Cruise secrets: Never touch this one thing on a cruise ship – you run a huge risk

Ex cruise ship crew member Joshua Kinser has also urged passengers to avoid shaking hands with staff in a bid to prevent the spread of norovirus.

“[Passengers] may not realise how much sickness spreads through the crew on cruise ships, and many employees don’t keep up with proper hygiene,” he told Express.co.uk.

“This is partly due to the fact that many crew members are working such long hours out on the ships and also due to cultural differences in what is considered good and proper hygiene.”

Doctor Ben MacFarlane revealed in his book Cruise Ship SOS what happens when norovirus breaks out on a cruise. 

“At Code Red, almost every member of the 1,000 strong crew will play some part in the fight-back procedure, even if it’s only washing their hands a few more times every hour,” he wrote.

“In the meantime, pre-arranged teams of workers will begin a forensic clean-down service. Every surface that is ever touched will be disinfected almost the moment the last person has passed it.