Solstice delayed boarding Nov 28

[C 2 C]

We are presently heading for Barcelona and all back to back passengers (nearly 500 of us) will have to pack up our stuff and disembark. Our suitcases can stay in our staterooms but will be sprayed by the haz-mat guys while we are given a choice of a free 5 hour tour of Barcelona or Gaudi or Montserrat. Boarding for the Transatlantic is expected to start about 2pm with B2B passengers given priority. Cabins will be available for all guests around 5pm.

This is the same ordeal we experienced on our original boarding 24 days ago on our original embarkation for our B2B2B.

If you are heading for the port tomorrow I would recommend you delay arrival until about 3pm. It takes a long time to embark nearly 3,000 passengers.

[MartinsCruise]

Why is it being sprayed? We'll be boarding the ship on the 11th.

[JezzaC]

Seems that they still have noro problems...

[cruisestitch]

thanks for posting -- have alerted my friends who will be boarding in Barcelona -- I hope you have calm seas and clear skies from here on --

[bottomfeeder]

Seems that they still have noro problems...

 

In all fairness, you shouldn't assume that they didn't clean up properly before the November 4th cruise and that that's why there is noro again. It is highly likely that it was brought onboard since then by a new passenger or picked up onshore by passengers or crew. Noro is all over the place. The problem is that the ship confines a lot of people in a relatively small area--and if one of those people is coughing, sneezing, or just shedding the virus from their skin and not frequently washing their hands...they touch things on the ship and then other people touch them and don't wash their hands etc...instant noro outbreak.

 

I'd never say never but I'm pretty careful when I'm on a cruise (my son laughed at me on the Solstice cruise for pushing elevator buttons with my knuckles, "holding" railings with the back of my hands or my forearms, I rarely eat in the buffet and am careful to use the hand sanitizers when I do, etc.) and I've never been sick. I do travel a lot for work which means a lot of flights and restaurant meals, and although I'm careful I do come down with noro or the like a couple times a year in general...anyhow my point is that the cruise line can only do so much to prevent it and I do think Celebrity did a very thorough job before our cruise and will do so again.

[WaterholeWally]

Not many years ago, when I worked in a government building, I put anti-microbial pump bottles of soap in the men's rooms. I was roundly scolded, and told that I was the reason for super-germs and such. I responded that there was never any soap in the men's rooms, so the pigs probably never washed-up anyway. The jacka$$ stated that they would start putting regular bars of soap in place of the pump bottles that I supplied. That fixed everything...

 

Yes, get a life...I don't drink much beer , but when I do it's Dos Equus..

[C 2 C]

The NLV problem was all fixed after two days of code red after the 4th boarding. The problem resurfaced four days ago with too many people not reporting that they had a "plumbing problem" prior to visiting Venice.

 

Latest news is that people staying in the same cabin do not need to pack their stuff.

[Glammy Grammy]

We were on the 4 November sailing where a deep clean took place in Barcelona. After a few days the restrictions in the buffet were lifted so people could serve themselves, however we preferred it when the staff served us as you knew the tongs etc were all clean.

 

What was a shock though, was the number people getting grumpy/annoyed at having to use the hand sanitiser when entering the buffet restaurant. We sat near the entrance and were amazed at some people's attitude and the excuses, even putting their hands under the automated dispenser and rubbing them together and saying they had done it already when approached by a waitress to use their hand held ones. Bearing in mind that the automated ones were EMPTY - honestly you couldn't make it up. Bet they would be the first ones to complain when they got sick. We only heard of a couple of people been sick on the last night, and that could have been down to anything.

[SusieV]

 

What was a shock though, was the number people getting grumpy/annoyed at having to use the hand sanitiser when entering the buffet restaurant. We sat near the entrance and were amazed at some people's attitude and the excuses, even putting their hands under the automated dispenser and rubbing them together and saying they had done it already when approached by a waitress to use their hand held ones. Bearing in mind that the automated ones were EMPTY - honestly you couldn't make it up. Bet they would be the first ones to complain when they got sick. We only heard of a couple of people been sick on the last night, and that could have been down to anything.

 

I don't like to use hand sanitizer. Not only is it not proven effective against norovirus but the last thing I want to put on my hands before I eat is chemicals. I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water.

 

I always decline the sanitizer. OTOH, I rarely go to the buffet anyway.

[PS90]

I don't like to use hand sanitizer. Not only is it not proven effective against norovirus but the last thing I want to put on my hands before I eat is chemicals. I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water.

 

I always decline the sanitizer. OTOH, I rarely go to the buffet anyway.

 

Agreed. Hand sanitizer can be effective against some minor pathogens, but it is really just a "band-aid" to make people feel like they are doing something worthwhile.

 

I remember WAY back when I was in college, working at a fast-food joint - we had a big, in-depth discussion about wearing gloves to prepare food. Turns out that some studies have demonstrated that wearing gloves to prepare food is actually worse than using your hands - since many workers think wearing gloves is clean, when in actuality, their gloves get much dirtier than their hands if they don't change their gloves often enough.

 

In short, hand sanitizer may help a little, but can actually be worse if people just use that, instead of washing their hands.

[uktog]

What was a shock though, was the number people getting grumpy/annoyed at having to use the hand sanitiser when entering the buffet restaurant.

 

I fully understand the point you are making and I am sure for a very high % it was unacceptable behaviour. However some might be in the same situation as myself, allergic to the contents of these gels which I accept work well for guests.

 

I think I may have to get a note from my GP on this ahead of my next cruise but I am worried that attitudes of other cruisers will involve some tensions for us. Maybe I should bring surgical gloves with me and wear then as I enter and serve myself at the buffet to avoid unwarranted criticism

[RVP cruiser]

Didnt Solstice have a pretty serious issue at the beginning of the year? Is it back again--- Im worried now I sail with my two girls at Christmas Oh no!

[gks314]

I don't like to use hand sanitizer. Not only is it not proven effective against norovirus but the last thing I want to put on my hands before I eat is chemicals. I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water.

 

I always decline the sanitizer. OTOH, I rarely go to the buffet anyway.

 

 

I agree that routine, thorough handwashing forms the basis of infection control, but I do think that is is generally accepted that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective against noroviruses and others. I think a person would need a VERY good reason to refuse alcohol-based hand sanitizers upon entering a buffet.

 

A quick pubmed search reveals:

6

 

PubMed

 

 

TI

Reducing absenteeism from gastrointestinal and respiratory illness in elementary school students: a randomized, controlled trial of an infection-control intervention.

 

AU

Sandora TJ, Shih MC, Goldmann DA

 

SO

Pediatrics. 2008;121(6):e1555.

 

 

BACKGROUND: Students often miss school because of gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses. We assessed the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention, including alcohol-based hand-sanitizer and surface disinfection, in reducing absenteeism caused by gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses in elementary school students.

METHODS: We performed a school-based cluster-randomized, controlled trial at a single elementary school. Eligible students in third to fifth grade were enrolled. Intervention classrooms received alcohol-based hand sanitizer to use at school and quaternary ammonium wipes to disinfect classroom surfaces daily for 8 weeks; control classrooms followed usual hand-washing and cleaning practices. Parents completed a preintervention demographic survey. Absences were recorded along with the reason for absence. Swabs of environmental surfaces were evaluated by bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction for norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and parainfluenza 3. The primary outcomes were rates of absenteeism caused by gastrointestinal or respiratory illness. Days absent were modeled as correlated Poisson variables and compared between groups by using generalized estimating equations. Analyses were adjusted for family size, race, health status, and home sanitizer use. We also compared the presence of viruses and the total bacterial colony counts on several classroom surfaces.

RESULTS: A total of 285 students were randomly assigned; baseline demographics were similar in the 2 groups. The adjusted absenteeism rate for gastrointestinal illness was significantly lower in the intervention-group subjects compared with control subjects. The adjusted absenteeism rate for respiratory illness was not significantly different between groups. Norovirus was the only virus detected and was found less frequently on surfaces in intervention classrooms compared with control classrooms (9% vs 29%).

CONCLUSIONS: A multifactorial intervention including hand sanitizer and surface disinfection reduced absenteeism caused by gastrointestinal illness in elementary school students. Norovirus was found less often on classroom surfaces in the intervention group. Schools should consider adopting these practices to reduce days lost to common illnesses.

 

 

AD

Children's Hospital Boston, Division of Infectious Diseases, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

[floralscent]

I think a great way to help lessen the threat of sickness is to have staff serve at the buffet. The buffet on HAL is served by staff for the most part and although people do still get sick, it just makes more sense to have 1 set of hands touch a serving piece. JMHO

[JezzaC]

In all fairness, you shouldn't assume that they didn't clean up properly before the November 4th cruise and that that's why there is noro again. It is highly likely that it was brought onboard since then by a new passenger or picked up onshore by passengers or crew. Noro is all over the place. The problem is that the ship confines a lot of people in a relatively small area--and if one of those people is coughing, sneezing, or just shedding the virus from their skin and not frequently washing their hands...they touch things on the ship and then other people touch them and don't wash their hands etc...instant noro outbreak.

 

I'd never say never but I'm pretty careful when I'm on a cruise (my son laughed at me on the Solstice cruise for pushing elevator buttons with my knuckles, "holding" railings with the back of my hands or my forearms, I rarely eat in the buffet and am careful to use the hand sanitizers when I do, etc.) and I've never been sick. I do travel a lot for work which means a lot of flights and restaurant meals, and although I'm careful I do come down with noro or the like a couple times a year in general...anyhow my point is that the cruise line can only do so much to prevent it and I do think Celebrity did a very thorough job before our cruise and will do so again.

 

To be honest there can be two choices. They didn't do proper actions first time or it was brought on board again by new passenger / crew member.

 

Celebrity propably says that some passenger brought it but that is quite obvious statement from them. I think both options are possible.

[bottomfeeder]

To be honest there can be two choices. They didn't do proper actions first time or it was brought on board again by new passenger / crew member.

 

Celebrity propably says that some passenger brought it but that is quite obvious statement from them. I think both options are possible.

 

We will have to agree to disagree, then. :)

 

I am curious to know how long noro remains live when it is outside a "host" (i.e. a person or animal who is susceptible to it.) Most but certainly not all viruses have a pretty short timespan when they can live outside a host.

 

That's why I think it's unlikely that the noro outbreak starting 2 weeks or so after the cleaning could have been caused by poor cleaning. Is it possible that crew members had it and continued to pass it around to each other during our cruise while infecting VERY few passengers...and then with the following cruise started passing it to larger numbers of passengers? I guess...just think it's pretty unlikely.

 

Anyone have info on how long noro lives outside the body?