Noro-virus on Anthem?

Just got an email from RC saying due to gastrointestinal illness by a small number of passengers on the Anthem this week, boarding will now be 11:30 to 2:00 due to extra cleaning for this Saturday's departure. That doesn't seem to be much of a delay. Don't they usually start boarding at that time?

People have reported boarding around 11am lately.

I am on this cruise and can confirm norovirus. So far 3 of the 4 of us have had it on three different nights and I have heard others talking about getting sick. My daughter had it Monday night, me Tuesday and my son on Wednesday. My daughter and my cases were quite mild, but my son is pretty miserable. We have all been religiously washing our hands, but honestly, with the way this ship is set up, it is a lost cause. The real only way to control it would be if they didn’t allow you to exit your bathroom or stateroom door without washing your hands. All of the elevator and touchscreen buttons are just spreading the germs. Plus there are lots of small kids on this very full ship.

I am glad they are going to give the ship a very full cleaning.

I am on this cruise and can confirm norovirus. So far 3 of the 4 of us have had it on three different nights and I have heard others talking about getting sick. My daughter had it Monday night, me Tuesday and my son on Wednesday. My daughter and my cases were quite mild, but my son is pretty miserable. We have all been religiously washing our hands, but honestly, with the way this ship is set up, it is a lost cause. The real only way to control it would be if they didn’t allow you to exit your bathroom or stateroom door without washing your hands. All of the elevator and touchscreen buttons are just spreading the germs. Plus there are lots of small kids on this very full ship.

 

I am glad they are going to give the ship a very full cleaning.

How long did they quarantine you for? Did they give you free room service for when you are feeling better?

No quarantine. With my daughter, it was so mild (vomiting once with no fever) that we both assumed it was food poisoning or sea sickness. The next night, I threw up once and then was fine. At that point, I suspected it was viral, so I laid low even though I felt perfectly fine. My son has been in his room all day, but none of the the staff has enforced a quarantine even though I mentioned he was ill to the cabin steward. I am going to have him stay in until the cruise is over at this point, poor guy.

This has not been my favorite vacation......

No quarantine. With my daughter, it was so mild (vomiting once with no fever) that we both assumed it was food poisoning or sea sickness. The next night, I threw up once and then was fine. At that point, I suspected it was viral, so I laid low even though I felt perfectly fine. My son has been in his room all day, but none of the the staff has enforced a quarantine even though I mentioned he was ill to the cabin steward. I am going to have him stay in until the cruise is over at this point, poor guy.

 

 

This has not been my favorite vacation......

Very surprised the cabin steward did not report that your son was sick. If he was aware of three of you being sick, I bet he would have. They isolate all laundry coming out of cabins where people are sick and they take more precautions when they are cleaning the cabin, so they don't spread anything from that cabin to the others in the area. If people don't quarantine, it is going to keep spreading like it did last November when it was on at least three, if not four sailings.

Very surprised the cabin steward did not report that your son was sick. If he was aware of three of you being sick, I bet he would have. They isolate all laundry coming out of cabins where people are sick and they take more precautions when they are cleaning the cabin, so they don't spread anything from that cabin to the others in the area. If people don't quarantine, it is going to keep spreading like it did last November when it was on at least three, if not four sailings.

Agree, this is usual way done. Don't want to spread it as you are contagious before and after symptoms are showing... But sorry for Ill poster, tough way to spend a cruise with Wee Ones...

I specifically told my cabin steward that my son had vomitted and that there was soiled towels, because I wanted him to take precautions when cleaning. Last thing I want is to spread this everywhere. I will be quarantining him myself until we leave tomorrow. I feel awful for him. He is probably never going to cruise again in his entire life.

The letter said extra cleaning due to GI (gastrointestinal). GI is not Noro, they are 2 different things with slightly different symptoms. One is vomiting with diarrhea but no fever, the other has fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea.

RN here. GI just refers to gastro intestinal and NORO is a gastrointestinal virus. The main symptoms are gastric: (cramping, nausea, vomiting) and Intestinal (bloating, lower GI cramping, diarrhea). There can be headaches and fever but not always. GI illness is a blanket, general diagnosis. Noro Virus is a specific GI virus. And the usual cause of GI distress, easily passed on, and the most common cause of gastroenteritis (N&V&D). Only the common cold virus is more prevalent than noro in the US.

Good to know.

Oh no!

Say it isn't so! Sailed on Anthem last October and was a victim!!!!:( On each of the following sailings it only got worse with more passengers being stricken.

Scheduled to go next month...thinking it would be less likely to happen in warmer months than in the latter part of the year!!! I have already purchased wipes, hand sanitzer to take with us on our sailing.

All cruise lines, including RCCL, should rethink eliminating plastic straws. Too many hands touch glasses, cups, dishes, etc. It is "nice" that passengers wash hands before entering buffet, but then they must touch the same serving spoons that everyone else is touching. UGH!!

Before to check around your cabin door for any "yellow" dot sticker. That means occupant has/had Noro.

MARAPRINCE

Well, my two cents is this:

Anthem gets a lot of kids, including younger than school age. In general they probably are not going to be as sanitary as adults. This may add to the prevalence of noro on this ship.

Now to call myself a liar, we were on one of the past November 4th sailing with over a 1000 kids and we didn't get any type of illness (colds or Noro)

The only time (knock on wood!) when I got Noro was at home, when my kids were small and in elementary school...they both caught it, and gave it to me. I can't imagine anyone wanting to leave their cabin during this virus....I pretty much wanted to die.....so ill! You don't WANT to be more than a few feet from the bathroom.

I am on the Anthem right now, and yes, indeed we did get a letter in cabin letting us know of Noro. However, it must be pretty well contained as I have noticed nothing out of the ordinary except for crew members disinfecting all the railings, bumper cars, etc.

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From another nurse

Prior to cruising, or going out of the country my dr always gives me antibiotics, phenergan, and etc just in case.. he recommends this.

only had to use it one time.. (beats going to the ship dr..)

** if people just wash their hands, wash their hands... (we carry small hand sanitizers too)

Came in handy last week too.. and didn't have to go back to the dr.

Just a FYI, I got ill on FOS in March, beginning with passing out in Windjammer. I also had the big “D”. Because I fainted, alpha was called and off I went to medical. I was treated with IV fluid and Imodium and quarantined for 24 hrs. I was pretty sure it wasn’t viral because of a history of some gut issues, but we had a balcony cabin, free movies and room service. They treated us like royalty. There was no cost to me because they couldn’t rule out gastro. When gastro is suspected, apparently the cost is picked up (I think by the health department or some other govt agency). Our cabin was bleached down (I could smell it). The crew was very attentive to avoid spreading anything. My DH didn’t get sick. Additionally, food poisoning can certainly be spread just like noro. Anyone who feels ill with ANY GI symptoms should get medical care and quarantine. Don’t go out and about. It’s really not fair to others, and you can’t assume that what has caused your GI symptoms isn’t “catchy”.

Just off Anthem. Lots of folks sick and more cleaning being done than I have ever seen on a ship. Also talked to people who had it. If one person in a cabin had it, they did nothing to contain or quarantine others in the cabin. Also heard from someone they were denied food, not allowed mashed potatoes, waited for hours in room for water to be delivered.

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Just off Anthem. Lots of folks sick and more cleaning being done than I have ever seen on a ship. Also talked to people who had it. If one person in a cabin had it, they did nothing to contain or quarantine others in the cabin. Also heard from someone they were denied food, not allowed mashed potatoes, waited for hours in room for water to be delivered.

 

 

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I was the one in our cabin who came down with a mild case of it and my cabin mate (my cousin) was allowed to go out and about while I was confined. When you see the doctor, you are given a list of when and what foods you will be allowed to eat. You call Room Service and they already have been informed and will only provide you with the allowed foods.

Since I went to the doctor's office the last sea day, even our luggage was not permitted to be placed outside our cabin door with everyone else's. When we arrived in Bayonne, our luggage was not in the assigned color section but in a separate area of the terminal along with I presume other "victim's" luggage. Really makes you feel "special".:(

For some reason Anthem seems to have more Noro than any of their other ships. Not sure why...more kids booked under kids sail free promo??

We are sailing next month and I really, really, really hope it is gone by the time we board!!!! Want to see the shows I missed along with one of the on-board behind the scenes tour as well.

MARAPRINCE

Sailing again next month, hopefully this latest outbreak will be contained by then. I wore a lanyard with one of those little bottles of hand sanitizer with the rubber loop thing to attach it. Might have been overkill but I used it every time I touched a surface like the iPads, elevator buttons, or serving utensils. I don't cruise without it.

Just got off the Oasis there were some cases of noro, heard around 47.

Just got off the Oasis there were some cases of noro, heard around 47.

Low numbers considering week after Easter/Spring Break. But that's only ones that reported it. Hope you had great cruise!

As soon as we enter the stateroom my first words to my husband are “don’t touch anything”. I pull out my can of Lysol and go to work spraying everything in the room. After the cloud has settled I let him to open the balcony door to look out. We will be on the Anthem next week, my fingers are crossed.

Just got off the Oasis there were some cases of noro, heard around 47.

We were also on Oasis. On night 2 they had 2 tables in dining room covered up when we got to dinner with hazmat cart there. By the time we left dinner they had people sitting at those tables. :eek: On night 3 I had the personal pleasure of entering a bathroom where someone had gotten sick everywhere. Thankfully my husband, two kids, and I seem to have made it out ok (fingers crossed). Lots of hand washing!

Yes had a wonderful cruise and can't wait to go back in October. Not only washing hands, never put your hands/fingers to your face.