People are sick again on the Mercury

[moncrystal]

The 5pm News here is saying that there are passengers that are sick again on the Mercury (WMBFTV.com or www2.counton2.com). I feel bad for the crew and passengers if it's true...

[mellowrose]

Oh no! Poor guys, here's me keeping my fingers crossed for our Summit trip coming up!

[gecko12]

There's one case onboard, lets hope it stays minimal. I'll be on it next week.

 

http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0310/718974.html

[9876]

This is insane! Maybe they need to start tracking the 24-48 hours prior to boarding of these folks who are getting sick to see if there is a common thread. One thing I know is that we are on our way to Florida to sail out next week and there is no way that we are stopping around Charleston for anything. It is not something that I want to chance.

[parrothead1]

It's 5 people so far. 5, not over 300. How many cruises have 5 or more people getting sick? It is coming on in SC, it has to be. You're right, the CDC needs to find out where these people were BEFORE they got on the ship. Find the source. At this point, there is nothing the cruise line can do. There is nothing the CDC can do.

 

This BETTER NOT screw up my sailing next Monday. I am hoping to hear from Gail real soon for the real story.

[Beachbums24]

This is insane! Maybe they need to start tracking the 24-48 hours prior to boarding of these folks who are getting sick to see if there is a common thread. One thing I know is that we are on our way to Florida to sail out next week and there is no way that we are stopping around Charleston for anything. It is not something that I want to chance.

 

Florida Plagued By Norovirus

 

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/19334

[9876]

Florida Plagued By Norovirus

 

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/19334

 

 

Well that is sad news to hear.

[Beachbums24]

Well that is sad news to hear.

 

 

Yes..a real bummer..I so hoped they had some of this under control on the ships and various states/ports.

 

When we sailed the Mercury on 3/8 at the Preforming Arts Center in Charleston where the did the 100% checkin..there were Celebrity employee's they had bussed up from Miami the night before to help at the PAC. You could tell which gals were from Florida as they had their uniform scrafs tied in a bow ;) verses the Charleston people who wore in knotted and hanging. I talked to three of them as we waited for 5 hour there and they told me Florida was also losing ground with norovirus cases on the increase.:(

[9876]

Well, I will be bringing my Lysol wipes, hand wipes, and sanitizer. I am vigilant about handwashing. I will do all I can to stay healthy and if I get sick...well, it has been a long time that I have not been so I suppose it would be my turn. I really hope it is not on my cruise though!

[Beachbums24]

It's 5 people so far. 5, not over 300. How many cruises have 5 or more people getting sick? It is coming on in SC, it has to be. You're right, the CDC needs to find out where these people were BEFORE they got on the ship. Find the source. At this point, there is nothing the cruise line can do. There is nothing the CDC can do.

 

This BETTER NOT screw up my sailing next Monday. I am hoping to hear from Gail real soon for the real story.

 

I hope not too...BTW: I bet Larry P. is one of your neighbors in Deptford. We used to own the big house on Spring Ave in Martlon Lakes.

[ChucktownSteve]

Well that is sad news to hear.

 

You may also want to check your own state too. It's rampant all over the country.

 

Maybe you should try cruising out of CA? ;)

 

If you read the CDC web site about the incubation period, in all likelihood it was brought on-board since they sailed Sunday night and the first symptoms were reported Tuesday. Additionally if you have an upset stomach because of rough seas but don't have vomiting or diarrhea, that's reportable as a symptom of norovirus until confirmed or not.

 

I'll bet you can't find any cruise ship in the world that doesn't have five people report an upset stomach to the sick bay on a cruise.

[parrothead1]

You may also want to check your own state too. It's rampant all over the country.

 

 

I can tell you for sure, it is here in NJ too. Been a victim already 3 weeks ago.

[Beachbums24]

On the 23rd it was reported :After several days at sea, the Celebrity Mercury seems finally free of a stomach bug that afflicted nearly 1000 passengers on its previous sailings ... then around noon the 24th they reported 5 cases. Since the ship sailed on the 21st odds are not with Celebrity that some passangers did not contact it on the ship no matter what cleaning they have done.

 

That certainly was the case for the 3/8 sailing. We invested $10,000 with them for two cabins 4 passengers..3 fell ill with noro beginning the fourth day out, reported all cases immediately with total confinment for the three of 9 sailing days.

 

I think cabins and state rooms still habour the RNA of this strain besides the fact Mercury was gigged by CDC after it's first sailing out of Charleston for insufficient water temp in their laundry and dishwashers areas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

 

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a rare "no-sail" recommendation for the Celebrity Mercury for at least four days after it's return to its home port in Charleston so there could be a more thorough investigation of the outbreaks. CDC official's stated the agency was trying to figure out why the anti-illness procedures the line has been following on the ship have not been effective in stopping three outbreaks in a row of what is believed to be norovirus.

 

Celebrity cut that down to 2 and a half days of actual cleaning again.

 

Outbreaks of such size are extremely rare, and to have three in a row is even rarer. In 2009, only two cruise ships visiting a U.S. port experienced an outbreak of illness that affected more than 10% of passengers, according to CDC data, and no ship experienced an outbreak that came close to 19%-22% of passengers.

 

Celebrity conducted an unusual top-to-bottom cleaning of the Mercury following the first outbreak that delayed the Feb. 26 departure by a day. The line also delayed the current March 8 departure of the Mercury by several hours so it could undergo extra cleaning and disinfecting.( notifed most passengers at the last minute, bussed them over to the PAC in north charleston in busses that were crowded and certainly not cleaned or sanitized)

 

Celebrity is not obligated to follow the no-sail recommendation.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=83492.blog

 

I will wait for the final reports from CDC..I would sail with them again.

[wvufan]

Wish they would get this stuff out of their system (pun intended). But with only a few cases, it is very unlikely that the ship is the carrier (another great pun). Probably a few pax who contracted it on shore.

 

Beachbums, please email me at bobrisher[at]suddenlink[dot]net

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[moncrystal]

I haven't heard or read anything else about Mercury today. I know that sometimes, WMBF gets stories wrong, though they had stated twice yesterday afternoon that people were ill again for a 4th sailing. I was only trying to relay what I had saw on the News, just in case someone was getting ready to go this weekend. If they saying anything else on the news tonight, I'll post it.

[Longboysfan]

It's 5 people so far. 5, not over 300. How many cruises have 5 or more people getting sick? It is coming on in SC, it has to be. You're right, the CDC needs to find out where these people were BEFORE they got on the ship. Find the source. At this point, there is nothing the cruise line can do. There is nothing the CDC can do.

 

This BETTER NOT screw up my sailing next Monday. I am hoping to hear from Gail real soon for the real story.

 

But I think there are not that many passangers on board this trip so 5 may be a bigger percent than they would like.

[CruisingChick]

I haven't heard or read anything else about Mercury today. I know that sometimes, WMBF gets stories wrong, though they had stated twice yesterday afternoon that people were ill again for a 4th sailing. I was only trying to relay what I had saw on the News, just in case someone was getting ready to go this weekend. If they saying anything else on the news tonight, I'll post it.

 

Thank you, please do post. We are scheduled to leave our house at 4 AM on Saturday to drive down to Charleston for the weekend. So we might re-think it depending on what is going on and not leave until later.

[parrothead1]

But I think there are not that many passangers on board this trip so 5 may be a bigger percent than they would like.

 

That is true. I think I read just shy of 1100 were on board this sailing. That would still make it less than 1%. I know it's splitting hairs at this point, but I think we should all wait and see what those on board now have to say.

[parrothead1]

I haven't heard or read anything else about Mercury today. I know that sometimes, WMBF gets stories wrong, though they had stated twice yesterday afternoon that people were ill again for a 4th sailing. I was only trying to relay what I had saw on the News, just in case someone was getting ready to go this weekend. If they saying anything else on the news tonight, I'll post it.

 

Off topic question - we are stopping in Lumberton this weekend for our drive to Charleston. Any good BBQ places right off I-95?

[bambam2972]

Additionally if you have an upset stomach because of rough seas but don't have vomiting or diarrhea, that's reportable as a symptom of norovirus until confirmed or not.

 

That's something I've always wondered about. How many of these people are "just" seasick? But because they're hypersensitive right now they immediately chalk it up to noro. [/speculation]

 

I'm not worried, I just want to be able to board at 11 on Monday.

[PPH2]

Thanks Florida, now you can share the Scarlett letter (N) with Charleston!

 

I hope this is over with soon. It is no fun to have something so fun and expensive ruined by illness.

[Oceangrace]

5 People? Are you people kidding me? Why are we even talking about this?

This is less than 1/2 of 1% of the people onboard. There are close to 1100 passengers and probably 700-800 crew members.

 

I guarantee that there are at least 5 people sick right now on EVERY cruise ship sailing right now.

[moncrystal]

Off topic question - we are stopping in Lumberton this weekend for our drive to Charleston. Any good BBQ places right off I-95?

 

Parrothead1, Fuller's BBQ is where you want to go! I have eaten BBQ all over and this is one of my favorites! It's off I95, exit 20, on the west side of the highway. If you hit Kmart, you went the wrong way! They even have a website (http://www.fullersbbq.com).

[moncrystal]

On WMBFTV.com, have changed the story from last night and now state that everything appears to be OK (Charleston-based cruise ship appears free of virus-http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12194391). I'm sorry for any confusion caused, I was only stating what the News here had said.

[parrothead1]

Parrothead1, Fuller's BBQ is where you want to go! I have eaten BBQ all over and this is one of my favorites! It's off I95, exit 20, on the west side of the highway. If you hit Kmart, you went the wrong way! They even have a website (http://www.fullersbbq.com).

 

Thanks - I did see this when I searched the area. Do you recommend the Buffet or the BBQ Plates. It all looks good, and can't wait to try. Thanks again!!