On the millennium - The Purel has disappeared!

[jkgourmet]

Arrived on the Millennium yesterday, dumped the bags, and headed up to the OV buffet.  Looked for the Purel sprayer person.  None.  Looked for the DIY Peel dispenser.  None.  I asked a staff person who pointed to a fairly hidden area with four sinks.  

 

24 hours later, I've seen damned few people using those sinks.  I suspect many passengers don't even know they exist.  Those that do are there for maybe 15 seconds.  (What happened to save the oceans?  For each person that actually washes their handsb at least one paper towel is added to trash.)

 

There are still a few Purel machines around the ship.  Not many, and at least one was empty.  They do still have a staff person squirting when you get back on the ship.  But nobody at the entrance to the MDR.

 

I'm absolutely not a germophobe.  I eat at street stalls in Thailand and taco stands in Mexico. But this is the very first time that I'm concerned about getting 'cruise ship cooties'.

 

Was this part of the Edgification?  Whoever approved that probably forgot to check with the Chief Medical Officer.

[late2cruisin]

I was wondering about this! I was reading on another thread that they installed the sinks in the OV cafe on the Summit and I was hoping they had done it on the Millie too. I always wash my hands in the ladies room just before entering the buffet, but this will be even more convenient. I agree that they should also have the Purel available, but personally I hate the stuff they use on the ships and it's not nearly as effective as proper hand-washing.

[yorky]

We avoid the buffet like the plague, too many passengers could not care less about washing their hands and what they are passing on to other people. When we do use it we try to minimise the risk by getting our food then using a gell on our hands before eating. Not even close to perfect but it’s the best you can do sadly.

[mdpa]

I prefer the germs...that purel stuff kills all the fancy probiotics from my yogurt. 😀

[mdpa]

Here is an article from Penn State University to back up my concern about hand sanitizer:

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/10/22/does-hand-sanitizer-do-more-harm-than-good/

[DebInAntigua]

If everyone used ZooNo (a 24 hand sanitizer) there would be a lot less illnesses onboard. We bring it on every vacation and use it each morning after our shower before leaving the cabin or hotel room. 

[Turtles06]

A post late yesterday in one of the Summit threads was the first I'd heard about the new sinks.  I think it's a fabulous addition.  But I'm disheartened to read here that the sinks are sort of out of the way.  They need to be right in the entrance and guests should have to walk through to enter the buffet.  And be encouraged to wash their hands.  Several years ago, when I was on the then-new Anthem of the Seas, which has just such hand washing stations, folks were funneled into them and people WERE washing their hands.

 

Purel and the like are NOT a substitute for hand washing.   (Apart from the fact that anti-bacterials don't kill viruses.)

[mek]

57 minutes ago, mdpa said:

Here is an article from Penn State University to back up my concern about hand sanitizer:

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/10/22/does-hand-sanitizer-do-more-harm-than-good/

 

I know, it drives me crazy.  People are doing much more harm with all of the antibacterial products than good, but you can't convince them otherwise. 

[hcat]

31 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

A post late yesterday in one of the Summit threads was the first I'd heard about the new sinks.  I think it's a fabulous addition.  But I'm disheartened to read here that the sinks are sort of out of the way.  They need to be right in the entrance and guests should have to walk through to enter the buffet.  And be encouraged to wash their hands.  Several years ago, when I was on the then-new Anthem of the Seas, which has just such hand washing stations, folks were funneled into them and people WERE washing their hands.

 

Purel and the like are NOT a substitute for hand washing.   (Apart from the fact that anti-bacterials don't kill viruses.)

 

The large bank of public  sinks are right at the  buffet entrance on EDGE...They were always empty on our cruise.  The design is not ideal......very splashy and trough like. Maybe ones on M Class are better?????

[Presto2]

They had the same design on P&O's ship Britannia. We now always take our own hand sanitiser that protects for 6 hours and covers norovirus. Also take the same stuff they do in a wet wipe form. We are not OTT re germs normally, but have decided that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

 

Re the OP. Really don't see that the sinks work as we never saw anyone using them on Britannia and have no reason to think that Edge will be any different.

[Highpeaklad]

deleted

Edited April 14, 2019 by Highpeaklad

[Highpeaklad]

6 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

They had the same design on P&O's ship Britannia. We now always take our own hand sanitiser that protects for 6 hours and covers norovirus. Also take the same stuff they do in a wet wipe form. We are not OTT re germs normally, but have decided that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

 

Re the OP. Really don't see that the sinks work as we never saw anyone using them on Britannia and have no reason to think that Edge will be any different.

 

Lots of people, including me used the sinks in the Britannia. They are definitely better than hand gels. 

[Presto2]

Just now, Highpeaklad said:

 

Lots of people, including me used the sinks in the Britannia. They are definitely better than hand gels. 

 

Perhaps people have got used to them then. On the 2 occasions we were on there we hardly ever saw anyone using them at all.

[Presto2]

What drives us nuts is when people have actually finished with their loungers and leave their towels on them so that you don't know if they are free or not. Just take the towels to the towel bins people ……..

[jelayne]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

 

The large bank of public  sinks are right at the  buffet entrance on EDGE...They were always empty on our cruise.  The design is not ideal......very splashy and trough like. Maybe ones on M Class are better?????

 

On our Edge sailing the sinks were used by many and the dispensers of sanitizer were nearby for those who prefer sanitizer to washing.  

[Marelaine]

6 hours ago, mdpa said:

Here is an article from Penn State University to back up my concern about hand sanitizer:

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/10/22/does-hand-sanitizer-do-more-harm-than-good/

 

I can see how this would apply to everyday life, when we are in our own environments, building immunity to germs that might make us sick. But when we're on a cruise ship with thousands of others, coming from all over the world, we might be introducing each other to viruses and bacteria that we haven't had a chance to develop immunity to. Give me the hand sanitizer or good old soap and water, especially in food service areas and bathrooms. 

Royal Princess has those sinks in the buffet. Since the cruise was a 'noro' cruise, there were attendants stationed at the entrance, directing everyone to the sinks. I couldn't believe the number of passengers that refused to wash their hands. Some were quite hostile toward the crew. There were constant drips and splashes on the floor, requiring the attendant to mop up between passengers. Seemed to be not as convenient as the sanitzers.

[cruisequeen4ever]

This has been a growing trend on other cruise lines, too. Real soap and water hand washing is still most effective for getting rid of germs. The problem is as you saw, most people either don’t notice the sinks or just don’t care, and skip past! DH and I were some of the verrrrrrry few to use them on our cruise. Thankfully Princess still left the hand sanitizer dispensers at the start of the buffet, so people could choose that instead. Since it was faster and more noticeable, more people used that.

[Turtles06]

13 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

This has been a growing trend on other cruise lines, too.

 

It's definitely a trend on the new builds, and I'm glad to see that it was implemented with the "revolutionizing" of the M-class ships.   

[jkgourmet]

I'm well aware that hand washing is better than Purel - when its done PROPERLY.  But people aren't doing to at all.  In a crowded situation like a cruise ship, Purel would ABSOLUTELY be better than nothing.  

 

As for avoiding the buffet, not everybody can use Blu or Luminae.  For some meals, the buffet is our only choice.

 

There's absolutely nothing at the entrance of any other restaurant on the ship.  I know there's no tongs in the MDR, but we all don't share stuff at those tables:  pass the butter and brad rolls, please.

 

THEORETICALLY, soap and warm water is a better solution.  But even with very few passengers using the troughs, there are lines.  And people won't wait on a line if they don't have to.  In multiple visits to or thru the buffet, I've seen exactly ONE staff person at the door directing people.  That a how I found out about the troughs in the first place.  They are well hidden.  

 

At least put the dispensers back, and let passengers have the choice.  

 

Prediction:  expect to see higher numbers of noro outbreaks on ships.  

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2019 by jkgourmet

[mdpa]

1 hour ago, jkgourmet said:

I'm well aware that hand washing is better than Purel - when its done PROPERLY.  But people aren't doing to at all.  In a crowded situation like a cruise ship, Purel would ABSOLUTELY be better than nothing.  

 

As for avoiding the buffet, not everybody can use Blu or Luminae.  For some meals, the buffet is our only choice.

 

There's absolutely nothing at the entrance of any other restaurant on the ship.  I know there's no tongs in the MDR, but we all don't share stuff at those tables:  pass the butter and brad rolls, please.

 

THEORETICALLY, soap and warm water is a better solution.  But even with very few passengers using the troughs, there are lines.  And people won't wait on a line if they don't have to.  In multiple visits to or thru the buffet, I've seen exactly ONE staff person at the door directing people.  That a how I found out about the troughs in the first place.  They are well hidden.  

 

At least put the dispensers back, and let passengers have the choice.  

 

Prediction:  expect to see higher numbers of noro outbreaks on ships.  

 

 

 

If this is a big issue, I would encourage you to try Oceania. We are booked on them this Summer for a Bermuda cruise and my understanding is they serve all guests in the buffet.

[rick160158]

Another angle on this topic is, whats the point of washing your hands, when you go into the buffet, and the person who just used the tongs for the salad, didn’t wash his hands, and his germs are all over the tongs, now your using the tongs.....but... you washed your hands didn’t you..🤪🤪🤪does that mean your immune to his germs ??? I don’t think so.

[mom says]

9 minutes ago, rick160158 said:

Another angle on this topic is, whats the point of washing your hands, when you go into the buffet, and the person who just used the tongs for the salad, didn’t wash his hands, and his germs are all over the tongs, now your using the tongs.....but... you washed your hands didn’t you..🤪🤪🤪does that mean your immune to his germs ??? I don’t think so.

Personal responsibility? By washing my hands before entering the line, I'm at least  not adding my microbes to those that may already be on the serving utensils.  I prefer washing over Purell whenever possible. However,  I lost my faith in humanity decades ago, so we also use a shot of hand sanitizer once seated at our table, before eating.