You might dream of your next vacation on-board a cruise ship.
After all, what could be better than waking up on the ocean, participating in sea excursions where you can whale watch or swim with dolphins – not to mention an all you can eat buffet.
But the old saying is true, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Sure – you can eat your hearts out – but if you knew how the food was prepared behind the scenes – you might change your mind.
And couple that with unsanitary living conditions, hotbeds of germs, and you’ve got a traveling ticking time bomb.
So before you book your next cruise, check out these sketchy facts about cruise ships.
Germs Are Literally Everywhere
Think about it – cruise ships have literally thousands of people roaming the ship touching everything with their unwashed hands.
And let’s face it – not everyone knows how to sneeze into their arm to avoid spreading their germs all around them.
But it’s not just passengers walking around spreading germs…
… the actual ships themselves continuously fail sanitation inspections.
Cruise Law News reported:
“The sanitation report indicates that multiple serving station lacked sneeze guards and/or were improperly cleaned. Inspectors found numerous soiled containers, trays, cups, bowls, food slicers, and silverware.
Deficiencies were noted in food preparation, storage and handling as well as food equipment cleaning. Carnival galley employees failed to properly clean and sanitize food equipment and utensils, increasing the potential of creating “severe foodborne illness and death” of guests.”
So basically, the crew doesn’t properly take care of food and this negligence can kill guests.
Awesome.
Questionable Food
Besides the fact the actual serving containers aren’t always clean, the food itself can be contaminated.
From improper storage of meat with fresh veggies to expired food – anything goes on a cruise ship.
Even more troubling, some cruise ship employees know they are deliberately breaking food safety regulations.
CNN reported a story of employees working on the Silver Shadow cruise ship who were suddenly startled with a surprise food inspection.
But instead of confidently showing the inspector around the kitchen they were busted trying to hide 15 trolleys of food in their crew cabins.
Can we say SHADY!
Sickness Spreads Like Wildfire
And let’s say a passenger gets sick. Or boards sick.
Living so close to other people – this sickness can spread like wildfire.
As Proud American Traveler previously reported, one cruise ship in Japan was quarantined once it was determined the coronavirus was present.
And the latest reports show a whopping 634 people from the ship contracted the coronavirus, and 2 have died.
If you decide to cruise, know you are at risk to contract whatever anyone else has aboard the ship.
Attacked By Pirates?
No, we aren’t talking about a live theater performance of Peter Pan.
We’re talking about the Sea Princess Cruise ship who was vulnerable to an actual pirate attack and was forced to close all curtains and turn off the music and essentially go into lockdown.
The Telegraph reported:
“Describing the ordeal, Carolyne Jasinski, a passenger, said the blackout occurred for ten days as the ship travelled across the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. She said Captain Gennaro Arma addressed the ship and apologised for alarming passengers but insisted the threat was real and the ship “must be prepared for a pirate attack”.
And just when you thought you heard it all…
Cruise Away
A cruise can till be a fun vacation – but you should be prepared to know what you are walking into.
If you do decide to go, you can still do your best and try to eat healthy and move about the ship.
And don’t forget to bring hand sanitizer and a whole bunch of Lysol wipes to literally wipe down your entire room.
Stay healthy!
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