http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16494319.htm

At the entrance to the Caronia dining room, I noted that the "hand squirters" were used by few passengers, (perhaps one in four?) as they were on a little table off to the side. There was no sign encouraging their use. I notified the Pursers Office of this, and action was promised. Nothing was done, and the situation remained the same for all 22 days I was aboard.

But at the Lido they were front and center and diligently used. And their use on the return from shore excursions was duly monitored at the gangway.

Of course, I have no idea how much the use of these things is for show and how much for for sanitary effectiveness.

Bu the quote as posted below is simlply untrue. There were NO announcements, and the entrance to Caronia remained exactly as it had been. There were NO announcements to 'remind passengers of the outbreak.'"

I know, I was there

"He said the ship quickly adopted special procedures, such as stepped-up cleaning and disinfection of public areas, repeated announcements to remind passengers of the outbreak and proper hand-washing procedures.

Sick people also were quarantined, and the ship switched the buffet service so that only crew members serve food instead of allowing passengers to help themselves"

[ 01-20-2007: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
At the entrance to the Caronia dining room, I noted that the "hand squirters" were used by few passengers, (perhaps one in four?)

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I'm afraid not using them is human nature for many people.

On my recent 'Thomson Celebration' (budget) cruise the dining rooms, Lido buffet and a bar which served snacks all had "hand squirters". A member of staff always stood by the squirters, ensuring that all passengers used them.

Each evening all cabin corridors, their carpets, hand rails, door knobs and stair case hand rails were sanitised by a guy with a back-pack and squirt gun. The wooden and metal arm rests of furniture in all public rooms was also done each evening.

When cabins were vacated for disembarkation these were also sanitised, especially surfaces, wardrobe handles etc.

Thomson took it all very seriously, although I'm not aware that we had a major outbreak during our cruise.

[ 01-20-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
Of course, I have no idea how much the use of these things is for show and how much for for sanitary effectiveness.[ 01-20-2007: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

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I've always wondered what use an anti-bacterial spray (foam, wipe or whatever) is against a virus.

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Originally posted by Colin:
I've always wondered what use an anti-bacterial spray (foam, wipe or whatever) is against a virus.

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Well the cruise lines must think it is effective as they are using gallons of the stuff!

[ 01-21-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

My point exactly. I was concerned about the indifference shown at the entrance to the Caronia D/R, and reported same to the Purser's Desk about four days out. This is essentially the only point where the pax interacts with "management." The lady took down my comments in writing, and assured me that they would pass these thoughts to Caronia in the form of a memo. If such did take place, it was ignored.- for the next eighteen days at least.

These comments about the lack of enforcement of the expect hygiene standards on the QE2 lead me to think that ships hotel staff, often recruited from the shoreside hotel industry, are not trained correctly in how to deal with the hygiene problems and the service of food when you have a large number of people living in a confined space such as on a cruise ship.

Many staff working on the hotel side on cruise ships these days often only work at sea for a couple of years, to travel round the world, and then return to shoreside working.

On the old ss Oriana, in the ten years I was on her, we never had an outbreak of the Norovirus or any other sickness caused by the food we served which was no doubt due to having a crew who had worked for P&O for many years and abided by the company hygiene regulations in the service of food.

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Originally posted by Neil Whitmore ( Bob ):
Hi All

These comments about the lack of enforcement of the expect hygiene standards on the QE2 lead me to think that ships hotel staff, often recruited from the shoreside hotel industry, are not trained correctly in how to deal with the hygiene problems and the service of food when you have a large number of people living in a confined space such as on a cruise ship.

Many staff working on the hotel side on cruise ships these days often only work at sea for a couple of years, to travel round the world, and then return to shoreside working.

On the old ss Oriana, in the ten years I was on her, we never had an outbreak of the Norovirus or any other sickness caused by the food we served which was no doubt due to having a crew who had worked for P&O for many years and abided by the company hygiene regulations in the service of food.

Neil ( Bob )

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I believe that have nothing to do with crew comming frome shore site hotels. It's to do with day to day management of the ship in this case Captain and hotel manager. They must tighter up rules and train the crew. a/b QM2 it's done why not a/b QE2. Ithought that the virus was given by shaking hands etc and not through food (only whene touch ore handeled by person who where infected with the virus)

And Oriana that was early '80's there was not a hugh problem with noro as today. Cannot compare the situation thene and today.

Greetings Ben.

[ 01-22-2007: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

You cannot force pax to use them. Stick the squirters slightly off to the side and people walk past not noticing them. Stick them in front of the pax face as they enter an eating area and some will walk around them. On one cruise were were handed individual sachets containing wipes on entering the buffet.. one pax in front of me refused it.

They have no effect on viruses anyway, purely for standard hygiene purposes. If a passenger or crew member comes aboard bringing the virus with them, others will get it, no matter how fastidious they are. On Costa we had none of these squirters and no-one was ill, that I heard of anyway... this does not mean Costa crew were better trained or there are better company rules and regs.. only that no-one brought the virus aboard.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:
And Oriana that was early '80's there was not a hugh problem with noro as today. Cannot compare the situation thene and today.

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Also the passengers would not have been on a weekly 'rollover' all coming though airports and by other means of public transport.

I am not sure there was any less of a problem at that time. The 2 day sickness bug doing the rounds has always been about, even when I was at school. Just it has been given a few fancy names and news now spreads like wildfire. Had there been an outbreak on a ship in the South Pacific in 1980, we would never have heard of it in Europe or the US.

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Originally posted by PamM:

Also the passengers would not have been on a weekly 'rollover' all coming though airports and by other means of public transport.

I am not sure there was any less of a problem at that time. The 2 day sickness bug doing the rounds has always been about, even when I was at school. Just it has been given a few fancy names and news now spreads like wildfire. Had there been an outbreak on a ship in the South Pacific in 1980, we would never have heard of it in Europe or the US.

Pam

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Agree BUT with todays hygiëne codes we becomme cleaner and cleaner and every virus could hit more and bigger. It's fact how cleaner we are how sicker we geth. Dangerous.

Regarding passengers flying in to join a cruise ship, the majority of the Australian cruises for ss Oriana started from Sydney for about a ten year period and on most cruises we had large numbers of passengers flying in from all over Australia and from New Zealand to join our cruises at a discounted air fare.

In 1985 the discounted return air fare was Aust $ 240 for the return flight between Perth and Sydney or Aust $ 100 if flying from Adelaide or Tasmania.

Air fares are from the P&O Australian cruising brochure for the period May 1985 to March 1986.

The final cruise in this brochure was another Japanese cherry blossom cruise for ss Oriana departing Sydney on the 27th March 1986 at 19.00 hrs.

This cruise was cancelled and ss Oriana was withdrawn from service on arrival in Sydney at 07.00 hrs on the the 27th March 1986 after her final Pacific islands cruise which visited Noumea, Vila, Suva, Lautoka, and Auckland.

She was later sold to the Japanese, to be used as a museum ship at Beppu Bay.

After about two months tied up at a Pyrmont wharf berth in Sydney harbour she was towed to Japan by one of P&O's own deep sea oil rig tugs.

Regarding Costa Cruises I have some friends who last year joined a Costa 12 day fly cruise from Dover to Italy and they had no problems when they were on board, (I think), the Costa Magica.

Neil ( Bob )

[ 01-22-2007: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]

[ 01-22-2007: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]