Hand sanitiser on Star/Sun?

[aussie57]

Hi guys

When we cruised on Sapphire Princess earlier this year, the cruise line was very aware of outbreaks of norovirus etc & hand sanitising gel was provided outside all dining venues, esp buffets. Also it was mandatory to use it when disembarking & re-embarking at ports. Is this the case on P&O Aust ships? We were quite happy to use it all the time & didn't get sick even though we ate in the buffet most of the time. In fact, if it's not provided on the Star we will probably take our own on the Star in Dec.

[kaseyoz]

on the sun they did have a waiter squirting your hands when you went to dinner.

I loved the automatic ones on the sapphire especially watching MIL "washing" her hands under it while it poured out.

we will be taking ours with us. Good foir shore trips especially those like mystery island where the wash facilities are poor.We are not going to mystery though

[AuzzieCruiser]

It was there on the Sun, right near the entrance near the lifts. It didn't stand out though, as it was mounted on the wall. A few people used it, but since it was hard to see, most people obviously bypassed it.

On the Diamond, if you didn't have your hands 'squirted', you weren't entering that buffet food area. They also handed you your cultery and plate too!!:eek:

[aussie57]

It was there on the Sun, right near the entrance near the lifts. It didn't stand out though, as it was mounted on the wall. A few people used it, but since it was hard to see, most people obviously bypassed it.

On the Diamond, if you didn't have your hands 'squirted', you weren't entering that buffet food area. They also handed you your cultery and plate too!!:eek:

Yes it was like that on the Sapphire - I guess they're both Princess Line. It was good getting the cutlery & plate handed to you as you knew someone else hadn't already handled it & then changed their mind

[Shuboxx1978]

Evening guys,

 

They have this facility in the buffets on dawn as well. I think they'll become a mandatory thing for all ships in the future, if not already.

 

Nev.

[mum and son]

On the Star in January they squirted your hands everyday when entering any meal establishment on board - but on the Star in April they didn't do it - but the squirt bottle was always there for self service.

[Skyrules]

In my experience it's a bit hit and miss..... It seems to depend if there's been a noro-virus outbreak recently.

 

We always take our own bottle along with us and use it regularly - and use that dispensers provided at the buffet's.

[Skyrules]

Double post

[aussie57]

Thanks for all your posts, folks. I'll take my own bottle but also use theirs if it's provided.

[sayaguru]

I was on the Sun in July and October this year. In July they squirted your hands each time you entered the restaurant or dining room. Plus there are 2 on the wall in the buffet. They had it when you disembarked at islands but I didn't see anyone use it. In October they never used them. The fixed ones in the buffet were often empty. I carry a small bottle or use the hand towels ones.

[fishtaco]

It is onboard if you want it and in all the public toilets,we took our own but didnt need it as we got a squirt every time we entered the buffet or dinning room.We did use our own when we went ashore though.

"Aquium gel" We never travel without it.

 

Den

[Kiwi_cruiser]

When we cruised on Sapphire Princess earlier this year, the cruise line was very aware of outbreaks of norovirus etc & hand sanitising gel was provided outside all dining venues, esp buffets. Also it was mandatory to use it when disembarking & re-embarking at ports. Is this the case on P&O Aust ships?

 

When we where on the Star last year when we went to the buffets / dinning room they gave out hand sanitising gel, but I only use it for a day before I noticed that my hands went all red & dry & after that I never use it & when they offered I said No Thanks (& No I did not get sick)

[Skyrules]

September on the Sun they didn't give you a squirt. There was a bottle on the wall in the buffet.

 

I asked about it...they had had a review or something on board the ship, and it was decided that it was not necessary to use hand sanitiser. Washing of the hands was just as effective.

 

Seems like another Carnival cutback to me??!!

 

Kaz

 

 

I think they're probably getting a bit complacent - there hasn't been a big noro-virus outbreak on a cruise ship in Australia for awhile... When there is, the sanitiser will be out again in force.

[MsMinx]

We first discovered the sanitising gel on our last Pacific Sky cruise. They had it mounted to the wall outside each of the dining rooms. I thought it was a great idea! Since then we've been carrying small bottles of the stuff in our cars and to picnics etc.

 

In May when we did our Pacific Star tour and lunch, the matre d squirted each of us as we entered the dining room.

 

I think it's a great idea! If it's not a standard on all ships i'll have to remember to pack one of my little bottles for my next cruise :D

[aussie57]

If it's not a standard on all ships i'll have to remember to pack one of my little bottles for my next cruise :D

 

Other posts are suggesting that it is available on most ships but doesn't seem to be insisted on by all of them. There were apparently some people with a bug on Sapphire Princess so you couldn't get into the restaurants & buffet unless you were squirted

[LouLou28]

They were very diligent on the Pacific Star in January this year ... for the first few days - then everyone seemed to have the 'habit' and did it themselves.

[staceymrow]

He he he :)

 

This made me laugh and remember that on the star in the buffet where the sanitizer was mounted on the wall, miss 3 would always walk under it and it would spray on her head!!

Half the time she didnt realise, but the people queauing for food had a good laugh!

[qld cruiser]

Thanks for all your posts, folks. I'll take my own bottle but also use theirs if it's provided.

 

Hi Anne, the Star does have bottles at the small table as you enter the dining room.

some days someone was there to squirt your hands, other days not,

I found it a bit disturbing that a lot of people rushed past without putting any gel on their hands at all.

 

have a great time...I did.

kind regards, Lorraine:) :)

[Sundance12]

On our cruise on the sun in january they were extremely picky about the sanititising so much so that the comedians did a skit about it. there had been an outbreak on the previous cruise and so everyone was a little jumpy... still didnt stop at least 4 people contracting the virus on our cruise... i felt bad for them because it meant 48 hours quarantine.. there must have been more that didnt present themselves to the doctor to avoid being quarantined.. there were constant reminders to sanitise in the Pacific Daily and we were squirted not only when entering food areas but also when getting a new plate and in all the toilets. ig uess what other people do doesnt really matter as long as you keep up your own hygeine you should be fine. I was fascinated though.. I'd never seen anything like it before... first its a gel then a liquid then its gone... seemed pretty impressive :p

[aussiedisneyfan]

I always use it but do find it dries out my hands. Sometimes I would have about 5 squirts in 15 minutes becase I would have one group in the pool area and another out the back so I kept getting reminded to do my hands even though I was walking through the buffet rather and using it. :D

[Guest012]

Washing of the hands was just as effective.

 

 

Kaz

 

Hi Kaz

Same on the Rhapsody notices in every toilet about the 10sec hand wash, there was spray available when in port..... Must say that passengers need to bear much more responsibility when it comes to hygiene.....there are some disgusting people out there....specially in the buffet areas we were put off eating there on the Star....need more staff watching. We were 16 days onboard last cruise and only 2 pax were locked down for 3 days with stomach problems lucky for them it was the last days.........thats what i call a clean ship.....colds not included....lol...cheers shiona

[pink poodle]

We were on the Pac Sky in 2004 when there was a severe outbreak of norvirus.It wrecked the whole cruise. I was telling another passenger about how worried I was for our daughters, who were very young then. She was a nurse and told me to make sure we kept washing our hands all the time.They hadn't brought out any of that squirty stuff till near the end of the cruise when most people were sick so I made sure we did wash our hands alot. Towards the end of the cruise, everyone in the cabins around us were sick. The smell was unbelievable.The buffet for lunch had to be closed, the laundry was closed and things like the tour of the galley had to be cancelled.We were OK and so was the nurse and her friends and I couldn't get my daughters off there quick enough.Since then we've always been very aware of norovirus and always use the squirty stuff on our hands. We also avoid touching handrails and things like that and bring along our own antibacterial hand cleanser stuff. Pink Poodle

[Legs11]

Reading this thread has made me realise just how dirty some people can actually be.:( How hard is it to wash your hands!!! I too used the hand disinfectant (use it at work and home anyway). Personally though after reading all of the replies I am going to pack my own from now on as well.

[LouLou28]

I've always had a small bottle in my hand bag (cruise or not).

 

I started using it when my son was born (10 years ago) - it was great when you were travelling and didn't have hand washing facilities.

 

I also used it (alot) at the Brisbane Ekka this year. I worked on a stand there for my work, and had a pump bottle on the stand for everyone to use - as there was a major flu outbreak at the time (Ekka is notorious for flu anyway!).

 

We were always told when washing your hands, to keep washing them for as long as it takes you to sing the Happy Birthday song (in your head is usually more acceptable than out loud!):D

 

Got my kids to do that on the cruise (and they were avid users of the gel anyway) - and we had no problems ... fingers crossed this continues!:D:eek:

[karmac]

I don't doubt that washing hands is just as effective, but the problem is....how long before entering the buffet did the person last wash their hands? I also carry it with me (cruise or not). A few days into our cruise on the Dawn I was in a public toliet near the pool. Their was an older lady in the cubicle next to me commenting to her friend waiting that she had been told not to use the public toilets but go down to her cabin as their was less chance of getting sick. She then flushed the toilet & walked straight outside......without washing her hands.

 

Karen