Washing Hands Prevents Illness

click images to enlarge

October 15, Global Handwashing Day

The 2020 Global Handwashing Day theme is “Hand Hygiene for All.”  

Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

Source:  Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing
 

Cruise Ships & Norovirus

In past years, cruise industry headlines centered around ships delayed due to the need to have a deep clean following an up tick in the gastrointestinal illness, known as Norovirus.  Perhaps news stories like that have prevented you from enjoying a cruise vacation.

Coronavirus Brought Attention to Handwashing 

Symphony of the Seas

This year’s theme follows the recent global initiative calling on all of society to scale up hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap. This year’s theme reminds us that we must work toward universal access and practice of handwashing with soap for now and for a healthy future.

Keeping cruise ships clean and sanitary has always been a top priority for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) members. While this longstanding cruise line practice may sound minor, COVID-19 has reaffirmed the critical importance of hand hygiene to protecting public health. 

Who is to Blame When Norovirus Hits?

The first inclination when you hear about an outbreak would be to blame the cruise line. Clearly, they have let you down - you expected a healthy cruise, and you got sick.   In fact there's a group of passengers that were on sister cruise line's Independence of the Seas that are suing Royal Caribbean International for £500,000 after contracting norovirus while onboard the ship.

The cruise line is responsible - right?

The cruise line IS responsible  for cleaning the ship and providing the facilities for passengers and crew to maintain proper hygiene onboard the ship.   They do that - you'll notice signs posted in all the rest rooms and crew members pointing out sanitation machines and washing stations, such as the one in the picture above posted outside the restaurant entrance.  

Keeping Cruise Ships Clean and Sanitary (Read More)

But, ladies and gentleman - I suspect that YOU are to BLAME.   Did you stop to wash your hands after using the bathroom?   Did you sanitize your hands every time you entered a restaurant onboard the ship.   Did you do so all but one time?   That one time would be enough to kick off this sort of outbreak.

During recent cruises on Disney Dream and Carnival Sensation, we noticed the sanitizing materials and signs.  Sadly, we also noticed many passengers disregarding the signs and avoiding the sanitizing of their hands before entering the restaurant.

Working together, the cruise lines and passengers could Prevent Norovirus and other illness.

USEFUL LINKS ABOUT NOROVIRUS

Facts About Noroviruses on Cruise Ships  -  gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses can be prevented

Wash hands often. Wash hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.  Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer along with hand washing.

Norovirus outbreaks, when they occur on a cruise ship, always make the news.  The truth is these outbreaks can occur anywhere there are groups of people in a small area such as nursing homes, restaurants, catered events, hotels, and cruise ships.

Vessel Sanitation Program - prevention and control of spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships  

 

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

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CDC Seeks Public Comments on Cruising and Covid-19

On July 16, 2020, CDC extended the No Sail Order and Suspension of Further Embarkation thru September 30th stating 'The current scientific evidence suggests that cruise ships pose a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other settings.'

On July 21, 2020, CDC announced a Request for Information related to cruise ship planning and infrastructure, resumption of passenger operations, and additional summary questions. This information may be used to inform future public health guidance and preventative measures relating to travel on cruise ships.

Public Can Comment

Interested persons or organizations are invited to participate by submitting comments specifically on the following questions related to planning and infrastructure, resumption of passenger operations, and summary questions raised in this document.

This was formally documented in the Federal Register here.  There are 28 questions, many of which have subcategories.  A PDF version of the Federal register is available here.

Until now, the cruise industry talks with the CDC have been focused on operations to protect the safety of crew members onboard ships that have been impacted by the no-sail order.   This opens the door for talks about resumption of operations with health and safety measures in place.

You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2020-0087 by any of the following methods listed below. CDC does not accept comment by email.

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. 
• Mail: Maritime Unit, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS V18-2, Atlanta, GA 30329.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov. 

CLIA Response to Extension

According to Seatrade Cruise News, In response to the CDC's extended no-sail order, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said the industry remains 'aligned with the CDC in our commitment to public health and safety. We are also pleased that the CDC has announced its intention to issue a request for information about the industry's resumption of passenger operations. As we continue to work towards the development of enhanced protocols to support the safe resumption of cruise operations around the world, we look forward to timely and productive dialogue with the CDC to determine measures that will be appropriate for ocean-going cruise operations to resume in the United States when the time is right.'

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Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

Coronavirus Resources

This post was originally posted as Coronavirus Travel Advice  during the early stages of the outbreak when people were wondering if their destination was on lock down or if their cruise line had cancelled their cruises.  

We are modifying this post to remove content which may be misinterpreted as suggesting traveling is safe.    W\e do have links to help people with travel booked for later in the year.  They will need to make decisions, if those decisions aren't made for you by the travel provider.

For example, most cruise lines are extending the 30 day shutdown.  

Put simply  #StaySafeStayHome   #SelfDistancing

Obviously, not everyone can stay home, so then use the guidelines posted on CDC & WHO (and other medical / government) sites.  We are home and here to help with any travel questions -- whether Covid-19  travel related or any future dreaming you might be doing. 

We are posting a daily "Where is Chris"  image for you to guess the destinations.  We encourage those with children to find ways to keep them engaged using travel related topics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. 

Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States. There are ongoing investigations to learn more.

The following  video is very informative - worth watching.

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) advice for the public

The World Health Organization has a website dedicated to Novel Coronavirus 2019.  The advice for the public, including those traveling, is very simple - and it is advice that should be followed all the time.

• Wash Your Hands Frequently
• Practice Respiratory Hygiene
• Maintain Social Distancing
• Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose & Mouth
• If you have Fever, Cough & Difficulty Breathing - Seek Medical Help
• Practice General Hygiene when visiting Live Animal Markets, Wet Markets or Animal Product Markets
• Avoid Consumption of Raw or Undercooked Animal Products

Protect Yourself & Others from Getting Sick

Click on Images Below To Enlarge

Additional Resources  

• WHO Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
• Updated WHO recommendations for international traffic in relation to COVID-19 outbreak
• CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus
• Travelers Returning from High Risk Countries (CDC)
• Mapping The Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (ESRI)
• Coronavirus Resource Center (John Hopkins)
• CDC Global Health - China
• Be Careful Where You Get Your News about Coronavirus (Harvard Medical)
• Ease Your Travel Fears Infographic
• John Hopkins - Coronavirus

Cruise Line Specific Resources   

These links are intended to help guests that may have travel booked for later in the year.  Cancellation policies are very dynamic - often changing daily depending on the current status of the pandemic.  Our recommendation is to stay current on those policies (we are here to help our guests).   In most cases, you can wait until 48 hours before scheduled travel to make any decision.   Hopefully things will return to normal later in the year, but for now just stay safe and informed.

• CLIA Statement on 2019-Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
• Coronavirus Updated Cruise Ship Polices & Cancellations
• COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel (CDC)
• Azamara Cruises Travel Alerts
• Carnival Health & Sailing Update
• Celebrity Cruises Travel Alerts
• Disney Cruise Line Coronavirus Advisories
• Holland America Line Travel Advisories
• Norwegian Cruise Line Travel Alerts
• Princess Cruises Notices & Advisories
• Princess Cruises Health Advisory on Coronavirus
• Royal Caribbean Travel Alerts

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Coronavirus Travel Advice

As the new decade kicks off, so does a world-wide health concern with Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Public Health Agencies, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Decease Control and Prevention, have published extensive information on their websites to help educate the public.

(Updated: March 21, 2020)

Most travel is suspended at least through April.  Below are resources to the various travel providers websites as cancellation polices vary.  If you have trips scheduled for later this Spring / Summer, our advice is to wait until your carrier makes an announcement about your itinerary to make any decision.  Most companies are allowing you to wait for as long as 48 hours before departure to cancel.  That gives you time to understand the risks of travel (if it is even possible).
Our state is on lock down until April 7th, and many other states / countries have followed this precautionary measure.  Links below are useful resources to keep informed.

We are getting calls from our guests, concerned about traveling.   Speak to your personal doctors for their advice - they will be familiar with your circumstances.  Also, take precautionary measures, which should be standard practice - washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, staying away from those exhibiting symptoms.  Monitor guidance from world health organizations such as the WHO and CDC.

If you are traveling, or even if you are staying local, it is important to know the facts as they are known at this time. Since this is an evolving story, not all information is known but be assured that top health care professionals are seeking the answers. Of course there are often myths (click for some myth busters) that are circulated, so this blog post will try to disseminate links to the official resources that you can use to expand your knowledge.

Cruise lines are monitoring the situation and have imposed precautionary measures including refusing boarding of individuals presenting with certain symptoms.  The lines have implemented enhanced policies, which are in effect as of 27 February 2020, built upon those which were first implemented on 31 January 2020 and focus on conservative measures, as the situation evolves, to appropriately and effectively screen every guest and crew member on every ship prior to boarding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. 

Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States. There are ongoing investigations to learn more.

The following  video is very informative - worth watching.

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) advice for the public

The World Health Organization has a website dedicated to Novel Coronavirus 2019.  The advice for the public, including those traveling, is very simple - and it is advice that should be followed all the time.

• Wash Your Hands Frequently
• Practice Respiratory Hygiene
• Maintain Social Distancing
• Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose & Mouth
• If you have Fever, Cough & Difficulty Breathing - Seek Medical Help
• Practice General Hygiene when visiting Live Animal Markets, Wet Markets or Animal Product Markets
• Avoid Consumption of Raw or Undercooked Animal Products

Protect Yourself & Others from Getting Sick

Click on Images Below To Enlarge

Additional Resources  

• WHO Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
• Updated WHO recommendations for international traffic in relation to COVID-19 outbreak
• CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus
• Travelers Returning from High Risk Countries (CDC)
• Mapping The Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (ESRI)
• Coronavirus Resource Center (John Hopkins)
• CDC Global Health - China
• Be Careful Where You Get Your News about Coronavirus (Harvard Medical)
• Ease Your Travel Fears Infographic
• John Hopkins - Coronavirus

Cruise Line Specific Resources

• CLIA Statement on 2019-Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
• Coronavirus Updated Cruise Ship Polices & Cancellations
• COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel (CDC)
• Azamara Cruises Travel Alerts
• Carnival Health & Sailing Update
• Celebrity Cruises Travel Alerts
• Disney Cruise Line Coronavirus Advisories
• Holland America Line Travel Advisories
• Norwegian Cruise Line Travel Alerts
• Princess Cruises Notices & Advisories
• Princess Cruises Health Advisory on Coronavirus
• Royal Caribbean Travel Alerts

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat