Hygiene Standards Need Improvement

So of late, I am having the same conversation over and over again with larger than normal numbers of my clients upon return from their cruise.

I have started dreading people calling them to welcome them back incase they answer the phone sounding bunged up, snotty, or have an obvious cough or sore throat!

Time and time again I have people complaining about the lack of sanitation enforcement when entering eating areas, leaving public bathrooms, and general areas of entertainment.

I am getting somewhat wound up about the whole thing at this point because I genuinely feel so guilty that I have personally booked my clients on the ship, and they have come back with some kind of virus or infection.

We all know that picking up a cold can really hit us hard these days, the strains of flu and other such ailments seemingly get stronger each year – or perhaps we are getting softer – who knows. But regardless of the illness, standards need to be far more heavily enforced.

Not once have I had a client come back to me to say they we ‘impressed’ or ‘happy’ or even ‘overly aware’ of sanitary enforcement. Something that seems to have slipped over the last few years.

I remember my first ever ship visit aboard Freedom of the Seas roughly 13/14 years ago. There was a member of staff at every turn with a soap pump. It was actually rather annoying at first, but I was not educated in the industry at that point, nor was I aware of the aggressive nature of the dreaded ‘Norovirus’.

Now however I notice more and more people coasting round the ships, in and out, past the unmanned dispensers without even a second glance. I’ve seen gentlemen walk out of the toilets in the evening without washing their hands too. Disgusting. Is it any wonder germs get spread around.

Many folks will point the finger at the air conditioning and air circulation systems, and of course, this could be partially to blame. But I would imagine only a contributor to an already losing battle.

What I would absolutely love to see or hear about, is a customer coming back from a cruise, fit and well, and with great things to say about enforcement of sanitation.

Is this person you?

The cruise lines may argue that they don’t have enough staff to maintain the standards, well the only way to change that is to take on more staff!

I may also sound like I am pointing the finger at the customers, but the staff can just as easily be to blame, we don’t truly know how cleanly one person is to the next unless we physically watch them washing! Ultimately we trust these staff to be squeaky clean at all times to avoid contamination and the spread of bacteria. So this behind the scenes policing is needed too.

I did see one ship trying to do it’s bit back in May when I boarded Azamara Quest. I walked into the cabin and the steward introduced himself, and me being the polite sort went to shake his hand. Credit to the guy without being rude he retracted his hand and exclaimed ‘Oh no sir, we don’t shake hands on Azamara, we have the Azamara Fist Pump!’

A similar action I then immediately learned was the art of punching each others knuckles gently – this to avoid the spread of germs in a fairly comedic way. A great idea I thought.

But I have been on other ships of late where it’s just not enforced and this is backed up by a large percentage of my returning guests.

Things must improve!

This is a blanket issue as well, no company is immune.

I realise germs cannot be wiped out, that’s not what I am asking. I am asking them to take a tougher, more noticeable approach, and to make their customers look up and want to get those hands squirted!

It would be nice to hear any improvements or experiences of this nature from people in the very near future!

Thanks for reading and as always, until next time…..