To use or not to use public toilets on board.

[2wheelin]

18 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

I have yet to encounter the sort of schlub who was so confidently entrenched in his slovenliness that he ignored a courteous reminder about the normal, civilized practice of washing his hands after relieving himself in a public bathroom.

 

I suppose, however, that such a dismal person might still be encountered.  I might be tempted to follow him out of the bathroom- continuing the reminder so that others present might be aware of the sort of person they were travelling with - I’ll have to see.

Real class. People will certainly know the sort of person they are traveling with. Bathroom police.

Edited February 11, 2020 by 2wheelin

[That sinking feeling]

12 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

What if all the stalls are in use ?

Use the ladies.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

when was the last time you saw a faucet on a cruise ship in a public bathroom that wasn’t automatic?

On Crystal Symphony in August 2018, and as far as I know it hasn't changed since then.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

I make a point of using the nearest public bathroom before dinner (as we usually have a drink in the bar first), at lunch (if we haven't had a chance to go back to our cabin first), but usually for breakfast we're coming straight from our cabin.

 

Why do I insist on this?

 

Because I like to wash my hands thoroughly before entering the restaurant. On most ships the taps are automatic. I can dry my hands properly, then use a tissue or towel to open the door if necessary. Then I go straight to the restaurant, using my own non-alcohol foam sanitizer containing benzylkonium chloride as I enter the restaurant, and also after handling menus.

 

 

[ducklite]

13 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

It hasn't happened so far.  In public toilets I do my business and mind my own business.  Self-appointed toilet monitors should do the same. 

 

I don't care what you do in there are long as you wash your hands before you leave.

[ducklite]

10 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

And when you do speak up and are ignored then what?  

I point them out as a person who people should keep their distance from because they didn't wash hands after leaving the toilet.

[navybankerteacher]

9 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Real class. People will certainly know the sort of person they are traveling with. Bathroom police.

I guess seeing  a person willing to speak up about slovenly habits can be more disturbing than being exposed to those slovenly habits.

[ducklite]

11 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Real class. People will certainly know the sort of person they are traveling with. Bathroom police.

I'd rather travel with an entire boat of bathroom police than get Noro from a person who couldn't be bothered to wash their hands after using the bathroom.  To me that's no different than eating poop.

[SbbquilterUT]

I have used airport bathrooms on my trip to the port which are nowhere near the level of cleanliness on the ship so I do use the public area bathrooms when needed.

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I make a point of using the nearest public bathroom before dinner (as we usually have a drink in the bar first), at lunch (if we haven't had a chance to go back to our cabin first), but usually for breakfast we're coming straight from our cabin.

 

Why do I insist on this?

 

Because I like to wash my hands thoroughly before entering the restaurant. On most ships the taps are automatic. I can dry my hands properly, then use a tissue or towel to open the door if necessary. Then I go straight to the restaurant, using my own non-alcohol foam sanitizer containing benzylkonium chloride as I enter the restaurant, and also after handling menus.

 

 

 

We were recently on a newer ship that routed everyone through a row of sinks at the entrance to the buffet.  I liked that a lot.  Guess we were raised to wash up before eating and it stuck.  Haha

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

 

 

also purell isn’t effective against any virus just FYI. 

 

From what I've read here, I guess neither is hand soap.   

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Real class. People will certainly know the sort of person they are traveling with. Bathroom police.

 

Seems to me the only people who would take exception are those who don't wash their hands. Sorry, no sympathy here.  

[Markanddonna]

Ship bathrooms are generally very clean and you are supposed to use a towel to open the door. Now, airport, restrooms on the islands, etc are much dirtier. The filthiest I saw was at Sawgrass mall in Fort Lauderdale. 

[2wheelin]

10 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Seems to me the only people who would take exception are those who don't wash their hands. Sorry, no sympathy here.  

Quietly approaching them in private is one thing. Anything said outside the bathroom door is bullying. Not acceptable in todays world. I am a hand washer and might speak to someone (nicely—not accusatory since that produces the opposite effect you want) while in the bathroom. It is not my, or any other passengers, responsibility or right to publicly point out someone else to avoid. Shaming is bullying.

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, 2wheelin said:

Quietly approaching them in private is one thing. Anything said outside the bathroom door is bullying. Not acceptable in todays world. I am a hand washer and might speak to someone (nicely—not accusatory since that produces the opposite effect you want) while in the bathroom. It is not my, or any other passengers, responsibility or right to publicly point out someone else to avoid. Shaming is bullying.

 

Well, I don't have a problem with the tougher approach.  So sorry, but I find this fear we have developed of offending wrongdoers is tiresome.    

[ducklite]

11 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

Quietly approaching them in private is one thing. Anything said outside the bathroom door is bullying. Not acceptable in todays world. I am a hand washer and might speak to someone (nicely—not accusatory since that produces the opposite effect you want) while in the bathroom. It is not my, or any other passengers, responsibility or right to publicly point out someone else to avoid. Shaming is bullying.

 

Shaming is not bullying when it is done to protect the health and welfare of others.  Given your line of thought, publishing the photos of sex offenders is bullying.  It's done to help the public protect themselves against people who might do them harm.  

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

We were recently on a newer ship that routed everyone through a row of sinks at the entrance to the buffet.  I liked that a lot.  Guess we were raised to wash up before eating and it stuck.  Haha

That is the way it is on the Anthem.

[ed01106]

BTW.  Not washing after pooping is a serious problem for disease spread.  Not washing if all you did was pee, not so much. Norovirus, e coli and many other diseases are spread via fecal matter not urine.

[lenquixote66]

13 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

BTW.  Not washing after pooping is a serious problem for disease spread.  Not washing if all you did was pee, not so much. Norovirus, e coli and many other diseases are spread via fecal matter not urine.

I cannot fathom person not washing hands after being in a sit down  position on a toilet.I have never pooped on a cruise ship other than in my cabin.

Edited February 11, 2020 by lenquixote66

[ducklite]

15 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

BTW.  Not washing after pooping is a serious problem for disease spread.  Not washing if all you did was pee, not so much. Norovirus, e coli and many other diseases are spread via fecal matter not urine.

It's all located in the same area and yes, certain body parts can become contaminated by other body parts.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, 2wheelin said:

... Shaming is bullying.

Not necessarily.

 

 Some people need a sense of shame as an incentative to modify shameful behavior.  

 

Would you consider risking exposing other people to infection a sort of bullying? 

[XBGuy]

People keep harping that the alcohol sanitizers are not effective against the Norovirus, and, lately, that has been generalized to it is not effective against any virus.

 

To which, my response is that there are quite a few bacteria that can cause gastric or respiratiory distress.  As far as I know, alcohol-base sanitizers are effective as bacteriacides.  

 

Here is a question for the group.  Have you noticed that when people get up from their table and go back to the buffet for seconds, they never either wash their hands again (giving them the benefit of the doubt that the did wash their hands when they first entered) or use the sanitizer?

 

On our most recent cruise, I was happy to use the sinks located at the entrance to the buffet area, and, then, I would spritz my hands with the sanitizer as I entered the actual food pick-up area.  My wife likes to sleep in, and, so, I go to breakfast without her.  However, after having mine breakfast I will often bring back a muffin or some fruit for her to have in the cabin.  I do repeat the hand washing and sanitizing when I go back for hers. 

 

C'mon, folks. I'm not distributing my bugs on the buffet utensils.  Please show me the same courtesy.

[Steelers0854]

5 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

From what I've read here, I guess neither is hand soap.   

 

You’re right, hand soap isn’t designed to kill anything (yes we can get in the debate about antibacterial handsoaps, but lets just go with the normal variety for now).  Hand soap is designed to loosen the virus/bacteria etc from your hands and then wash it away with copious amounts of water, which is why they say to wash your hands for 20 seconds to let water do the real work and get the stuff off of you, not kill it.  

 

3 hours ago, XBGuy said:

People keep harping that the alcohol sanitizers are not effective against the Norovirus, and, lately, that has been generalized to it is not effective against any virus.

 

Well I am no doctor but I believe that’s correct, the issue is with how hand sanitizers generally work, which is via alcohol or some variation thereof.  Great against killing bacteria, not so great a viruses.  I’m sure there are variations and people will say theirs is better or what not, but the thing is it never beats washing your hands, reference my comment above.

[navybankerteacher]

4 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

 

You’re right, hand soap isn’t designed to kill anything (yes we can get in the debate about antibacterial handsoaps, but lets just go with the normal variety for now).  Hand soap is designed to loosen the virus/bacteria etc from your hands and then wash it away with copious amounts of water, which is why they say to wash your hands for 20 seconds to let water do the real work and get the stuff off of you, not kill it.  

 

 

Well I am no doctor but I believe that’s correct, the issue is with how hand sanitizers generally work, which is via alcohol or some variation thereof.  Great against killing bacteria, not so great a viruses.  I’m sure there are variations and people will say theirs is better or what not, but the thing is it never beats washing your hands, reference my comment above.

Good summary - while some sanitizers may be fairly effective in killing some pathogens, good hand washing, while not killing them, them does REMOVE  them all — which surely beats killing even most of them. 

[clo]

8 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

From what I've read here, I guess neither is hand soap.   

From what I read soap and water washes 'stuff' down the drain.