Sanitation Problems on Silver Whisper

[Mekka]

My wife and I have done two portions of the World Cruise on Silver Whisper and were rather dismayed at some of the sanitation problems we observed. Most recently, we did the 54 day segment from Singapore to Fort Lauderdale. While the cruise was very enjoyable, it was marred by a very large number of sick passengers (and crew as well, including the Captain). I'm convinced this was worsened by some very poor sanitation policies on board.

 

Cruise ships are notorious breeding grounds for the spread of illnesses and our only defense as passengers is constant vigilance via hand sanitizing and washing. Unfortunately, most passengers did not practice good sanitation and Silverseas did very little to combat this problem. They need to be much more proactive in promoting cleanliness on board. We have cruised with other lines that seem more aggressive in this area.

 

There are hand sanitizer stations spread throughout the ship, but they are generally "discreetly located" and ignored by passengers. For example, there is a hand sanitizer station at the entrance of the main dining room. It's hardly ever used. While waiting 10 minutes for my wife to arrive at dinner, I watched how many passengers bothered to clean their hands. Very few did it--- far less than 5%. It's worse at the buffet, where we are forced to share utensils with others who simply don't bother to keep their hands clean. No wonder so many of the passengers on this voyage ended up with the same cold/noro/whatever it was.

 

Some cruise lines station a "greeter" at the entrance of the dining area who holds a container of sanitizer and basically forces everyone to start out with clean hands. At the very least, Silversea should put sanitizing stations directly in the path of people entering the dining areas. At least they would have to more consciously decide to ignore it.

 

The hosted events with a greeting line is a charming practice and I like shaking hands with the Captain and other officers. But the next step is the distribution of finger foods in the theater. You couldn't design a better way to spread germs if you tried. Other cruise lines have abandoned the handshaking ritual for this reason.

 

These cruises are fabulous and it's a real shame to have them screwed up with illnesses that could be much better minimized through improved policies. I hope other passengers will encourage Silverseas to make progress in this area.

[TeamBozo]

I'm so glad somebody has finally brought this up. I have been very troubled by this same problem and I also hope all Silversea passengers will encourage the line to take this issue head on.

 

I get the feeling that Silversea wants to promote a fantasy about how we are all upscale and well educated passengers who don't need to be bothered with things like staying healthy. I've had more than one cruise ruined from getting sick. It drives me nuts when I'm on a tour and half the bus is coughing and sneezing.

[oregon50]

How about preaching personal responsibility. There are people reading Cruise Critic that cough on food and display other filthy habits in the buffet area without thinking about it.

[Older Party]

Any enclosed space has this problem, airplanes especially. Every guest who boards a Silversea vessel signs a piece of paper attesting to their good health when they board. Unfortunately, people lie.

[Older Party]

My wife and I have done two portions of the World Cruise on Silver Whisper and were rather dismayed at some of the sanitation problems we observed. Most recently, we did the 54 day segment from Singapore to Fort Lauderdale. While the cruise was very enjoyable, it was marred by a very large number of sick passengers (and crew as well, including the Captain). I'm convinced this was worsened by some very poor sanitation policies on board.

 

Cruise ships are notorious breeding grounds for the spread of illnesses and our only defense as passengers is constant vigilance via hand sanitizing and washing. Unfortunately, most passengers did not practice good sanitation and Silverseas did very little to combat this problem. They need to be much more proactive in promoting cleanliness on board. We have cruised with other lines that seem more aggressive in this area.

 

There are hand sanitizer stations spread throughout the ship, but they are generally "discreetly located" and ignored by passengers. For example, there is a hand sanitizer station at the entrance of the main dining room. It's hardly ever used. While waiting 10 minutes for my wife to arrive at dinner, I watched how many passengers bothered to clean their hands. Very few did it--- far less than 5%. It's worse at the buffet, where we are forced to share utensils with others who simply don't bother to keep their hands clean. No wonder so many of the passengers on this voyage ended up with the same cold/noro/whatever it was.

 

Some cruise lines station a "greeter" at the entrance of the dining area who holds a container of sanitizer and basically forces everyone to start out with clean hands. At the very least, Silversea should put sanitizing stations directly in the path of people entering the dining areas. At least they would have to more consciously decide to ignore it.

 

The hosted events with a greeting line is a charming practice and I like shaking hands with the Captain and other officers. But the next step is the distribution of finger foods in the theater. You couldn't design a better way to spread germs if you tried. Other cruise lines have abandoned the handshaking ritual for this reason.

 

These cruises are fabulous and it's a real shame to have them screwed up with illnesses that could be much better minimized through improved policies. I hope other passengers will encourage Silverseas to make progress in this area.

 

All the eating establishments have hand sanitizers placed "directly in the path of people entering the dining areas". I don't know how you could have missed them?

[TeamBozo]

That's not true.

 

Silversea places its sanitizer stations off to the sides, either on a wall or on a pedestal.

 

Sure, if you want to seek them out, you can avail yourself of them. Some do, but most don't. But I agree with the OP that diners should be practically forced to clean their hands before entering a buffet (or other dining room). It doesn't have to be heavy handed. I'm sure most people would be more than happy to comply. And if they don't, OK. But I don't see why the rest of us have to suffer because many passengers are too ignorant, lazy, or rude to take simple precautions. It's a cop out for Silversea to blame the passengers when they need to take much more responsibility for making this happen.

[Keith1010]

You have made a number of valid observations.

 

My take away is that it is a reminder to do your best when you cruise to keep as clean as you possibly can and to try to avoid potential events that can increase your odds of getting sick. No matter what you do when you travel with several hundred people in close proximity and also have people getting on and off the voyage all of this increases your odds of getting sick.

 

Just a few examples. If you shake someones hand you need to wash your own and that can happen anytime not just at a formal reception. When you exit the rest room you need to either use a tissue to open the door or use a sanitizer right afterwards. If you use utensils at a buffet that have been used by others you need to sanitize your hands. You also need to wash your hands more often and for longer periods of time when you are cruising. Now I can go on and on and on but in the end there are some items that the cruise line can do to get better and there are other items that we can do to protect ourselves. And there are other items that I wish people would do but we know some do. Specifically, use a public rest room on or off the ship. Look at how many people wash their hands and of those some put the fingers under water to two seconds and call that washing.

 

Having taken several cruises of 100 days or more I have also learned that increases your odds of getting sick and sometimes multiple times. However, taking more precautions on ones own can help a great deal.

 

Keith

[jollyjones]

Whilst I entirely agree that good hygiene is vital, I am sad to read your emphasis on hand sanitisers which are not nearly as effective as hand washing.

 

You will not see me using a sanitiser before going into a dining room if I have just made a point of washing my hands thoroughly - the sanitiser will achieve nothing more than causing excessive dryness to my hands (always a problem cruising with all the hand washing) - dry skin may crack and then it will carry far worse bugs than intact skin.

[oregon50]

Hand sanitizers remind me of the TSA roaming airports in the USA. It is more for show than effect. Posts 7 and 8.....excellent! WASH YOUR HANDS and pretend there are other people in the dining room.

[duct tape]

There are 2 schools of thought on this subject, for and against. While some studies show that hand sanitizers are better than nothing, other studies find sanitizers detrimental to normal, necessary skin ingredients and natural bacteria found on healthy skin. Wash your hands with soap and water and use moisturizer. Sanitizer comes in handy in circumstances where you may not have access to proper sanitation. That's why we carry tissues, isn't it? Capt Sangiacomo used to/does wear gloves in the Receiving Line.

[Keith1010]

Duct Tape you are indeed right. Some say that the sanitizer is bad for you.

 

Not knowing which is right we do both.

 

We wash our hand very good and very often on cruises. Key is to wash with warm water, and soap and to say something like the alphabet to ourselves. We also use the hand sanitizer. We try to minimize hand shaking and hugging.

 

We use the same approach with respect to vitamins as there are two schools of thought there too. We take a multi vitamin but rely on healthy heating to get the maximum nutrients that we can.

 

Keith

[juli2020]

You have made a number of valid observations.

 

My take away is that it is a reminder to do your best when you cruise to keep as clean as you possibly can and to try to avoid potential events that can increase your odds of getting sick. No matter what you do when you travel with several hundred people in close proximity and also have people getting on and off the voyage all of this increases your odds of getting sick.

 

Just a few examples. If you shake someones hand you need to wash your own and that can happen anytime not just at a formal reception. When you exit the rest room you need to either use a tissue to open the door or use a sanitizer right afterwards. If you use utensils at a buffet that have been used by others you need to sanitize your hands. You also need to wash your hands more often and for longer periods of time when you are cruising. Now I can go on and on and on but in the end there are some items that the cruise line can do to get better and there are other items that we can do to protect ourselves. And there are other items that I wish people would do but we know some do. Specifically, use a public rest room on or off the ship. Look at how many people wash their hands and of those some put the fingers under water to two seconds and call that washing.

 

Having taken several cruises of 100 days or more I have also learned that increases your odds of getting sick and sometimes multiple times. However, taking more precautions on ones own can help a great deal.

 

Keith

 

The Terrace Cafe which is Oceania's version of a buffet is made up of several stations. One is not allowed to serve themselves. There are servers that serve you so the passengers are not allowed to touch any utensils. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice.

 

Regarding the public bathrooms: Oceania only uses cloth towels to dry your hands. At every door where you exit there is a small paper towel dispenser so one can use a paper towel to open the door. There is also a place to dispose of the paper towel. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice either.

 

On other cruise lines one can always take a tissue to open the door of a public bathroom when you exit but what does one do with the tissue?! Throw it on the floor or hold it until you find a place to dispose of the tissue. Not good options in my opinion.

[wripro]

Juli2020,

 

I was about to post about Oceania's policy of not letting you serve yourself at buffets in order to avoid spreading germs when you beat me to it. It's the best policy for hygiene out there.

 

I agree that washing hands with soap and hot water is the best antidote to diseases. At least twenty seconds worth.

[Older Party]

Re: Hand sanitizers. I am an avid hand WASHER and use the sanitizers as an extra precaution. I haven't had a severe cold or flu since 1996 but I am also a germaphobe to the max and a bit peculiar in the lengths I will go to avoid anyone just coughing a bit. I also dislike immensely buffets. Tried the one in La Terrazza for lunch a few times but this style of eating is just not my cup of tea. I do think, however, it is the responsibility of the guests to proactively stay healthy. I love the Japanese idea of wearing a face mask when you are sick to keep your germs from others. Maybe Silversea should pass out a face mask with the requisite glass of champagne during embark! :D

[Travelcat2]

Having just been on Oceania, I found that having almost everything served by a person quite annoying. When they had a chocolate fountain for dessert and there were individual sticks for marshmallows or fruit, passengers were not permitted to dip their marshmallow into the fountain. This was, IMO, a bit over the top. It is no wonder that other cruise lines do not use this method for their buffets. Actually, the buffet was the only thing that I disliked during my recent cruise on the Riviera.

 

Keeping the buffet sanitary is very important. Someone on another thread suggested having napkins available when using utensils. That sounds like a fairly easy solution. There are crew members that watch over the buffet and they seem to do an excellent job. We tend to get to the lunch buffet when it opens so the food hasn't been messed with and the handles of utensils are still clean.

 

I consider myself somewhat of a germaphobe but do not have a problem eating at the wonderful Silversea buffets. If I did, I would simply have my meals in The Restaurant. Every time I have become sick on a cruise ship, it has come from sitting too close to a person who is sick -- coughing and sneezing, etc. Who knows what they have touched?

Edited June 30, 2013 by Travelcat2

[Keith1010]

The Terrace Cafe which is Oceania's version of a buffet is made up of several stations. One is not allowed to serve themselves. There are servers that serve you so the passengers are not allowed to touch any utensils. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice.

 

Regarding the public bathrooms: Oceania only uses cloth towels to dry your hands. At every door where you exit there is a small paper towel dispenser so one can use a paper towel to open the door. There is also a place to dispose of the paper towel. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice either.

 

On other cruise lines one can always take a tissue to open the door of a public bathroom when you exit but what does one do with the tissue?! Throw it on the floor or hold it until you find a place to dispose of the tissue. Not good options in my opinion.

 

I think the idea of not serving yourself is great. On those cruise ships where that is not the case I have to tell you that we get to the buffet early because I can't stand the thought of what people do when they serve themselves.

 

As to the rest rooms, there are other cruise lines that have the dispenser at the door. Crystal is one of them.

 

I can't tell you how many men do not wash their hands or use the one second method. And just to give equal billing to the females my lovely wife says the same thing. We carry sanitizers with us at home too. Open the door in the mall and you don't know where those hands are.

 

By the way one of the worst places for germs is a taxi.

 

I can't say I've seen it all but I have seen more poor manners on luxury lines that I ever could have dreamed of.

 

Keith

Edited June 30, 2013 by Keith1010

[ededmd]

Just for interest from the CDC website - section entitled - Keeping Your Hands Clean on a Cruise:

 

What about alcohol-based hand sanitizers?

 

CDC recommends that cruise ship passengers use warm water and soap to wash their hands. Washing is always best.

 

If water and soap are NOT available (perhaps on excursions), use an ethanol alcohol-based hand sanitizer, preferably in a gel form. The sanitizer should be at least 62% ethanol.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/Handwashing/HandwashingTips.htm

 

The main problem with hand sanitizers is that the amount of ethanol in them is often not high enough to be effective against norovirus (contrasted with proper soap and water hand washing).

 

From a FL DOH summary on Norovirus I've found useful:

 

A full minute of contact time with 70% ethanol is required to

inactive Norovirus.

 

Only 30 seconds of contact time with 85% ethanol is required to inactivate calciviruses [includes Norovirus], but this concentration is not commercially available in a hand sanitizer.

 

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chd/bay/Documents/Norovirus.pdf

 

As a point of reference, Everclear is 95% ethanol, Bacardi 151 is 75.5% ethanol. A standard vodka is 40% ethanol.

[ging466]

For what it's worth, I feel quite insulted by this thread.

 

I happen to get sick on nearly every cruise I take. Almost without fail, I catch a cold despite all the careful hand washing that I practice, be it with soap or hand sanitisers.

 

It's my constitution and I can't help it. When I do get sick, I ensure that I cover my mouth when coughing and NEVER go to the buffet when sick.

 

In 2009, when swine flu was rife around the world, I embarked a ship with a terrible cold. I reported straight to the doctor, was tested for swine flu and the test was negative. Even though I was sick, I was given the 'all clear' to board.

 

It's bad enough to get sick on board and have your holiday ruined for a period of time but to be thought of as dirty and unclean, that's just too much.:(

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Mr Luxury]

I never go to buffets on ships after seeing what others do with the food and their hands. :eek:

[harbormaster]

Handwashing is essential and I was pleased to see that Silversea Shadow had the small paper towels Keith mentions at the doors in their public bathrooms.

One other issue at buffets that does bother us is the fact that the waiters, in trying to provide service, insist on trying to carry our plates to the table. However, they have also just picked up used plates from other people which could carry germs. We usually try to carry our own plates , but we had one maitre'd on another line get very upset at us for refusing this offered service.

We also always wipe off the remote control, internet keyboards and phones. And, forgive me, probably TMI, but having to touch the toilet seat to get to the flush behind it is not the most hygienic scenario. There must be a better design.

[Mr Luxury]

. And, forgive me, probably TMI, but having to touch the toilet seat to get to the flush behind it is not the most hygienic scenario. There must be a better design.

 

Yes,leave the seat up:D

[RachelG]

He is talking about the lid of the toilet. I think they are designed this way as a safety feature. They are vacuum toilets, so you should not flush while sitting on the toilet. Therefore they make it impossible to flush without lowering the lid.

 

As far as hand sanitizers, they may make people feel better, but they don't really work for the viruses that cause the most problems aboard ships.

[wripro]

Personally I get sick more often from a plane than a ship. Tray table is where germs abound, That's why I always carry a spray sanitizer and use it copiously before settling in.

[zijlweg]

Perhaps Americans are too clean....It always seems that Noro and other diseases happen only to Americans.

[Herman The Cat]

For some reason, the cruise lines get most of the publicity on this subject. As wripro mentions, planes are germ-laden as well. But it also happens at resorts and on islands...The Grace Bay Club, Beaches as well as other resorts in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, had to be shut down and thoroughly cleaned after an outbreak of this occured. The outbreak lasted for weeks.

 

http://nassau.usembassy.gov/messages060712.html

 

In addition, on one of our non-Silversea cruises a number of years ago, the husband of a couple we became friendly with got very ill. He didn't get ill from the ship...it was the lunch he ate on an excursion in St. Lucia. He was quarantineed on the second day of the cruise and they moved his wife to a different cabin. One could argue that one is more susceptible on excursions than on the ship.

 

I find this to be an odd post given the "teasing and leading" and broad nature of the title as well as the fact that the OP isn't very specific in regard to which Whisper cruise, what year, where travelled etc. I wonder what the motivation of this post is???