PrimeTime Live Cruise Report

[cmmcruiser]

Did anyone happen to catch the Prime Time Live report that aired Thursday night? Not to scare anyone but it reported on all the germs & uncleanliness of the cruise shipes. Apparently they tested different cabin types of 6 major cruise line ships for germs & all of the rooms that were tested were found to have besides your normal germs, dried bodily fluids all over the cabins, in places that you just don't know how it got there (walls, mini-fridge, etc.), in addition to the bed linens, walls, carpets.... To the naked eye of coarse you can't see anything but they had those ultraviolent lights to detect the fliuds.

I wasn't able to catch the end of the report but I'm sure they had advice or steps to take on how to prevent spread of germs, etc. Anyone have suggestions aside from the report?

[Nitemare]

Not to defend the ships tested, but I wonder how a hotel room would do under similar testing.

[Cotton]

It was pretty gross, but nothing we don't already know anyway. We just try not to think about it, just as when we stay in hotels/motels. These type investigative reports do little except stir up scary images...and the report was only about 5 minutes long.

 

And - no, they did not give any suggestions on precautions to take. I always take a can of Lysol and spray my cabin thoroughly, just in case. I'm not paranoid, but I DO have the sense to take precautions.

[phtktz3]

I am quite sure you can find all of those same germs in any public area or any area where there are people. I am sure if they did their study on airlines they would find all those same things on every plane. Myself I am more worried about who was the last person to touch the shopping cart I'm using than I am about how clean my cabin is under an ultraviolet ray. I think if people would use common sense and wash their hands more frequently they could prevent themselves from catching too many germs.

 

Lori...St. Louis

[Colorado Babe]

I didn't watch the program the other night but I did read about on the Norweigan discussion site....We will be leaving on our cruise on 3/19/05 and I'm bringing some cleaning supplies with me..Such as, alchol wipes, hand santizer, 409, etc and I will clean our PH suite myself on the first day we get there...Since our cruise is 11 days long, I feel that the few hours I spend cleaning it will be well spent and it will also give me peace of mind.

 

Does anyone know if it is ok to ask the BUTLER for all new clean bed linens? if not, I wonder if they would let me clean them myself, using their laundry facilitty... The thought of semon and urine on our bed linens, duvets, etc just makes me sick...Afterall this trip is costing my family over 10K and we have worked hard for this trip and we just want peace of mind knowing that the money was well spent!!

[cruisingfreak]

I didn't catch the program, but all I can say is YUCK!!!!

 

 

The best advise is to remember to keep washing your hands.

 

 

Minette

[momofmeg]

Not to defend the ships tested, but I wonder how a hotel room would do under similar testing.

 

There was a study done a few years back on hotels and they found al kinds of stuff like dried semen on the bedspreads etc. No surprise to me. They change the sheets daily but as the bedspreads are often dry clean only YOU KNOW they are not cleaned as often.( and not everytime someone diffferent checks into a room)

 

But as far as them picking up things with ultraviolet lights and such- I read a case where a husband was able to prove his wife was unfaithful because of DNA found on their LAUNDERED sheets belonged to another man. So there can still be found minute amounts even if after things are laundered.

[cruisingmimi]

Colorado Babe,

 

I saw the report & they didn't have any remedies. They only tested small miniscule areas, if anyone noticed. They didn't test the public areas of the ship from what I could see. What about all the hands that touch the food buffets, rest room areas, etc. You could go on and on. We all know that germs are everywhere. I carry a mini bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse & use it wherever I go. My 4 yr. old grandson knows where I keep it in the purse & he gets it out himself & uses it when we are in a public area. He's already trained. LOL.

 

Is this report going to stop everyone from cruising? I think not. I would imagine that if they did this report in hotels, etc. they would get the same results.

 

I bet the cruiselines have received a lot of emails from cruisers that saw that report. A lot of people online will bring handiwipes, clorox wipes, lysol spray or whatever on their next cruise. I will bring something. At least I want to know the areas where you might have food in the cabin are clean. I also think a lot of cruisers will be requesting newly washed blankets and/or spreads for their beds. But how would you know the replacement has been washed? Just trust your cabin steward, I guess. Maybe bribe him with an extra tip upon arrival?

 

Personally, if you are paying good money to cruise, I think blankets, spreads should be replaced every cruising. How about pillows, while we are at it?

 

Did you see the report about a month ago about the "bed mites" that live in the beds and pillows? Yuck! Do you suppose they change the pillows & mattresses every new cruise?

 

Let's start a rebellion! Spray Lysol everywhere in the cabin. LOL.

[Colorado Babe]

I will join you with a few cans of lysol, alchol wipes, 409, hand sanitizer, air freshner, windex, etc.....................As long as I know my Suite is cleaned and cleaned by me, we will have no problems.........As far as the restaruants go, pool area, etc..The handsantizer and alchol wipes will have to do..

[vijoge]

 

Did you see the report about a month ago about the "bed mites" that live in the beds and pillows? Yuck! Do you suppose they change the pillows & mattresses every new cruise?

 

 

Unfortunately, most, and probably all of us, have bedmites in our mattresses and pillows at home also. And believe me, if someone came into a regular "clean" house with this same special lighting I'm sure many would be shocked at what is actually there.

 

A germ free environment is not required or even recommended for healthy living. Too much antimicrobial soap, lysol wipes, disinfectant spray, etc. is only going to create a supergerm able to withstand anything medical science can throw at it. That's when people will become ill, not because there are dust mites in theor mattress!

 

Washing your hands often, with soap and water, is all that's necessary.

[noelbows]

Ditto to what vijoge said.

 

I am allergic to those pesky mites. They are everywhere.

 

Germs are everywhere and a part of life. Wash your hands and don't think about the rest.

 

If the thought of mites really creeps you out, you can buy covers for mattresses and pillowcases to keep them away, but they aren't cheap.

[Cotton]

Right. My pillows and mattresses are all covered by zippered cases - makes it a lot harder for those nasty little critters to get on ME!:D