Obligatory handwashing on Princess???

[Steelers36]

Just wondering ... there was a picture of a sink further back, but I saw no towels. Is something provided to dry off with?

[dickinson]

Yes. When I was on the Royal there were two sinks in that alcove. When standing in the little doorway there was a sink to the right and one to the left. Straight ahead on the wall was a paper towel dispenser along with a trash can.

[keithm]

We just returned from a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft Lauderdale on Royal Princess. To our astonishment, we were informed that in order to enter the cafeterias on Deck 16 all passengers were required to wash their hands, in view of the steward(s) at the door. Refusal was met with refusal to let the passenger enter the cafeteria.

 

After a week this humiliating practice ended and the ship (finally) installed the Purell machines all other cruise lines use (and which Royal Princess itself uses in the main dining rooms!) without announcement or explanation. An excess of zeal by the Capitain? Paranoia about shipboard viral :eek:contamination? Who knows? No official announcement of the policy or explanation was ever issued or given anyone.

 

Bizarre and very unsettling. Will be interested to see if future passengers encounter the same nonsense.

I'd much rather see your hands clean than have you potentially contaminate the food we ALL eat!! Sorry if it offends,but why ruin a cruise for thousands, just because you don't care to wash your hands? I'm in the food industry & can't stress enough the importance of proper cleanliness. I have no issue "calling" out pax with less than clean standards. You have no idea how many pax I(and others) have publically shamed for...not washing hands after using the toilet/touching food in the buffet etc. Now go wash you hands like your mother told you to do so many times!

[keithm]

I wash my hands in the closest restroom to the buffet and MDR before entering (use paper towel to open the door if door doesn't swing outward with a hip pus and usually still have wet hands when entering for food.

 

I skip the hand sanitizer because it doesn't do a thing except maybe wet the top layer of dirt on unwashed hands. Yes, I do get dirty looks from the ignorant that don't know the hand sanitizer is just a inefficient attempt to clear hands.

I wash & use the sanitizer.

[keithm]

I was on the Royal at the beginning of August and they were insistent about hand-washing. The Captain even came over the intercom at least once a day to give updates about the Noro outbreak followed by instructions on HOW to wash your hands. He pointed out that washing your hands was the single best defense against getting sick.

 

And yet, there were those who resisted. One woman told the attendant at the buffet entrance "I just washed my hands in my stateroom." The attendant replied, "Did you touch anything on your way here?" She ignored him.

 

That struck a nerve with me so I started thinking about how many times I touched something throughout the day that had been touched by others. Stair rails, door handles, elevator buttons. Then gave thought to how many times I touched my face. Wow. You won't have to remind me again to wash my hands before I eat.

 

I thought the hand-washing stations were a good idea and not at all upsetting. What IS upsetting is hearing the Captain remind people to wash their hands "after using the toilet". Yes, he mentioned that, among other things, on a daily basis. Unbelievable that he found it necessary to even mention.

After seeing the amount of pax on Cunard/Celebrity that didn't wash after the toilet, it's no surprise. I have qualms in publically shaming pax who don't wash after the toilet. Other pax will readily chime in so have no fears!

Edited September 27, 2015 by keithm
spelling

[keithm]

A regular sink as shown below. There were two sinks at each entrance top the buffet area.

 

 

Washing hands does not kill the norovirus, it removes it from the hands and down the sink the virus goes. The Purell neither kills it or removes it.

It does also kill the virus.

[keithm]

My dh saw someone put some potatoes back with their bare hands. The Princess employee didn't see it so my dh told him what happened. They immediately took the whole tray of food off the counter. Sad that someone would do this.

I've seen it happen too many times. I then pubically shame them for it. Other pax will get involved as well.Some feel it's the wrong thing to do,but trust me it works!!

[oceanseagle12]

The Purell VF-481 sold in Europe has a blue colour while the "Purell Advanced" is clear. I can not verify (even on the Purell USA website) that Purell Advanced is the same formulation as VF-481. Can someone help verify that Purell Advanced really is the same as VF-481?

 

The Amazon.co.uk vendors for VF-481 will not ship to the USA. Searching for vf-481 on Amazon.com results in Advanced Formula, but the product images do not show VF481.

 

edit: http://www.gojo.com/united-states/brands/purell/product.aspx?sdid={9B7DEEC3-98D0-4CA6-9E74-71875998D933}

 

In the question area: "PURELL Advanced and PURELL VF481 are two different formulas"

 

Darn.

 

 

Thanks for that. I stand corrected. I was led astray by a retailers incorrect information. I did find that the small bottle of VF481 has a sku of 9689-24 and was able to find an online retailer that specifically ships to the US that does have the actually labeled VF481. I've been trying to find the actual ingredient list to compare to Purell Advanced, but no luck so far.

 

 

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[cruzsnooze]

Stainless steel has anti bacterial properties so the serving pieces and utensils offer some protection but not against viruses, just bacteria.

[Doggielover68]

Thanks for that. I stand corrected. I was led astray by a retailers incorrect information. I did find that the small bottle of VF481 has a sku of 9689-24 and was able to find an online retailer that specifically ships to the US that does have the actually labeled VF481. I've been trying to find the actual ingredient list to compare to Purell Advanced, but no luck so far.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I did find one of the vf481 formulas online with the active ingredients posted in one of the pictures. It says 70% ethyl alcohol. The bottle of Purell Advanced that I have at home says 70% ethyl alcohol. The original Purell formula is 62% ethyl alcohol. Hope this helps

 

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/purell-174-5496-04-tfx-vf481-1200-ml-gel-instant-hand-sanitizer/999P549604.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CJ223720l8gCFUIbgQodmq0Bhg

 

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Edited September 27, 2015 by Doggielover68

[keithm]

I did find one of the vf481 formulas online with the active ingredients posted in one of the pictures. It says 70% ethyl alcohol. The bottle of Purell Advanced that I have at home says 70% ethyl alcohol. The original Purell formula is 62% ethyl alcohol. Hope this helps

 

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/purell-174-5496-04-tfx-vf481-1200-ml-gel-instant-hand-sanitizer/999P549604.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CJ223720l8gCFUIbgQodmq0Bhg

 

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Thanks.There must be some way to purchase the sanitizers that really do the trick.The ones with the Benzethorium Chloride(hope that spelling is correct)seem to be much more effective. It's the one I see hospitals use.

[broccopb]

I did find one of the vf481 formulas online with the active ingredients posted in one of the pictures. It says 70% ethyl alcohol. The bottle of Purell Advanced that I have at home says 70% ethyl alcohol. The original Purell formula is 62% ethyl alcohol. Hope this helps

 

Alcohol is of course the major active ingredient in many hand sanitizers, but the alcohol alone, regardless of percentage, isn't what makes a hand sanitizer effective against the Noro family of viruses.

 

For folks who like detail, here are a couple of articles of interest -- but certainly those interested in this level of detail might enjoy doing their own research as well.

 

http://www.foodprotect.org/issues/packets/2012packet/attachments/III_025__all.pdf

http://www.solucareaide.org/pdfs/PURELL_HAND_SANITISER_WWH.pdf

 

 

Purell, and Purell Advanced are definitely not the same as VF-481; someone on Amazon has created a listing for VF-481 which misleadingly shows a picture of Purell Advanced.

 

 

I'd be curious if anyone knows whether the benzene-based hand sanitizers (benzethonium, benzalkonium) are rated for food service use?

[oceanseagle12]

Alcohol is of course the major active ingredient in many hand sanitizers, but the alcohol alone, regardless of percentage, isn't what makes a hand sanitizer effective against the Noro family of viruses.

 

For folks who like detail, here are a couple of articles of interest -- but certainly those interested in this level of detail might enjoy doing their own research as well.

 

http://www.foodprotect.org/issues/packets/2012packet/attachments/III_025__all.pdf

http://www.solucareaide.org/pdfs/PURELL_HAND_SANITISER_WWH.pdf

 

 

Purell, and Purell Advanced are definitely not the same as VF-481; someone on Amazon has created a listing for VF-481 which misleadingly shows a picture of Purell Advanced.

 

 

I'd be curious if anyone knows whether the benzene-based hand sanitizers (benzethonium, benzalkonium) are rated for food service use?

 

You're correct. I had just found the link you shared from foodprotect.org. It lists the ingredients in VF481 as Water, isopropyl alcohol, copper gluconate, diisopropyl sebacate, PEG/PPG-20/6

dimethicone, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate,

polyquaternium-37

 

Apparently they think it is the copper gluconate and polyquaternium-37 that makes the active ingredient of alcohol more effective. Interesting.

[iceleven]

Except if you're allergic to it, which I am as are many other people. Just because I refuse to use the Purell doesn't make me an evil person. I'd rather not have my hands blow up, be itchy and look like alligator skin. Hand washing is always the better option.

 

I know this is a problem for many people, perhaps some not as bad as you describe but painful, nonetheless. How do you address this with the people at the entrance of the HC line where there are no wash basins? Just tell them you are allergic and have already washed your hands?

 

I am always washing my hands as I have worked in the health field for many years, and I don't touch anything on my way to the HC or dining rooms. I have gotten away with telling them I have just washed my hands and they accepted it on occasion, and other times I just acquiesce and know that I will be having to put ointment on my hands that evening before bed. I wish that Princess would set up similar stations on all ships for hand washing. I generally try to avoid all public bathrooms.

[newcruzer2]

I for one, think making everyone entering the buffet area wash their hands is WONDERFUL :) come on people, we stand in long lines for the food.... can't we stand in line for healthy, sanitary reasons. I for one would stand in a HUGE line to wash our hands, to know that the ' NOT so clean' person, that just blow their nose, doesn't go straight for the serving utensils.

[metairiegal]

And, then there's the people who wash their hands and then somewhere along the buffet line they lick their fingers before grabbing a serving utensil.

[newcruzer2]

And, then there's the people who wash their hands and then somewhere along the buffet line they lick their fingers before grabbing a serving utensil.

 

lmao,I see you've cruised with them also :) there was a princess thread recently all about bad behavior.... I had a real doozy to share but unfortunately it was on a ncl ship

[mr green]

A word of warning about hand sanitizers. If you are wearing an Ammolite ring, TAKE IT OFF before using!!

 

john

[Cappycas1]

Well done Princess. We're on the Emerald in April and hope that this practice is still in force. The amount of people I see who come out of the toilet without washing their hands is amazingingly high. Others ignore the sanitisers going into the dining room.

On our last cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse, we followed the cruise director and 4 -5 of her team walk into the dining room and only one used the sanitiser. What a great example they were.

We think the hand washing or sanitiser use going into the dining room should enforced and if you don't wash, you don't enter.

[cruiseintoheaven]

Agree that hand-washing is best, but as my nephew (a surgeon) has pointed out - unless you are really scrubbing your hands with soap and hot water, and rinsing for long enough to then wash away the bacteria/viruses - you're really just going through the motions. I wash and use sanitizer - especially after going through the buffet or touching a menu....and bring wipes for the cabin. I'm totally ok with loosing a few minutes a day to not spend my vacation sick. Also avoid the obvious - elevator buttons, rails, etc

[Grego]

We just returned from a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft Lauderdale on Royal Princess. To our astonishment, we were informed that in order to enter the cafeterias on Deck 16 all passengers were required to wash their hands, in view of the steward(s) at the door. Refusal was met with refusal to let the passenger enter the cafeteria.

 

After a week this humiliating practice ended and the ship (finally) installed the Purell machines all other cruise lines use (and which Royal Princess itself uses in the main dining rooms!) without announcement or explanation. An excess of zeal by the Capitain? Paranoia about shipboard viral :eek:contamination? Who knows? No official announcement of the policy or explanation was ever issued or given anyone.

 

Bizarre and very unsettling. Will be interested to see if future passengers encounter the same nonsense.

 

Really? Are you serious about this complaint? What is nonsense about preventing the spread of Noro? Please let us know what ships you are going to be on so we can avoid being behind you in any dining line.

[Ethel5]

Why is washing your hands "humiliating?" You learned to wash your hands before you eat in Kindergarten.:rolleyes:

[mmckm]

Why is washing your hands "humiliating?" You learned to wash your hands before you eat in Kindergarten.:rolleyes:

 

Obviously the OP didn't learn to wash hands. My guess would be comes from a family of the same and there all double dippers at the chips and dip line.

[EZ2CY]

Well, I'm guessing that Colgate has probably figured out by this point that we all need to wash our hands and use the provided hand sanitizers not just for our own benefit, but for everyone on the ship.

 

I'm finding the info everyone is providing here really beneficial. Comforting to know how many of us have figured out that we should clean our hands after touching a menu and after handing the serving utensils after going through a buffet. I will now use a tissue to push elevator buttons. I'm honestly considering getting a cute pair of cotton gloves to use while going down stairs (I always use to handrails so I don't meet take a nose dive), traveling through airports, etc. I'm not a germaphobic but I do hate to get sick.

 

Thanks for starting this thread Colgate. Hope you've learned as much as I have!

[EZ2CY]

Sorry, that was "I always use THE handrails so I don't take a nose dive." Still new at posting here!