Bye, Bye Carnival...........

[timetogosoon]

I was just going to post about the Hand Sanitizer. You know, using it doesn't really do much good. It may kill the surface germs, but it doesn't remove any dirt or icky stuff off your hands. So yes, it is great if you don't have anything else. But its even better to just go in and wash your hands. Also I try not to use it that much because it dries out your hands. And if you don't wash your hands and just use sanitizer before eating, you may as well have not done anything really... I definitely prefer to just wash my hands in the bathroom.

[Cold Beach]

I always microwave my hands for 13 seconds before eating.

Take that mutating germs!

[b_bay_girl]

My first cruise was on Disney - second with Carnival. My husband and I were disappointed. The other "first timers" with us thought Carnival cruise was amazing. We have sailed Carnival since then and will be going on third Carnival cruise in Feb. I have heard from many people of other cruise lines being better. But I am looking for the better bargain and seeing how I don't have any major complaints about Carnival, I chose to go with them again. We are a group of eight going in Feb - sometimes it is just the company you are with that makes the vacation. I have three teens in post secondary education. Mabye when they are all finished in five years and paying their own way in life, I will give another cruise line a try. Till then, Carnival is there for me.

[happy cruzin]

My first cruise was on Disney - second with Carnival. My husband and I were disappointed. The other "first timers" with us thought Carnival cruise was amazing. We have sailed Carnival since then and will be going on third Carnival cruise in Feb. I have heard from many people of other cruise lines being better. But I am looking for the better bargain and seeing how I don't have any major complaints about Carnival, I chose to go with them again. We are a group of eight going in Feb - sometimes it is just the company you are with that makes the vacation. I have three teens in post secondary education. Mabye when they are all finished in five years and paying their own way in life, I will give another cruise line a try. Till then, Carnival is there for me.

 

ABSOLUTELY true! ;) :D

[Mrs.G's Mr.G]

I always microwave my hands for 13 seconds before eating.

Take that mutating germs!

 

Do you use the high setting, or go with a lower one? I must try that sometime.:D

[timetogosoon]

I always microwave my hands for 13 seconds before eating.

Take that mutating germs!

 

But that won't get the gunk off. You need a brillo pad too! :rolleyes:

[happy cruzin]

But that won't get the gunk off. You need a brillo pad too! :rolleyes:

 

 

LOL....haven't thought about a "brillo pad" in years!! ;) :D

[EastTex]

Why are you being so rude? You asked for someone to prove a statement. i provided what I had read and even stated in my comments that it from '06. I also commented that the gas prices remain HIGH. I would not be surprised if all ships did not use the stablizers less than they use to. After all the whole article was concerning cut backs related to energy consumption.

 

I didn't mean it to be rude. In my opinion, your link did nothing to substantiate the "rumors" another forum contributor put foward. I went on to explain why it didn't in as straightforward and unemotional manner as I could. Please don't mistake that for rudeness because that was never my purpose. Friends?

[EastTex]

When I'm confined with almost 4000 passengers for 9 days, most eating at the same buffet line for breakfast and lunch, it concerns me. When I eat at a sit down restaurant, I couldn't care less what passengers/customers do.

 

The good news is that in your second sentence you actually provide a solution for your concern. If the buffet lines as a potential source of infections are a concern, then opt to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the ship's MDR and use room service, pizza or deli for those in-between times when you need a snack. You could do an entire cruise and never stand in a buffet line, right? Just sayin.

[Donh44]

Didn't get thru your whole post because it seemed like minor annoyances to me, but I have to comment on the hand sanitizer thing. I never use the sanitizers ever........just don't like them. However we always visit the restroom and wash our hands with soap and water before entering any food venue. Hope that explains why some of us pass on the sanitizer.

Watching everyone that comes in and trying to guess the percentage of people that use the sanitizer....well is truly weird and bizarre to say the least IMHO......

I have heard several times (from reliable sources) that too much sanitizer is not good for your hands.

[sonicbuffalo]

Do you use the high setting' date=' or go with a lower one? I must try that sometime.[/color']:D

 

Try the setting for "hands". That should work, or just give it a 100% power for 5 minutes. It will definitely kill the germs.

[TriciaEMTB]

Hand "sanitizer" is absolutely worthless and should be avoided at all costs. If anyone on our upcoming cruise offers me a squirt of the stuff, I will decline - politely.

 

It is alcohol - nothing more, and all it does is kill every living thing on your hands. GOOD and BAD bacteria - it doesn't discriminate. SO - what you end up with is a bunch of people with alcohol-scoured hands, just waiting for the first opportunistic bad bacterium to cause problems because it CAN because the good bacteria and antibodies to combat it are all gone. From Norovirus to antibiotic-resistant diseases, hand sanitizer helps them all gain a foothold.

 

Go to the restroom - wash with soap and warm water for 30 seconds, dry with paper towel, turn faucet off with paper towel, open door with paper towel, leave. Those who are too lazy to do it are probably the ones who get sick. Sanitizer is NOT a viable alternative!!!

 

Oh - and keep your fingers out of your mouth, mose, eyes and ears. Simple. ;)

 

..Trin..

 

You know once you throw away the paper towel you are touching the same stuff with the same germs that everyone else touched? Germs aren't limited to the bathroom. Unless you are going to walk around the entire ship touching things with paper towels you've pretty much wasted your time.

 

As a healthcare professional who uses sanitizer all the time, it isn't useless. Three years using it and I have yet to get sick. Your skin itself is a barrier to bacteria, you don't need "good bacteria" on your skin.

 

And just to really skeeve you out, many many many healthy people carry MRSA around on a daily basis.

[timetogosoon]

People may carry around MRSA on a daily basis, but you cannot get a MRSA infection from someone just carrying it around. You have to get a MRSA infection from someone who has an infection. So if a nurse touches a wound with a MRSA infection, then dresses your wound, you can get MRSA. I know this because my son was in the NICU and got MRSA on his skin. The baby next to him had MRSA on his skin too. I was worried about him getting a MRSA infections since he had pneumonia. They explained to me what I just put in this post.

[TriciaEMTB]

People may carry around MRSA on a daily basis, but you cannot get a MRSA infection from someone just carrying it around. You have to get a MRSA infection from someone who has an infection. So if a nurse touches a wound with a MRSA infection, then dresses your wound, you can get MRSA. I know this because my son was in the NICU and got MRSA on his skin. The baby next to him had MRSA on his skin too. I was worried about him getting a MRSA infections since he had pneumonia. They explained to me what I just put in this post.

 

Sorry but they fed you bull. It's the same stuff, an infection occurs when it gets past your defenses, just like any bacteria. If someone has MRSA on their skin and you touch it with an open cut on your finger, you run the risk of an infection.

[valtandc]

How old do you think you'll be when you "outgrow" Carnival? My husband and I are both 54 and still enjoy Carnival cruises.

 

Crude and rude travelers that sleep in Carnival's cabins? Wow. I really don't think I've seen any more bad behavior on a Carnival ship than I have on other lines. Or maybe it's because I'm enjoying myself and my family and just not paying that much attention to other people.

 

 

I'm 45....probably when i'm not taking my kids on vacation anymore. I have a blast every day of my cruise and love nights more. Its not hard to notice some of the low lifes that cruise on Carnival. Probably on other major lines as well so you are right....and come to think of it everywhere else in the world...lol.

[stevenr597]

Couldn't agree with the comments about Carnival. Carnival used to be great quality for the money. We have seen the standards of Carnival decline over the past several years. While we are Plantinum Members I doubt that we will ever sail Carnival again.

[cruznlobo]

We will continue cruising with Carnival.

We know other cruisers that are hooked on Princess, and others that are hooked on Celebrity.

All of us say the same thing..."The quality and service are not the same as they were a few years back.

They will be loyal to Princess and Celebrity and we will be loyal to Carnival.

As far as the sanitizer goes...I carry a small bottle in my pocket at all times, not just on cruises. We will usually use it just before we get in line.

The dispensers any cruise line or hotel have are not automated and need a dirty hand to dipense the stuff.

Please enjoy whatever cruise line any of you choose. I know we will.

Mike

[iTouch]

You know once you throw away the paper towel you are touching the same stuff with the same germs that everyone else touched? Germs aren't limited to the bathroom. Unless you are going to walk around the entire ship touching things with paper towels you've pretty much wasted your time.

 

As a healthcare professional who uses sanitizer all the time, it isn't useless. Three years using it and I have yet to get sick. Your skin itself is a barrier to bacteria, you don't need "good bacteria" on your skin.

 

And just to really skeeve you out, many many many healthy people carry MRSA around on a daily basis.

 

I never use sanitizers and I never get sick either:confused:

[bougiet]

I still don't think the majority of the passengers are washing their hands before entering the Lido. People come directly from the pool, casino, etc and go directly to the buffet, it's that kind of crowd. :rolleyes: The only way to assure hands are at least given a squirt is to encourage use of the hand sanitizer.

 

 

sloepoke: "use a paper towel to hold the serving spoons at the buffet."

 

Great idea but have never seen it done in all the years we've been cruising, seems it would be cumbersome. I do believe serving spoons are where you pick up the most critters.

 

Amberteka: "CARNIVAL..hands down has the best MDR food."

 

We used to think that also, but for those who haven't cruised Carnival in the past 2 years, I think you are in for a shock.

 

thormx64: "Honestly some people make me sick. "

 

And what are you adding to the sum total of the conversation. Go back under your rock.:p

 

I went on the Glory in may and thought the food was fantastic. I have bee on other Carnival Cruises where I thought the food was just OK. The pizz, burger and fries quality has gone waaaayy down imo.

[EastTex]

I never use sanitizers and I never get sick either:confused:

 

 

Someone neglected to teach you in your formative years that you never say never. It's a sure way to have that first time event....chuckle!

[jode]

I very much appreciated the OP's comments.

 

We cruise more for the itinerary than the ship, however a nice ship, good food and great service go along way to insure I return for more. I won't go so far as to say I woulld never cruise Carnival again after our recent experiences, however, they are not my first choice. I think input from past passengers is very valuable, and comments like those articulated in this posting allow other cruisers to go with more realistic expectations. Decline in food quality and service is nothing new among ALL mass market cruise lines; but in Carnival's case, they made the decision to change their business model, which caters to an all together different demographic now. I am no longer in that demographic, so for me Carnival is no longer a "perfect fit". But if a ship were going to ports I wanted and the price was right, I would know what expect and go anyway.

 

Suzi

 

This was very well put and I think a lot of people are missing the tone of the OP comments. I posted a couple of "not perfect" comments on my recent Miracle cruise and was blasted - but I was trying to simply report that things have changed on Carnival (and I am sure other lines) and hoped that anyone reading these posts would have a more balanced expectation if they chose that ship. I agree with Suzi - if the ports and price are right I too would consider another Carnival cruise - I just would not automatically pick that brand as confidently as I have in the past now that I know things have changed.

[Warm Breezes]

To me it means that you can get pizza 24 hours a day. No where in that statement does it say you can get 24 hour pizza instantly.

 

 

And why should you expect that....Can you imagine how long it would have been sitting there? I would much rather have to wait for a slice than take one that's been sitting there for hours and I appreciate that they don't keep making fresh and throwing it out uneaten...what a waste that would be.

[iTouch]

Someone neglected to teach you in your formative years that you never say never. It's a sure way to have that first time event....chuckle!

 

"Well, I never":p

[halos]

"well, i never":p

 

lol :d

[nycruise]

And why should you expect that....Can you imagine how long it would have been sitting there? I would much rather have to wait for a slice than take one that's been sitting there for hours and I appreciate that they don't keep making fresh and throwing it out uneaten...what a waste that would be.

 

The original point was that there was no one manning the pizza station, it wasn't a matter of waiting for a slice; it was a matter of not being able to get a slice!:rolleyes: