Norovirus and Limes?

[TBone2K]

Weird topic, but I'm curious... Our Nov 11 Anthem cruise was running under Noro protocols. So much more cleaning going on, staff handing drinks instead of Pax pouring their own, etc. However one little oddity I am curious about.... There were no limes.

 

At least I thought there weren't. First couple of attempts to order a mojito, they said they can't make them because there are no limes/cut fruit. I was given various reasons for this, but got the general idea that it was related to the elevated noro protocol.

 

Then one of the dinners I had at MDR was served with a half a lime. Next day I went to Bolero's for a glass of wine before dinner and they were making mojitos. Bartender said they got "special clearance" to use limes. In typical RC fashion when I asked about limes at the theatre that night, they hadn't heard.

 

So a lot of rambling, but leading to the question... are the two really related? Why limes and not other things?

[andrew2346]

I am not really sure but I have seen many threads regarding lack of limes but none were related to Noro. I would guess they just run out of them on a regular basis.

[cb at sea]

They may not have cut them and put them out...folks tend to reach their hands into the containers and "help themselves"....yuck! Can't deal with a vodka tonic, without lime!

[reallyitsmema]

I am not really sure but I have seen many threads regarding lack of limes but none were related to Noro. I would guess they just run out of them on a regular basis.

 

No, it had nothing to do with a shortage, they were not putting fruit in any drinks or muddling drinks, I was on same sailing.

 

As the cruise progressed, some bars started serving drinks with fruit and others still were restricted. Similar inconsistencies with freestyle machines, you could not use the machine yourself in the WJ or in Sorrentos, a crew member was assigned to dispense drinks. You could use the freestyle machine in the Seaplex where all the kids hangout, made no sense at all

[Smyles]

Bar tenders handle the room card of every person onboard, it would be a prime way to spread illness to be handling a cut lime to add to a drink after touching rooms cards. In the MDR the same person are not handling the room cards and the limes.

 

Just my guess!

[DaniDanielle]

No limes and limited green olives

 

 

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[Canadianmama3]

Was it the busier bars that had no limes? Maybe extra precautions were needed when handling fruit and they decided to limit it to a few less busy bars?

 

 

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[DaniDanielle]

The Diamond Club did not have limes or olives for martinis. Boleros had olives after a few days.

[MaryL31]

I had the impression the mojito issue was more about the way the mint leaves were being stored (there was another thread about it). On the 11/11 cruise, mint leaves were stored in a covered canister at the North Star bar. I have been looking to see if anyone has posted about the current Anthem cruise, but I haven't seen anything. Does anyone know how things are on Anthem at the moment?

[SRF]

Limes are added with the skin, so they are possible carriers.

[TBone2K]

Tanks for the insight. I was definitely told limes, but one waiter also mentioned it was all cut fruit. The whole question about bartenders handling rooms cards and then handling the fruit in making drinks made sense, but they also handle the glasses in order to make the drinks.

[SRF]

Tanks for the insight. I was definitely told limes, but one waiter also mentioned it was all cut fruit. The whole question about bartenders handling rooms cards and then handling the fruit in making drinks made sense, but they also handle the glasses in order to make the drinks.

 

They touch the outside of the glasses.

 

The problem is, they touch the skin of the fruit, but the whole fruit goes in the drink. If they were to just squeeze the lime juice into the drink, it would not be the same issue.

[A&L_Ont]

No, it had nothing to do with a shortage, they were not putting fruit in any drinks or muddling drinks, I was on same sailing.

 

As the cruise progressed, some bars started serving drinks with fruit and others still were restricted. Similar inconsistencies with freestyle machines, you could not use the machine yourself in the WJ or in Sorrentos, a crew member was assigned to dispense drinks. You could use the freestyle machine in the Seaplex where all the kids hangout, made no sense at all

 

Just a guess mema, but perhaps because the two venues serve food where you are more apt to have hand to mouth contact, or at least hand to serving utensil contact and a quicker spread of germs? That being said at the sports complex kids and adults could do the same just without the involvement of food.:confused:

[reallyitsmema]

Just a guess mema, but perhaps because the two venues serve food where you are more apt to have hand to mouth contact, or at least hand to serving utensil contact and a quicker spread of germs? That being said at the sports complex kids and adults could do the same just without the involvement of food.:confused:

 

The freestyle machine in the Seaplex is right in front of the Seaplex Hot Dog place, so there is food there too.:)

 

The Seaplex was being wiped down constantly though with a sports staff member wiping the stair railings and the top of the boards around the playing surface, so they were trying hard to keep the area cleaned. They wiped down the steering wheels of the bumper cars between users, they wiped down the ping pong paddles between participants in the ping pong tournament, you had to check out paddles that were sanitized during open play.

 

Never went into the arcade to see what was going on in there, but maybe it was in the sports staff members wiping circuit.