According to an article published in Express UK, cruise ship holidays come with plenty of exciting perks for travellers as they enjoy their time onboard the floating hotel. However, it’s important to remember there are still important dos and don’ts onboard.
Socializing, a key part of cruise ships
Cruise ship holidays can be very fun indeed as cruisers mix with new friends and chat with crew members. While socializing is a key part of these types of holiday – there’s one key thing to remember. A former cruise ship worker has revealed how there’s something guests should never do with staff.
Ex cruise ship crew member Joshua Kinser, author of Chronicles of a Cruise Ship Member explained how holidaymakers should take care.
Avoid shaking hands
He revealed that passengers should avoid shaking hands with cruise crew. The move could be key in beating the spread of sickness bugs, including norovirus.
“I feel passengers should avoid shaking hands or hugging crew members on a cruise ship,” Kinser told Express.co.uk. “They may not realise how much sickness spreads through the crew on cruise ships, and many employees don’t keep up with proper hygiene. This is partly due to the fact that many crew members are working such long hours out on the ships and also due to cultural differences in what is considered good and proper hygiene.”
Fist bumps, a viable option
Instead of shaking hands, crew opts to fist bump to minimize the spread of germs.
“On cruise ships, crew members do not shake hands. They fist bump,” he said. “This keeps the spread of germs down in crew areas, which are generally not near as clean as passenger areas on ships.”
Battling colds and flu is particularly vital at this time of year.
Norovirus – the winter vomiting bug
Norovirus also called the “winter vomiting bug“, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
According to the NHS, the symptoms start suddenly within one to two days of being infected. The main symptoms of norovirus are: feeling sick, diarrhoea and being vomiting, explained the heath body. You may also have a high temperature of 38C or above, a headache and aching arms and legs.
Avoid touching the staircase rails
Self-professed veteran cruiser Dave Dutton revealed in his book How to be a Crafty Cruiser another way to keep illness at bay on cruises. “Healthwise, I avoid touching the staircase rail with my bare hands if at all possible – especially if there is an outbreak of norovirus onboard,” said Dutton.
He further added, “I realise this will be difficult for lots of people and I am not suggesting that you do the same but it makes me cringe when I see people running their hands all the way down the rail. When you think of all the people who have touched that rail before you: people who may not have washed their hands after using the loo or people with colds; it makes sense to have as little contact as possible with the bare surface.”
Dutton elaborates that he doesn’t just apply this rule to staircases but also to lifts. “In a lift, I always use my knuckle to quickly tap the floor button,” the cruise expert wrote.
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Source: ExpressUK
