During a sea or river cruise, some foods are associated with gastrointestinal problems and lack of hygiene can disrupt rest and provoke illness. Cruise travel experts Ashley Kosciulek and Katherine Alex Beaven spoke to Cruise Critic about these unreliable foods.
Against the background of an incident that occurred in early March on board a Princess cruises cruise ship, when about 300 tourists and crew fell ill with an intestinal infection, presumably norovirus, the advice of experts seems relevant.
So, according to their recommendation, we must remember an important rule – many diseases are transmitted through a contaminated surface. And with a huge number of passengers on board the liner, there are also a lot of microbes, respectively. In addition, the restaurant should avoid products that are left unattended for a long time.
So, the first on their list are pre-cooked sushi. Instead, it is better to choose a freshly prepared dish. “If a cafe on a cruise ship has sushi and you don't know how long it's been there, consider replacing it with something that's being prepared right in front of you.”
Second on their list of questionable foods is ice cream. The argument of experts is that a large number of guests could contact the product and the machine that dispenses it. Some cruise ships have self-serve ice cream machines, which means a lot of other people have touched it. Guests touch the handle and then hold an ice cream cone with the same hand, a potential breeding ground for germs, experts say. Ashley and Katherine recommended using a bowl instead of a cone or using an antibacterial wipe when operating the ice cream machine.
The third dish is an omelette. On ships, most of the portions of scrambled eggs are usually prepared long before the tourists get to them. Instead, Kosciulek recommended choosing eggs cooked to order at the “omelet station”: “Choose your favorite ingredients, ham, cheese, onions, tomatoes and peppers, and watch the chef prepare your delicious omelette right in front of you on the stove.” .
Stale scrambled eggs aren't the only dish to avoid, though. It's also best to steer clear of pizza that looks questionable. In addition, it quickly becomes stale and loses its best taste. An exception can be made for freshly cooked pizza.
Finally, a couple of experts urged passengers to avoid using common seasonings and sauces. Instead, at the distribution line, it's best to opt for individual sachets if possible, or to touch bottles of ketchup and other sauces with a napkin. Like an ice cream machine, if everyone on the ship uses the same bottles, many hands touch them.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “A microbiologist explained how food poisoning happens '.