasis, read my signature quote. 

[mnocket]

23 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

I was using it as an example!

 

Easiest way for cookes is to hold it with a paper napkin....

 

Just sanitize your hands when you sit down .... it will only take one episode of fomite transmitted food poisoning for you to change your mind. A bowl of chips and salsa at the Hilton in Ft. Lauderdale knocked me out - almost 100% from the chips from someone else's bowl being dumped into the bowl that I ate.

 

My partner and I have both had this on different vacations - always fun when you feel like you want to die but yet the two of us are using our training to figure out what the cause was!

 

 

Like I said.... to each their own. I love chips and salsa!  Chips and salsa along with a margarita in a Mexican restaurant is one of life's simple pleasures for me.  The risk may not be worth it for you.  Certainly there's a chance that chips may be contaminated before being served - just as there is a chance cookies may be contaminated on a buffet.  In such a case, eating with a napkin will offer no protection inho, but you seem to have expertise in this area so I may be wrong.  We're all different and that's OK.  I feel I may have offended you by expressing a differing viewpoint/having a different risk tolerance and that was not my intention.

Edited December 25, 2022 by mnocket

[Techno123]

6 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Like I said.... to each their own. I love chips and salsa!  Chips and salsa along with a margarita in a Mexican restaurant is one of life's simple pleasures for me.  The risk may not be worth it for you.  Certainly there's a chance that chips may be contaminated before being served - just as there is a chance cookies may be contaminated on a buffet.  In such a case, eating with a napkin will offer no protection inho, but you seem to have expertise in this area so I may be wrong.  We're all different and that's OK.  I feel I may have offended you by expressing a differing viewpoint/having a different risk tolerance and that was not my intention.

My point is it is about risk mitigation - adults should not need to be reminded to wash/sanitise their hands when touching things others also need to touch but sadly, some do need to be reminded - the simple act of sanitising hands would make a huge difference to the risk of picking up a lurgy or passing on to others. There are somethings I prefer to eat with my hands too and yes, it is possible that food may have been contaminated in the kitchen but it is more likely that staff on a Regent cruise will be following food hygiene procedures (I hope).

[mnocket]

7 minutes ago, Techno123 said:

My point is it is about risk mitigation - adults should not need to be reminded to wash/sanitise their hands when touching things others also need to touch but sadly, some do need to be reminded - the simple act of sanitising hands would make a huge difference to the risk of picking up a lurgy or passing on to others. There are somethings I prefer to eat with my hands too and yes, it is possible that food may have been contaminated in the kitchen but it is more likely that staff on a Regent cruise will be following food hygiene procedures (I hope).

I completely agree with your point.

[flossie009]

27 minutes ago, Techno123 said:

adults should not need to be reminded to wash/sanitise their hands when touching things

Correct ………………. and no amount of reminding will influence those with bad habits

[Dr. Cocktail]

8 hours ago, mnocket said:

Like I said.... to each their own. I love chips and salsa!  Chips and salsa along with a margarita in a Mexican restaurant is one of life's simple pleasures for me.  The risk may not be worth it for you.  Certainly there's a chance that chips may be contaminated before being served - just as there is a chance cookies may be contaminated on a buffet.  In such a case, eating with a napkin will offer no protection inho, but you seem to have expertise in this area so I may be wrong.  We're all different and that's OK.  I feel I may have offended you by expressing a differing viewpoint/having a different risk tolerance and that was not my intention.

OMG - sooooooo not offended.

 

I don't think that you're quite reading me correctly - my partner and I are both 6 feet tall, cardiovascularly fit guys who were knocked FLAT by our respective food poisonings - both likely as a result of Staph. Let me tell you - when you spend 10 hours not knowing which end to stick into the toilet first, it will make you reconsider your behaviour!

 

You're 100 % correct - there was ZERO way for us to protect ourselves but ... it made us think and as others have said, wherever we can mitigate risk, we will.

 

We'll continue to eat chips, salsa and cookies (no, that is NOT a thing ....) but will give ourselves a squirt before!

Edited December 26, 2022 by Dr. Cocktail

[irishwitchy]

As much as we would all love to control others to do the right thing,  wash hands, cough/sneeze into the elbow,  use sanitizer, etc - we really can’t.  I like the advice given above,  my before you dig into your food you wash or sanitize your hands, because you can’t know if those tongs, plates and other things haven’t been manhandled by germ carrying fingers!  Or you can recreate a classic Seinfeld episode and cut up your candy bar or cookie in this case. 

[cruiseluv]

On 12/24/2022 at 6:26 PM, Got2Cruise said:

NCL has “washy washy” ladies in front of every dining venue, and upon embarkation from ports. Maybe if enough pax complained, the washy washy ladies would be on Regent also. 

No!! Enough already! Imagine living with this level of paranoia

Edited December 26, 2022 by cruiseluv

[gb58]

2 hours ago, cruiseluv said:

No!! Enough already! Imagine living with this level of paranoia

Bravo. Very well said!!!!

 

[Techno123]

A degree of paranoia helps to keep you healthy 😂 certainly works for me.
 

In fairness, I have observed (and called out - see Huggsy's post above) enough people leaving public washrooms who have not washed their hands that I open the exit door using a tissue/paper towel or the sleeve of my jumper and don't touch hand rails or elevator buttons. Having dealt with E Coli outbreaks, to me this is not paranoia it is taking sensible precautions.

 

My husband hated the fact that on Oceania the staff served the food at the buffet but that is a possible alternative (and I believe is the norm during norovirus outbreaks on most cruise ships). I know I could avoid the buffets but I do love being able to select small portions of food to try (seared tuna loin I am talking to you 😜) which I might not order in a full service restaurant.

[rcandkc]

I have for years used a paper towel or tissue to flush toilet, open stall door, open door to exit restroom….I do enjoy buffets and haven’t followed through with using a tissue or whatever for utensils at buffet…I’ll have to consider this.  It would protect me from others and others from me.   Two way street.  

[zak477]

We were on the Splendor this past January and crew members stood at the sinks at the entrance to the La Veranda and you had to actually wash your hands before going to the buffet. We were back on the Splendor in April and this practice was stopped.  

In October we were on the Mariner, 9 days LA to and back, Mexico and no washing at all. No hand sanitizer crew and you had to look for a sanitizer dispenser. 

I agree with the original writer that oh so many no longer wash their hands and sneeze without covering the faces. Not just on ships but everywhere.  Forget covid, it is just lazy and thoughtless for others. 

 

[carolina cruisin]

9 hours ago, zak477 said:

We were on the Splendor this past January and crew members stood at the sinks at the entrance to the La Veranda and you had to actually wash your hands before going to the buffet. We were back on the Splendor in April and this practice was stopped.  

In October we were on the Mariner, 9 days LA to and back, Mexico and no washing at all. No hand sanitizer crew and you had to look for a sanitizer dispenser. 

I agree with the original writer that oh so many no longer wash their hands and sneeze without covering the faces. Not just on ships but everywhere.  Forget covid, it is just lazy and thoughtless for others. 

 

On the Mariner Nov/Dec - hand sanitizers all over the place - outside elevators - at each entrance to dining venues, etc.  And staff member present to remind you. IMHO - a good idea that should continue

[Got2Cruise]

On 12/25/2022 at 3:13 PM, mrlevin said:

PLEASE NO!!!!

 

Yes, I am shouting.  If you need more emphasis, read my signature quote. 

I’m sorry but public health concerns, such as spreading norvovirus on a cruise ship overrides individual rights. How is the ship supposed to contain norovirus then. Better than puking for the length of the cruise and not allowed out of your cabin. 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Got2Cruise

[flyau98]

I wish everyone would wash too…but I think you all would be surprised at the lack of hygiene you just don’t see in your life off the ship…. 
 

people focus on cruises because outbreaks are easily seen (or tracked) you just don’t know about the ones that come out of your favorite restaurant (or hospital) at home.