Buffet line etiquette?

I must be the only one on here that go to the Windjammer everyday and don't even think about what who was doing what or how they handled the utensils and such before I came in there. I walk through and pick up the utensils and when I get back to the table I use my pocket size sanitizer and then eat. I just can't live my life worried about what germs might be on everything I touch. On a given day I must touch a gazillion things, so nope I won't do it!

Nope, you're not the only one.

You are not the only two.

I must be the only one on here that go to the Windjammer everyday and don't even think about what who was doing what or how they handled the utensils and such before I came in there. I walk through and pick up the utensils and when I get back to the table I use my pocket size sanitizer and then eat. I just can't live my life worried about what germs might be on everything I touch. On a given day I must touch a gazillion things, so nope I won't do it!

You are not alone.

Sign me up for the "don't know, don't care" club.

Sign me up for the "don't know, don't care" club.

You've been signed up.

I always use the tongs, licking them clean before putting them back so they are ready for the next person

I almost spit my coffee out on this comment. :D

I know you mean telekinesis, but I laughed really hard imagining you telepathically communicating to a dinner roll and convincing it diplomatically to get up and hop onto your plate.

Yeah, that's a keeper.

I wash my hands in bleach before and after each meal and bowel movement and I also swig a glass of bleach at the end of each meal. So far no sickness after 13 cruises. Seems to work for me.

It's not just the buffet. None of us want to know what goes on behind the scenes of a restaurant. I'm sure it's equally disgusting.

 

Actually, on a cruise ship, the kitchen staff is probably better than most land restaurants, having seen some of their scores on health tests, and just general peaks I've seen in the back. If you get Noro, it's probably not the fault of the kitchen staff or cruise ship crew, but of passengers.

When home,I have a friend who sells kitchen tools,he always tells me about the dirty back rooms,( kitchens ).Cruise ships are super clean ,a lot of pass.are slobs,leave the BRs not washing hands,handle & pick over apples & fruit,drop tongs on the deck,put them back,look over food,take,put back,( not to there liking ),let's face it,people are slobs,I do all the clean ups required,never got sick,don't worry about it.you can't fight them all !

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I am usually in such a rush to belly up to the trough that my hands are still slightly wet with hand sanitizer while handling the utensils. Just maybe that will kill a germ or two. Once I reach the table, I will grease up again if I suspect that I have touched something with potential contamination.

That would be a great time to reapply. I have done it a second time when I have seen gross behavior even if not what I got.

I wash my hands in bleach before and after each meal and bowel movement and I also swig a glass of bleach at the end of each meal. So far no sickness after 13 cruises. Seems to work for me.

Actually the drink package works and tastes so much better.:eek::eek:

I must be the only one on here that go to the Windjammer everyday and don't even think about what who was doing what or how they handled the utensils and such before I came in there. I walk through and pick up the utensils and when I get back to the table I use my pocket size sanitizer and then eat. I just can't live my life worried about what germs might be on everything I touch. On a given day I must touch a gazillion things, so nope I won't do it!

Same here.

Too many other REAL hazards to worry about.

But as a professional in occupational health and safety, most people are afraid of the wrong hazards in their lives.

I LOVE the ones standing ranting about the hazards of radon gas, while smoking like a chimney. :D

Sometimes its best you just don't know what people do with their hands before going to the feeding frenzy line. I have seen some in the bathroom, come out and not wash their hands and go right to the buffet touching everything!!!! It's just like every other place you eat at no matter where it is. You have no idea what people do, scary:( Relax and enjoy the cruise. I know others have seen employees standing there before entering the windjammer trying to get everyone to use the hand sanitizers and people practically run by to avoid them.

I think using hand sanitizer when seated at your table would clear the worry.

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I think using hand sanitizer when seated at your table would clear the worry.

 

 

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That's what I do also. Sharing all of those continuously touched utensils, and then

picking up a piece of bread/French fry with my hands to eat...not something I like to think about. :o

Overuse of hand sanitizer is actually causing some big problems. The US Center for Disease Control found that people who used hand sanitizer over normal hand washing were significantly more likely to develop norovirus in the event of an outbreak. When people use sanitizer over and over when they don't really need to, it eliminates beneficial (and less harmful) bacteria that keeps the "super bugs" in check. With frequent use it also weakens your immune system.

Reaching for hand sanitizer just for mundane things like buffet tongs and railings is overblown paranoia, and it's actually causing you more problems even if it might give you peace of mind. Just...live your life and don't be afraid of such insignificant things? Unless you are completely immune compromised, a little bacteria on things touched by a lot of people is not going to hurt you. Bacteria is all around us, all over us, and living inside of us, and most of it doesn't hurt us. You can't turn the world into a sanitized plastic bubble.

Overuse of hand sanitizer is actually causing some big problems. The US Center for Disease Control found that people who used hand sanitizer over normal hand washing were significantly more likely to develop norovirus in the event of an outbreak. When people use sanitizer over and over when they don't really need to, it eliminates beneficial (and less harmful) bacteria that keeps the "super bugs" in check. With frequent use it also weakens your immune system.

 

Reaching for hand sanitizer just for mundane things like buffet tongs and railings is overblown paranoia, and it's actually causing you more problems even if it might give you peace of mind. Just...live your life and don't be afraid of such insignificant things? Unless you are completely immune compromised, a little bacteria on things touched by a lot of people is not going to hurt you. Bacteria is all around us, all over us, and living inside of us, and most of it doesn't hurt us. You can't turn the world into a sanitized plastic bubble.

I mentioned issues with hand sanitizers days ago. No one wants to hear this. They want to worry about things. And the less likely they are to occur, the more they want to worry about them.

I would guess that a large number of the people upset in this thread, probably talk and text while driving. :)

I mentioned issues with hand sanitizers days ago. No one wants to hear this. They want to worry about things. And the less likely they are to occur, the more they want to worry about them.

 

I would guess that a large number of the people upset in this thread, probably talk and text while driving. :)

But that will just get them killed. These folks have more important things to worry about. Dead is nothing compared to a few days of diarrhea.

Overuse of hand sanitizer is actually causing some big problems. The US Center for Disease Control found that people who used hand sanitizer over normal hand washing were significantly more likely to develop norovirus in the event of an outbreak. When people use sanitizer over and over when they don't really need to, it eliminates beneficial (and less harmful) bacteria that keeps the "super bugs" in check. With frequent use it also weakens your immune system.

Since alcohol based sanitizers do not kill Noro, it makes sense that those who believe it does and therefore use sanitizers instead of hand washing would have more episodes of Noro. Alcohol based sanitizers do kill other nasty things like E. coli, staph, strep, cold and flu virus, etc. And, those illnesses are transmitted hand to mouth/face. It is still an excellent idea to use an alcohol based sanitizer before eating and if regular hand washing is not possible. Alcohol based sanitizers are not what is making super bugs. That's from people overusing antibiotics or using them incorrectly and by sanitizers that are not alcohol based (triclosan for eg).

Okay but regular hand washing is always possible on a cruise. So...people should be doing that instead.

Okay but regular hand washing is always possible on a cruise. So...people should be doing that instead.

Easy to do on Quantum class, but not so much on the other ships which don't have that convenient washing station right at the entrance of WJ.

You're not overly concerned, although this was a laughter. But I'm a germaphobe, so I understand. First off, that's just GROSS! They wouldn't do that off a cruise and people tend to me MORE laid back on vacation than they would be near their home.

I would either skip around them and not get food from the same stationary they visited, or use a napkin when handling the utensils.

You can't be more impolite in bringing their poor etiquette to their attention, than they are about not having any etiquette. So don't be shy to correct them.

And PS, venture on a newer RCCL ship:)

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Easy to do on Quantum class, but not so much on the other ships which don't have that convenient washing station right at the entrance of WJ.

Okay...when I say "regular hand washing," I don't mean "washing your hands before and after every single activity and scheduling your whole life around it." Just...wash your hands a couple times throughout the day?

I see people doing this not only at cruise buffets, but land buffets as well. I never understood why someone can't wait another 60 seconds to get back to their table and eat where they are supposed to. It is a health code violation to eat over a buffet line and its just poor manners. I don't consider it rude to educate someone that what they are doing is disgusting. Its rude of the person who is chewing over food that is meant for everyone. If you want to use a napkin to hold the serving utensils then go ahead. That is not bad manners and actually its a hell of a good idea. It should be required.

I see people doing this not only at cruise buffets, but land buffets as well. I never understood why someone can't wait another 60 seconds to get back to their table and eat where they are supposed to. It is a health code violation to eat over a buffet line and its just poor manners. I don't consider it rude to educate someone that what they are doing is disgusting. Its rude of the person who is chewing over food that is meant for everyone. If you want to use a napkin to hold the serving utensils then go ahead. That is not bad manners and actually its a hell of a good idea. It should be required.

It is? In what state(s)? I had never heard of this.