When cruise lines came back from the Covid pandemic, the ships had all sorts of new procedures.
In the earliest days, those protocols included social distancing, vaccines and new filtration systems. The rules were a bit fluid as masks were required in some indoor situations and not in others. Every step to stop the spread of the virus was taken, even if the rules did not always make sense.
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In addition to the measures passengers saw, others were more subtle. Buffets were served by crew members rather than being self-serve, and tables were cleaned and sanitized after each use and before new passengers could sit down.
Some of those measures remain in place, but others have loosened or gone away.
One thing that has remained is a focus on hand washing. That, along with hand sanitizer, was seen as crucial to preventing the spread of illness on ships.
Hand washing was always part of the buffet routine, but many cruise lines added hand-washing stations outside many dining establishments, and hand sanitizer was seemingly everywhere.
Carnival Cruise Line, however, recently made a fairly large change, which Brand Ambassador John Heald recently talked about.
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Carnival makes key onboard change
Heald recently answered a question from a cruise passenger who was surprised at a change the cruise line had made.
“Good morning…I was on Glory in December and had a great time, but one concern…there wasn’t hand sanitizer throughout the ship,” wrote Misty Walsh. “I am used to a wash station when entering the buffet area, so I looked around for hand [sanitizer. It] was hidden behind a sign on the wall, and unfortunately, it was empty.
“In addition, there wasn’t any at the pizza station. The only place I saw some was at the [main dining room]. With all the sickness floating around, a suggestion would be to please have more available for use.”
Heald explained the changes the cruise line has made.
“Thank you. Yes, it is hand sanitizer that has been removed from many of the places at the request and recommendation of the medical professionals. Hand sanitizer is not a deterrent against Gastro illness,” Heald posted.
That’s exactly what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
“To prevent that and other surface-borne illnesses, we recommend washing hands with warm water and soap. That’s why this is promoted,” Heald said. “That’s why we do have handwashing stations. And we are very, very glad to say that at the time of my writing this, we’ve not had any outbreaks for many, many years.”
Here is what the CDC says
Hand sanitizer is not meant to replace washing your hands, according to the CDC.
“Germs are everywhere! They can get onto hands and items we touch during daily activities and make us sick,” the federal agency writes. “Cleaning hands at key times with soap and water or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to those around you.”
The CDC’s full suggestions are in line with the moves Carnival has made on its ships.
“Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations,” according to the CDC.
Washing your hands is simply more effective. That’s why hand-washing stations are posted near Carnival and Royal Caribbean buffets.
“Soap and water work to remove all types of germs from hands, while sanitizer acts by killing certain germs on the skin,” the CDC added.
“Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing certain kinds of germs like norovirus, Cryptosporidium, and Clostridioides difficile, as well as chemicals.”
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