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Cockroaches found on cruise ships
September 1, 2005

Out-of-date food, cockroaches and flies were found on board four cruise liners last year, Which? magazine claims.

Hygiene problems were discovered when Southampton port health authority inspectors visited the ships including P&O Cruises' Aurora and Oceana.

They also toured Thompson Cruises' Celebration and Fred Olsen cruise lines' Black Prince vessel in May 2004.

P&O, Thompson, Fred Olsen cruises and Cunard said they had taken action since the inspectors reported their findings.

P&O Cruises said in a statement that it had acted promptly in response to the Southampton port health authority's recommendations.

It read: "The health and safety of our passengers is of paramount importance and we would like to reassure all guests that the points made in the report would not have affected them.

"Southampton port health services were satisfied with our responses and no further action has been taken by them with regards to any of the points made."

Out of date veal was discovered thawing on P&O's luxury liner, Aurora.

Large flies were found in the a larder in its sister ship, the Oceana two months later during a check-up, Which? said.

The report also revealed staff reported "cockroach activity" on Cunard's Caronia.

Inspectors also had "little confidence" in Thomson's "food-safety controls" after touring the Celebration a month before its first post-refurbishment voyage.

'No infestation'

A Cunard spokesman said the cockroach activity had been found by the company's own staff who reported it to the authorities.

He added: "It was immediately dealt with and we had no problem with it. This is a truly minor occurrence.

"There wasn't an infestation or anything like that," he said.

A Thomson Cruises spokesman said the Celebration had undergone refurbishment and had not yet sailed with passengers at the time of the inspection and a food safety management system was now place on the ship.

Riccardo Benzo, marketing manager for Fred Olsen cruise lines, said staff had been issued with new guidelines to make them aware of the need to check equipment.

Consumer group Which? which obtained the inspectors' reports under new freedom of information rules is now calling for all UK cruise ship hygiene reports to be made available online.

BBC

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When the TROPICALE first arrived in Miami from the builders' yard in Denmark, Dec. 1981, I saw cockroaches on board--they had boarded in Miami before the first passengers had even sailed on the ship!

I've come across a roach on a ship, but only on the deck outside, keeping it clean of bugs. I have also come across roaches in an hotel once, that wasn't too pleasant as they ran behind a non-moveable dresser before I squashed them; but seemingly they were got rid of once I informed the front desk, as they didn't appear again. I've had too many to count at home as a kid; when the drains were fumigated every so often we used to have to bung up the plug holes/overflows etc, to stop the exodus into one's house. I guess one's 'yuk' factor depends on how many and where one has come across them before. I just kill them.. when possible as can be buggers... some people scream the place down.
Good job it was you Sympatico, I can imagine the reaction of some others max exodus from the dining room!

Plenty of out of date food in my cupboards/freezer; there's nothing wrong with it, but I wouldn't feed it to anyone else. Crumbs in years gone by food didn't get to our grocery store shelves until it was past its sell by date. We used to sieve the weevils from the flour before use, nowadays, see a weevil and the flour is chucked.

Pam

[ 09-02-2005: Message edited by: PamM ]

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We used to sieve the weevils from the flour before use, nowadays, see a weevil and the flour is chucked.

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Pam - put a bay leaf in the flour bag or cannister. My mother taught me this many, many years ago and I have never had weavils.

Never use boxes from the grocery store for storage or when you are moving. My son did this and brought the little bu**ers home to me when he moved from his apt back home after University. I nearly freaked out when I found them behind the toaster oven.

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Originally posted by PamM:
I suspect a similar survey of 4* & 5* hotel would produce worse results than those listed above. I would wager a bet on cruise ship kitchens [in general] being cleaner than their counterparts on land.
dining room!

Pam

[ 09-02-2005: Message edited by: PamM ]

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That is absolutely true! Land-based eateries do not face the same scrutiny of Public Health inspections that cruise ships do--hotels and restaurants can get away with many things that are not permissible in ship galleys.

For example, on a ship, finding a cockroach is less of an offense than finding a cutting knife with a plastic or wooden handle. (Knives must be one-piece steel--a blade joining a separate handle is a breeding ground for bacteria.) This is just one of thousands of pre-requisites for ships' galleys, which the public is not even aware of.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
I bet most of our kitchens at home would fail the health inspection tests!

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Very true - but in my case there is no immediate danger - not a lot of people would eat things coming out from my kitchen. An inherent protection system.

[ 09-02-2005: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by Ernst:
...not a lot of people would eat things coming out from my kitchen.

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When can hear them in your tash can in the kitchen or when you are afraid to turn on the kitchen light at night, that's when you need to call the exterminator.

The roaches are such a part of life in NO, the radio stations would have goofy contests with Texas on who has the biggest roaches and ask listeners to submit them for judging. They told tales that the flying variety of roach fly in battalions in Texas and have little insignia on their wings.

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KansasK wrote:
With the flooding in NO, I wonder if all the roaches drowned, or if they all sought high ground. I somehow do not think that the hurricane wiped them out.

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You are absolutely correct. There still will be many, surviving by seeking higher ground on upper floors of buildings. Those that were submerged may even have drowned. Not sure if they like salty sea water!

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Cheers

[ 09-04-2005: Message edited by: bulbousbow ]

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mrblanche wrote:
They come in on the boxes of groceries, etc.

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That's true. If not in the box the bloody things will attach themselves on the underside and get carried inside or onboard unnoticed. Also their body shape really helps them hide in the nooks and crannies.

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A week later passing the restaurant he was closed on order by the public healt authority. He never reopened.

I once stayed in a motel in Orlando, FL where iI swear they were the size of tanks. When I owned property outside of Braedonton, Fl, I sprayed once or twice a year to keep them under control and out of my home.

Persistent lil buggers! What a nerve to live rent free in our cellars, pantries and within our walls.

Never saw any on my cruises(Carnival, Cunard).

...Kenneth...ugh

[ 09-11-2005: Message edited by: Kenneth ]

[ 09-11-2005: Message edited by: Kenneth ]

[ 09-11-2005: Message edited by: Kenneth ]

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Originally posted by Kenneth:
[QB]I once read that these creatures will survive man and become the dominate life form on earth. Apparently not even radiation will get rid of them!

I once stayed in a motel in Orlando, FL where iI swear they were the size of tanks. When I owned property outside of Braedonton, Fl, I sprayed once or twice a year to keep them under control and out of my home.

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In Florida they have fancy names for them - PALMETTO BUGS.

http://www.dudeface.com/pbdefinit.html

We used to stay in Pompano for a couple of weeks every May and one day I opened a cupboard in the kitchen and found one in there.....I let out one ungodly scream and ran out of the apartment. The exterminators were in immediately. They do look like the size of tanks. Yuck.

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Originally posted by usha:
I read somewhere that cockroaches would be the only survivors after a massive nuclear explosion. Okay, well, cockroaches and Keith Richards...

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