Picture this: you step off the elevator toward the buffet and suddenly a crew member in a sequined vest starts serenading you with a Lady Gaga parody about hand hygiene. You smile, maybe even laugh, then head straight for the handwashing station. That’s the idea.
With 18 acute gastrointestinal (AGE) illness outbreaks already reported by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) this year—matching the total for all of 2024, the worst year on record since 2007—it may be time for the cruise industry to embrace some new tactics in its fight against communicable diseases.
But can humour, music and public performance actually change hygiene behaviour on board? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
Meet Mr. and Ms. Washy Washy
Over 70% of all AGE outbreaks reported on the VSP’s website are attributed to norovirus—a highly contagious pathogen that spreads rapidly in closed environments like cruise ships, typically as a result of poor hand hygiene.
The challenge is simple in theory but harder in practice: how do you stop a virus that thrives on human behaviour?
One cruise line in particular has been especially creative in trying to answer that question.
Royal Caribbean’s Washy Washy initiative has developed something of a cult following among frequent cruisers. A quick search online reveals a sea (excuse the pun) of videos, articles and Facebook tributes to the crew members whose mission is to make handwashing unforgettable.
Rather than posting signs and hoping for compliance, Royal Caribbean uses humour, music, and human interaction to strengthen its disease prevention efforts.
Crew members take on the role of Washy Washy, a character who greets guests outside dining venues and reminds them to wash their hands. They perform public health-themed covers of popular songs like Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry (“No Washy, No Food”) and Aqua’s Barbie Girl (“I’m a washy girl, in a washy world”), or belt out jingles like:
“Washy washy before you yummy yummy!”
“No washy washy, no foody foody!”
It might sound a little unconventional, but that’s the point. The performance is designed to disarm, engage, and nudge passengers into forming a habit.
Comments on social media are overwhelmingly positive. Many guests report washing their hands more frequently as a result. Children queue for hugs. Adults break into dance. The moment becomes more than a reminder—it becomes part of the cruise experience.
And that may be the real genius of the initiative. It reframes hand hygiene not as a chore, but as a shared ritual. One that’s fun, visible, and perhaps just strange enough to stick.
But novelty only gets you so far. The big question remains: does it actually work?
The Science of Singing and Soap
Hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to reduce the spread of infectious disease. However, while most people understand its importance, getting them to wash their hands properly and consistently remains one of public health’s most persistent challenges.
Decades of behavioural research show that awareness alone isn’t enough. What really changes habits are the cues, emotions, and contexts that influence our behaviour in the moment.
Here’s what the science tells us:
- Visual & Physical Cues Work
Field experiments among hospital visitors in Denmark found that placing hand sanitiser dispensers in direct line of sight with prominent signs boosted usage from under 1% to almost 20%. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that figure rose to nearly 48%. Other studies have shown that simple directional cues—such as floor arrows pointing from restrooms to sinks—can increase handwashing rates by up to 15%. - Humour & Emotional Engagement Grab Attention
Health messages that are funny or emotionally engaging tend to be more memorable and therefore more likely to influence behaviour. Humour, especially when unexpected, disrupts our mental autopilot and improves recall. This supports the use of parody songs and playful slogans as hygiene prompts. - Social Modelling & Feedback Matter
In healthcare settings, behavioural interventions have consistently improved hand hygiene compliance, sometimes by nearly 20%, particularly when staff receive social comparisons or real-time feedback. Empowering crew to model handwashing and cheer on guests exploits the same principle: it turns hygiene into a social norm. People are more likely to wash if they see others doing it, and repeated prompts tied to environmental triggers (like entering a restaurant) build habit.
By turning a hygiene reminder into a performance, Royal Caribbean is applying many of these principles at once:
- The crew becomes the social model
- The entrance to the buffet becomes a cue
- The humour and music become emotional anchors
It’s not just theatre for theatre’s sake. It’s a strategic attempt to shift hygiene from obligation to interaction; from something people might forget to something they actively engage with.
Does this lead to lasting change? That’s harder to measure. Nonetheless, there’s sufficient body of evidence to suggest well-placed cues, social reinforcement, emotional engagement and novelty can meaningfully influence hygiene habits.
And that’s exactly the kind of behavioural architecture Royal Caribbean is trying to tap into with its Washy Washy campaign.
What Washy Washy Can Teach Us
Royal Caribbean’s Washy Washy initiative is certainly memorable and, judging by its staying power, popular with many guests. But like most things in life, it’s not universally appreciated.
Some critics say:
“I will never go on a cruise which does this.”
“How irritating would this soon get, especially if it’s at breakfast and you get out of bed on the wrong side. And this is your greeting?”
What works for one cruise line can feel entirely out of place on another. Some brands lean into fun and spectacle while others focus on luxury, tranquillity or quiet sophistication. A costumed crew member singing about hand hygiene may charm families on a megaship, but it’s unlikely to suit the atmosphere of a high-end luxury cruise.
The point isn’t that theatrical interventions are wrong. It’s that context matters.
Delivery style, guest demographics, and brand positioning all shape how a health message lands. Just as important are consistency, leadership buy-in, and support from onboard teams.
What Washy Washy does, however, is offer a useful reminder: public health messaging doesn’t have to be dry to be effective.
Because if we’re being honest, traditional methods aren’t working. And if you want your guests (and crew) to engage with disease prevention strategies, thinking outside the box might be the smartest move you make.