The last 2 days of the cruise saw the crew on "red alert" status.... they removed milk jugs, sugar pots, salt and pepper from the tables, they changed the buffet service from self-service to an arrangement where the food was put on to your plates for you....

There were also many more bottles of alcohol hand gel around than at the beginning of the cruise.

Being our 18th cruise, it was fairly obvious something serious was going on, and this was later confirmed by a crew member who will remain anonymous.

However... there was a massive risk of cross contamination which Princess did nothing about... the bar waiters were collecting dirty glasses, with their fingers inside the rims, and then serving drinks, without washing hands between the two processes. Surely it would be easy to seperate staff into "cleaning" and "serving" but it seems that while the food service areas were well prepared to deal with a virus outbreak, the drinks areas were not so well prepared.

We had wholehertedly recommended a cruise to them as they had never done one before, and even though its not our fault, we feel rather guilty.

A real pity that it may stem from just one dirty git who has failed to wash their hands, if thats the case, then shame on them...

WASH,WASH your hands often.

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
So far no problems when doing this.
Frosty 4

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This practice is adopted across the whole P&O fleet.

If Princess still hoped people would self use the dispensers on the entrances to areas that served food, perhaps they should adopt their sister line's stance.

It still doesn't excuse a person who hasn't washed their hands properly.

Throughout our Sun Princess cruise last week, staff were ensuring that people used the dispensers at the buffet.

The last 2 days they did the same at the waiter service dining rooms, and the waiters themselves served sugar, salt and pepper!

However, this hygiene doesn't protect us from the passenger who cleans his hands, then sucks his fingers / wipes his nose and then helps himself from the buffet.

And when the cruise line concentrates their efforts on food service areas but does nothing in the equally risky drinks service areas, then we are all still at risk.

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andyc wrote:
...the bar waiters were collecting dirty glasses, with their fingers inside the rims, and then serving drinks, without washing hands between the two processes...

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If you drink ALCOHOL from those (washed) glasses you should be right and you won't get anything from the rim, however you'll get the germs onto your hands from handling the glass.

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I am not going to mention any names here but I recently contracted the virus and wrote to the company's customer relations upon my return.

I outlined serious faults ovserved by myself on behalf of the cruise ship staff.

In response I got a HUGE discount off my next cruise and allot more than the other passengers got.

Basically they agreed that there were serious flaws in their prevention scheme used on board and I identified them all.

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Sutho:
...I outlined serious faults ovserved by myself on behalf of the cruise ship staff...

...Basically they agreed that there were serious flaws in their prevention scheme used on board and I identified them all...

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Good on you Sutho. This shows you that there are deficiencies in the system.

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quote:

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Originally posted by bulbousbow:

If you drink ALCOHOL from those (washed) glasses you should be right and you won't get anything from the rim, however you'll get the germs onto your hands from handling the glass.

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Cheers

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And if you drink soft drinks or fruit juice...... you're stuffed!

I would be surprised to believe that an alcoholic drink would protect you anyway.... it's on the inside of the glass, and your lips come into contact with theoutside of the glass

Maybe the spanish had it right with those old jugs with the long spout, when you poured wine straight in to your mouth (and down your shirt).....

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Originally posted by mike sa:
These virus outbreaks are 99% due to passangers bringing them on board not the ship giving them to passangers.

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These virus outbreaks are 100% due to passengers bringing the virus on board........

and poor passenger hygiene whilst on board, added to poor anti- cross contamination procedures on the ship giving them every opportunity to spread.

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andyc wrote:
And if you drink soft drinks or fruit juice...... you're stuffed!

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Literally!

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I would be surprised to believe that an alcoholic drink would protect you anyway.... it's on the inside of the glass, and your lips come into contact with theoutside of the glass

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A few nips of straight alcohol will kill almost anything, even your insides!

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Princess has hand santizing stations near all their self service locations and if a spoon falls into the food the whole tray is removed. But with all their efforts, people have bad hygene and opps we are all feeling bad.

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Originally posted by sunviking82:

Princess has hand santizing stations near all their self service locations

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Indeed they do, and the buffet staff were making sure that passengers used them.

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and if a spoon falls into the food the whole tray is removed.

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Not always. Even during the "red alert" phase, when staff were serving food in the buffet lines, a passenger took hold of a utensil, was told to put it down, he placed the utensil, handle and all, back on the tray of bacon, and the crew member took hold of the utensil to serve the same bacon. (So I had sausage instead!)

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You can't blame the cruise line,

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With the poor hygiene practices that I observed in the bar, (posted above) you certainly can blame the cruise line.

[ 06-01-2006: Message edited by: andyc ]

[ 06-01-2006: Message edited by: andyc ]

I believe that it is possible for crew members to bring the virus on.

This is not being discriminating but according to Health Services Australia the norovirus is rampant in parts of India. It could be possible that Indian crew members bring it on.

I like the Indian staff they can remember my name year after year if I go on the same ship. They remember what you like and personalise your service.

Then on P&O ships they have British Officers. Apparantly it is rampant in Britain too. Could the British Officers be bringing the virus on?

I actually read an article once that cruise ship staff you have high probabilities of getting an STD of them as they have a girl or guy on every crusie!

The problem is caused by cramming 2500 people or more in a relatively small space, be it ship, plane or building, and all sharing many of the Facilities.

[ 06-02-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I understand that it is not funny to be ill during holidays - especially if it is only a short holiday.

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