Cruise guests advised to ‘avoid fresh food’ over sickness fear

The Cruise: Cabin host shares process of cleaning room

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One worried passenger wrote on Reddit that they were concerned about contracting norovirus while on a cruise holiday. The norovirus is known as the “winter vomiting bug” and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

While the norovirus usually only lasts around two days, it can hang around long enough to ruin a cruise holiday.

Other symptoms include nausea, a high temperature, headache and aching arms and legs, and can start suddenly.

Another guest said: “We don’t do the buffet. There are plenty of dining options and we don’t need it.

“I do all the normal things you’d do with handwashing, touching handles with a tissue etc.”

Buffets can be a common place to contract germs as passengers will share serving utensils and may touch plates.

Another guest said: “I’ve had norovirus three times. The reason cruise ships get a bad rep from norovirus isn’t that it’s common, but that if it does happen, it spreads like wildfire through the ship.

“Wash your hands. Tell your travelling companions to wash their hands and you should be following these steps regardless. And be careful about who you share food with.

“If you’re really paranoid, maybe avoid the buffet. Follow those steps and you’ll be as fine as you are if you went to a restaurant on land.”

The majority of cruise ships will have plenty of hand sanitizer stations for passengers to clean their hands.

Maintaining good personal hygiene is one of the best ways to avoid catching a virus on a cruise ship.

When it comes to food poisoning, cruise lines are very careful to maintain high standards on food preparation.

A guest said: “Anything can happen anywhere of course, but will all the food safety and handling procedures cruise ships employ, it is far less likely to occur there than a neighbourhood potluck.

“There’s a risk anywhere but proper precautions should actually reduce your risk as low as everyday life.”

A regular guest said: “I used to work closely with cruise lines and I’ve seen and learned first hand how careful they are.

“An outbreak is disastrous for a ship, brand and industry. So they have some very strict rules to avoid it.

“If you want to be extra careful, avoid fresh items like fruits and veggies. They are more likely to be contaminated at the source or in preparation.”

Salads are often a common cause of food poisoning so worried guests could choose to avoid them.

Guests are sometimes more likely to contract food poisoning eating at a restaurant close to a cruise port.

It’s a good idea to check reviews before choosing a restaurant onshore to avoid contracting food poisoning.

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