cruizn2escape

I have a cochlear implant. It shows up on the security scan but it doesn't set it off. Sometimes they'll do the hand wand, sometimes not. Was a little more interesting experience back when cochlear implants weren't common knowledge though.

My husband had a cochlear implant in April of 2017. In January 2018 we took a flight and cruise. We had a card and letter explaining the implant in case the implant set off the scan. It did not set off either. We will always take the info with when we travel just to be on the safe side

$299 for the 2 of us on NA in Jan. 2018

Interesting that it was moved to the Lido pool area.

Did you get your table for 2 in the open seating?

Yes, but was told it was for 2 nights not 3 as had been reported. However we spoke to a supervisor in the dining room the first night and he secured the same table for the rest of the cruise.

On embarkation on ou 1.13.18 sailing, the podium was moved and located near the Lido pool.

OP, I am very sorry you were ill but happy you recovered quickly.

 

I wonder, OP, did you fly to join the ship or stay pre-cruise in a hotel? So many people carry the virus (unknowingly) onto the ship afffer being exposed on planes and during pre cruise stays. NO one's faultt, of course, but a c ommon scenarrio and no way t o know for sure if that was the case.

 

Thank you for your post. Stay well.

We flew and also stayed 2 Days pre Cruise in a hotel. I did not become ill until day 7 of the 10 day cruise.

Thanks to the OP and all for sharing their stories about what exactly happens when you get sick onboard. We have always wondered what kind of care is provided, costs, cleaning protocols etc. One question I still have is if hand sanitizers were available upon entering the dining venues on the NA? Or other ships recently for that matter?

On our recent Eurodam cruise we were disappointed that hand sanitizers were not posted in most places around the ship as they have been for many years. Specifically all the dining venues except the Lido were lacking the sanitizers. We wondered if this an informal study by HAL to see if rates of noro, influenza etc increased without the sanitizers or simply an oversight. Along the lines of when they eliminated the Code Orange for the first few days of each sailing. Any thoughts?

There were hand sanitizers on the Lido, dining room, and when boarding in ports. I have often thought they should be by the elevators. They are not as effective as hand washing, but are better than nothing.

I have a small business card holder that I put it in and carry it in a pocket.

cruizn2escape, glad to hear that you bounced back quickly. Never fun to be sick on vacation!

 

Just out of curiosity, do you know what medication the shot was?

It was promethazine hydrochloride according to the invoice from the medical center.

So, N. Amsterdam doesn't have Noro. There was one confirmed case. You could have caught it anywhere before you got on the ship. Bad thread title.

You are correct, it should read I was diagnosed with Noro Virus on NA.

How quickly was it diagnosed? As far as I know the precise cause isn't immediately apparent, which is why it takes several days for outbreak reports on the CDC website to be confirmed as norovirus rather than a generic gastro illness. That suggests to me that it can't precisely be attributed to Noro without inspection of, um, "specimens."

 

See https://www.medicinenet.com/norovirus_infection/article.htm#how_is_a_norovirus_infection_diagnosed

The paperwork I got from the Medical center several days later stated it was Noro virus.

Sorry to hear that your became ill but luckily you called the medical center and improved rather quickly afterwards. Sounds like it is not an outbreak but isolated cases??? Where you diagnosed with a Noro Virus strain or food poisoning? Hopefully if it is an outbreak they will do a scrub down. We are on NA in a few weeks.

I was diagnosed as Noro. I think it must have been isolated cases. The crew was always cleaning the ships common surfaces.

Sorry to hear that the Nieuw Amsterdam has the Noro virus and you got sick.

Great that you got the shot and only had to stay in your cabin for 24 hours.

Yes, I was so glad that it was only for 24 hours. I only heard of a few others who got sick, so don’t think it was widespread.

We had cruised on NA in 2014 and booked this 10 day cruise kind of late for us in December of 2017. We stayed in Ft. Lauderdale 2 days prior to the sailing. Left the hotel at 10:10am the day of the sailing and expected to wait outside the terminal as the paperwork said it wouldn't open until 11. We were able to get inside the terminal as soon as we got to the port, were in boarding group 1 and on board by 11:45.

We had a balcony cabin on the Upper Promenade deck. The balcony was larger than a standard balcony. The loveseat and the balcony furniture appeared to be new.

 

We only ate in the dining room (open seating) in the evening. The food was okay. We didn't care for some of the sauces and spices they use and also on some nights the selections were not to our liking. The service was rather slow as well.

For breakfast and lunch we ate on the Lido. We were always able to find something we liked at lunch, including the hamburgers at Dive In. For breakfast we found the omlettes and waffles to be the best. The bacon was often not cooked enough and the scrambled eggs were not good. Food is pretty subjective so these are just our opinions.

 

We did not go to any shows in the Mainstage. We did go to BB King's and was disappointed in the selection and quality of singing compared to our 2014 cruise. We also went to a movie in the theatre. Nice comfy seats and popcorn. The movies they show are also available on the cabins TV.

 

As for ports, we had been to all but Amber Cove in the past. We signed up for an excursion to Santiago in Amber Cove, however the vendor cancelled due to lack of interest. The only other excursion we took was in Bonaire - Mangrove exploration. Our guide took us in a flat bottom boat through the mangroves explaining about them and pointing out wild life. This was a very informative and relaxing, peaceful time.

At the other ports, we either stayed on board or got off and did a little shopping. We weren't able to go to Half Moon Cay due to high winds and waves.

 

We decided to pay for use of the HydroPool and Thermal Spa - $299 for both for the cruise. We used it everyday and sometimes twice a day. For us it was well worth the money. It was so relaxing we did not get our usual massages.

 

Despite washing my hands all the time and being careful, I contracted NoroVirus. After several times of vomiting, I contacted the Medical Center and was given a shot which almost immediately stopped the vomiting. I had to stay in my cabin for 24 hours, my DH was able to come and go and never got sick.

 

Disembarkation was quick. Overall we enjoyed the cruise and would sail on HAL and on NA again.

If you have any questions about NA I will try to answer them.[/quote

 

I forgot to mention we attended the Mariners lunch. The food selection was limited, and not to our liking. We were served champagne and received our “tile”.

I am posting this not to scare anyone, but as a point of information. I was on the 10 day sailing on 1/13/18. About half way through the cruise I started vomiting and had diarrhea. After several episodes of both, I called the Medical Center. Two nurses came to my cabin, took my vitals and gave me a shot. After the shot, I slept for 8 hours and had no more bouts.

I was “isolated” to my cabin for 24 hours. This was a mild case of the virus.

A special crew was sent to my cabin to clean it. All they did was change the bedding and clean the toilet. The did not wipe down any of the surfaces in the cabin, which I thought was strange.

The cost of the medical treatment including the shot and medication was $115. Which I think is reasonable.

I had washed my hands frequently before I got sick, but still managed to get it. I am thankful for the medical staff!

Anyone have pics of the flamingos in Bonaire they would share?

My pictures of them look like pink dots.

Thanks in advance.

Mahi Mahi: Thanks very much for your insight. How was the BB King group and venue?

We were on the 1.13.18 sailing. We thought the B.B. King group was not as good as In the past. We like blues and jazz. They did not play much of these the times we went.

We were able to get to our cabin as soon as we boarded which was 11:30. This was on NA sailing 1/13/18

We had cruised on NA in 2014 and booked this 10 day cruise kind of late for us in December of 2017. We stayed in Ft. Lauderdale 2 days prior to the sailing. Left the hotel at 10:10am the day of the sailing and expected to wait outside the terminal as the paperwork said it wouldn't open until 11. We were able to get inside the terminal as soon as we got to the port, were in boarding group 1 and on board by 11:45.

We had a balcony cabin on the Upper Promenade deck. The balcony was larger than a standard balcony. The loveseat and the balcony furniture appeared to be new.

We only ate in the dining room (open seating) in the evening. The food was okay. We didn't care for some of the sauces and spices they use and also on some nights the selections were not to our liking. The service was rather slow as well.

For breakfast and lunch we ate on the Lido. We were always able to find something we liked at lunch, including the hamburgers at Dive In. For breakfast we found the omlettes and waffles to be the best. The bacon was often not cooked enough and the scrambled eggs were not good. Food is pretty subjective so these are just our opinions.

We did not go to any shows in the Mainstage. We did go to BB King's and was disappointed in the selection and quality of singing compared to our 2014 cruise. We also went to a movie in the theatre. Nice comfy seats and popcorn. The movies they show are also available on the cabins TV.

As for ports, we had been to all but Amber Cove in the past. We signed up for an excursion to Santiago in Amber Cove, however the vendor cancelled due to lack of interest. The only other excursion we took was in Bonaire - Mangrove exploration. Our guide took us in a flat bottom boat through the mangroves explaining about them and pointing out wild life. This was a very informative and relaxing, peaceful time.

At the other ports, we either stayed on board or got off and did a little shopping. We weren't able to go to Half Moon Cay due to high winds and waves.

We decided to pay for use of the HydroPool and Thermal Spa - $299 for both for the cruise. We used it everyday and sometimes twice a day. For us it was well worth the money. It was so relaxing we did not get our usual massages.

Despite washing my hands all the time and being careful, I contracted NoroVirus. After several times of vomiting, I contacted the Medical Center and was given a shot which almost immediately stopped the vomiting. I had to stay in my cabin for 24 hours, my DH was able to come and go and never got sick.

Disembarkation was quick. Overall we enjoyed the cruise and would sail on HAL and on NA again.

If you have any questions about NA I will try to answer them.

We purchased it on our 1.13.18 10 day cruise on NA for $299 a couple. We used it at least once a day. Thought it was worth the money.

Open seating

Are you talking about reserving for open seating, or for Cannaletto?

 

That podium is on many ships.

I heard there is a podium near the Canaletto where I can make dining reservations. Will this be available as soon as we board? We want a table for 2 if possible.

With a balcony room, how are the beds located if we want twin beds instead of a queen? Thanks in advance for your help.

I read Alamo no longer has a shuttle from Port Everglades to the airport and they have a rental office 1 mile from the Port. Rental price at airport is $30 less than the one closest to the port. What is the cost to take a taxi from the port to airport?

I know I would have to pay $18 corkage fee for more than 2 bottles that I carry on. Are these bottles given back to me then or do they keep them and bring them to the dining room when you request one?

What makes Royal so much more expensive that Holland America?