Pre-set Tables in World Cafe Is Creeping Me Out

[Paulchili]

On ‎4‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 8:45 PM, Cyber Kat said:

And my mother always said, “You have to eat a pound of dirt before you die.”  🤣

I am sorry to inform you that your mother is wrong - I know how disappointing it must be to you.

As I mentioned above, I barely survived a Staph septic shock that caused me to lose 40 lbs of muscle, shut down my kidneys requiring dialysis for 6 months and left me with poorly functioning ones now (and general muscle weakness) - all this after 2  months in the hospital and 10 days in rehab re-learning to walk.

I am pretty sure it didn't take a pound of dirt to accomplish this - just one simple food poisoning.

Edited April 26, 2019 by Paulchili

[zitsky]

27 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I am sorry to inform you that your mother is wrong - I know how disappointing it must be to you.

As I mentioned above, I barely survived a Staph septic shock that caused me to lose 40 lbs of muscle, shut down my kidneys requiring dialysis for 6 months and left me with poorly functioning ones now (and general muscle weakness) - all this after 2  months in the hospital and 10 days in rehab re-learning to walk.

I am pretty sure it didn't take a pound of dirt to accomplish this - just one simple food poisoning.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your experience.  Improving sanitation standards is a good thing.  But there is no guarantee that we won't pick up a bug somewhere.  If it's not on the ship then it might be on shore.

[Cyber Kat]

2 hours ago, Paulchili said:

I am sorry to inform you that your mother is wrong - I know how disappointing it must be to you.

As I mentioned above, I barely survived a Staph septic shock that caused me to lose 40 lbs of muscle, shut down my kidneys requiring dialysis for 6 months and left me with poorly functioning ones now (and general muscle weakness) - all this after 2  months in the hospital and 10 days in rehab re-learning to walk.

I am pretty sure it didn't take a pound of dirt to accomplish this - just one simple food poisoning.

Do you seriously think that was an actual piece of advice????? Puleeeze! 

Sorry about your experience, but that is an exception and I'm sure it didn't happen because you drank from a glass that was placed upside down on a place mat.

Life is much to short to live in fear and worry about everything.  I intend to keep on as I have always kept on - enjoying every minute and leaving the worrying to someone else.

I'm done with this thread!

[zitsky]

I should add... I sympathize for anyone dealing with food poisoning.  I had a bad case a few years ago in Argentina.  Dr. Zitsky had to go out and find Cipro for me.

[Paulchili]

40 minutes ago, Cyber Kat said:

Life is much to short to live in fear and worry about everything.  I intend to keep on as I have always kept on - enjoying every minute and leaving the worrying to someone else.

Everyone's point of view is based on their OWN life experiences and not on experiences of others - that is understandable.

My view on infections and food poisoning is based on this horrific experience - I'll never be quite the same. Before this I felt like you - things like this didn't bother or concern me greatly. I can understand that you cannot relate to it but I suspect you could if something like this happened to you personally but I hope you never have to experience anything like it.

Some illnesses - like cancer - cannot be prevented; others, like infections, often can be prevented or the risk minimized.

[GeezerCouple]

7 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Everyone's point of view is based on their OWN life experiences and not on experiences of others - that is understandable.

My view on infections and food poisoning is based on this horrific experience - I'll never be quite the same. Before this I felt like you - things like this didn't bother or concern me greatly. I can understand that you cannot relate to it but I suspect you could if something like this happened to you personally but I hope you never have to experience anything like it.

Some illnesses - like cancer - cannot be prevented; others, like infections, often can be prevented or the risk minimized.

 

37 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I should add... I sympathize for anyone dealing with food poisoning.  I had a bad case a few years ago in Argentina.  Dr. Zitsky had to go out and find Cipro for me.

 

Our travel doctor now includes Cipro on the list of meds we should carry with us, along with instructions of "when to use" (if we can't first contact them about it).

 

Unfortunately, although that might work for *some* bacterial infections (which is good, obviously), but not all, it won't help with viruses, which is what Norovirus is.

(There are other meds that can help with some of the symptoms of Noro, and we now carry quite a few of those, too...)

 

Cipro is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and could help with a lot of bacterial infections of various types.  That is tricky to diagnose alone, alas, for most of us.

 

And I have to agree with Paulchili.

It's a bit easier to be cavalier about some of these risks if you haven't actually encountered the outcomes.

Sure, most of these "severe consequences" are pretty unlikely (or downright rare).  But they still "happen to some people"...

However, some of them are reasonably easy to avoid, or  to minimize the likelihood of exposure.  And some people just know they are more sensitive, due to other conditions/etc.

 

GC

[zitsky]

10 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

 

Our travel doctor now includes Cipro on the list of meds we should carry with us, along with instructions of "when to use" (if we can't first contact them about it).

 

Unfortunately, although that might work for *some* bacterial infections (which is good, obviously), but not all, it won't help with viruses, which is what Norovirus is.

(There are other meds that can help with some of the symptoms of Noro, and we now carry quite a few of those, too...)

 

Cipro is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and could help with a lot of bacterial infections of various types.  That is tricky to diagnose alone, alas, for most of us.

 

And I have to agree with Paulchili.

It's a bit easier to be cavalier about some of these risks if you haven't actually encountered the outcomes.

Sure, most of these "severe consequences" are pretty unlikely (or downright rare).  But they still "happen to some people"...

However, some of them are reasonably easy to avoid, or  to minimize the likelihood of exposure.  And some people just know they are more sensitive, due to other conditions/etc.

 

GC

 

Thank you for pointing out that difference.  My experience was with food poisoning (probably bacterial) not a virus and that's why Cipro was helpful.  I don't think I suggested otherwise.  If I confused the issue, I apologize.  I never saw a doctor on that trip because my partner has a background in medicine and knew enough to treat me.  But he also knows when to send me to my primary doctor.

 

It was quite an experience because he had to find the nearest pharmacy and try to communicate in very limited Spanish what he needed.  He asked for the formulary (is that the right word) and found Cipro listed, then pointed to that and the pharmacist understood what he wanted.

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

2 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Thank you for pointing out that difference.  My experience was with food poisoning (probably bacterial) not a virus and that's why Cipro was helpful.  I don't think I suggested otherwise.  If I confused the issue, I apologize.  I never saw a doctor on that trip because my partner has a background in medicine and knew enough to treat me.  But he also knows when to send me to my primary doctor.

 

It was quite an experience because he had to find the nearest pharmacy and try to communicate in very limited Spanish what he needed.  He asked for the formulary (is that the right word) and found Cipro listed, then pointed to that and the pharmacist understood what he wanted.

 

 

 

You are fortunate that your companion was able to communicate, and also that Cipro was available, without a prescription, or just "at all", although it's possible that other antibiotics might have helped... but that's why a broad spectrum antibiotic is useful when one cannot (or does not have time) to culture the organism to determine what antibiotic might work, etc.

 

So that is why we now travel with quite a little pharmacy 

It includes our "regular meds" (which keep increasing as we get older), plus our "travel meds". Those include some of the "just in case, so you can try it" types of meds in case getting proper medical care is difficult.  That depends upon where we are, of course.

 

This all doesn't stop us from traveling, but it takes up a bit more space in our carry on.  And we have to carry letters from physicians about a few meds, depending upon destination, etc.  With email these days, getting any permissions is pretty easy and fast.

 

GC

[Dauntless]

On 4/24/2019 at 7:41 PM, SargassoPirate said:

I would love to be able to take some cultures off one of those mats that only gets brushed off with a used napkin.

 

If it doesn't bother you to eat at a dirty table after sneezy has been there after he skirted the handwashing station after a good healthy number two on the way to dinner, more power to you.

 

You do know this is not a Disney cruise.  You mention Sneezy and another dwarf has come to mind.

[SargassoPirate]

13 hours ago, Dauntless said:

 

You do know this is not a Disney cruise.  You mention Sneezy and another dwarf has come to mind.

 

Good one.  You got me laughing so hard first thing in the morning that I almost spilled coffee from my WDW Grumpy mug. Thanks👍

Edited April 28, 2019 by SargassoPirate

[lextrvlr]

18 hours ago, Dauntless said:

 

You do know this is not a Disney cruise.  You mention Sneezy and another dwarf has come to mind.

I guess it wasn't Doc! LOL

[lextrvlr]

Having just returned from or first Viking cruise on The Star, I am pleased to report that glassware was upright and plastic mats were being changed between diners.

[orchestrapal]

4 hours ago, lextrvlr said:

Having just returned from or first Viking cruise on The Star, I am pleased to report that glassware was upright and plastic mats were being changed between diners.

 

 

You bring good news, someone at Viking is listening.👍

[ropomo]

6 hours ago, lextrvlr said:

Having just returned from or first Viking cruise on The Star, I am pleased to report that glassware was upright and plastic mats were being changed between diners.

 

Same experience on Viking Sea - Homelands in May/June.  However, I cannot state that the placemats were not just being moved from table to table.

Edited July 23, 2019 by ropomo

[dd57]

Just off the Orion; glasses were upright but the mats were just being brushed off.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

We've been on Orion and noted exactly the same problems.  The placemats are the perfect hiding place for germs and it also grossed us out.  What dishes were not used remained on the table for the next person who had no idea of whether or not they were clean.  People often handled those dishes, grabbing an extra cup only to decide they didn't need it, and there it sat for the next person.  

 

We are always equipped with wet wipes and often clean the table/placemats ourselves, not to mention our hands that have used common serving spoons.  We have gotten into the habit of grabbing a disposable napkin and using it when we use serving spoons.  

 

It would take a little extra effort on their part to keep things cleaner, but in the long run, it would save a lot of trouble with cruisers and staff illnesses.