In a revealing guide, a cruise ship expert has shared the cardinal rule that travellers should never flout while at sea. In a video posted on his Tips for Travellers YouTube channel, Gary Bembridge, a noted figure in cruise ship guidance, did a survey of frequent cruisers to find out which rules ignored by their peers irritated them the most.
Gary disclosed that from the feedback received, there were six principal rules where non-compliance could drive fellow cruisers up the wall more than anything else. A significant number, 88% of those who participated in Gary’s poll, identified the fear of norovirus as their top peeve.
Norovirus is highly infectious, causing acute gastroenteritis with symptoms such as stomach aches, nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting. Individuals can contract it through close contact with an infected person, via contaminated food or water, or by touching tainted surfaces.
This virus leads to stomach and intestinal inflammation. Data from cruising.org suggests that the annual risk of contracting norovirus is about 1 in 15, with a cruise traveller’s odds of catching the virus during an outbreak on board pegged at approximately 1 in 5,500.
Gary pointed out: “There’s a few rules passengers regularly break that can lead to outbreaks. First, before boarding, we are supposed to report if we have signs of norovirus, upset stomachs, or vomiting, so the medical team can assess.”, reports the Express.
He added with concern, “But some worry they will be isolated for a couple of days in their cabin until it has passed so do not own up.”
Gary highlighted that while certain matters did frustrate individuals surveyed, the chief grievance that “really drives most of them mad” is the non-adherence to protocols aimed at containing norovirus. He stressed the importance of hand hygiene: “That is by washing hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom and before going to the buffet, or using hand gel which is a fairly good alternative,” he advised.
Following an incident in September, more than 500 passengers on P&O’s Ventura, which set sail from Southampton for a fortnight’s journey around the Canary Islands in May, were affected by a breakout of norovirus. In response, P&O Cruises stated their confidence in having “proven protocols” to manage such health scenarios on board.