Norovirus

[CruiszBug]

On 1/11/2019 at 12:38 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

Really?  What stateroom category?  I've not seen them in Oceanview balconies, Central park balconies, or Junior Suites.

Just off this past Oasis cruise. All 4 of our Central Park balconies had drawers. There were three drawers between the Vanity and the mini-fridge. There was even one small drawer in the bathroom. Three of our rooms were on Deck 11. The other was on Deck 12.

Edited January 14, 2019 by CruiszBug

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, CruiszBug said:

Just off this past Oasis cruise. All 4 of our Central Park balconies had drawers. There were three drawers between the Vanity and the mini-fridge. There was even one small drawer in the bathroom. Three of our rooms were on Deck 11. The other was on Deck 12.

 

Bob was referring to the absence of drawers in the night stands

[CruiszBug]

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

Bob was referring to the absence of drawers in the night stands

Oh, sorry! I did notice that, too. But I really liked it. I could put my book on one shelf and my glasses on another. It was much more accessible. Sorry I misinterpreted the post.

[CruiszBug]

On 1/12/2019 at 9:43 PM, sargejenn said:

 

We are B2B guests on this cruise.  First time we have heard this child in Adventure Ocean theory.  

 

B2B guests were given OBC for the upcoming cruise, not meal vouchers.  

 

The crew were awesome and worked hard to make the best of a bad situation.  Royal is to be commended for how they handled this.  

We heard from someone in medical "Patient Zero" was an 8-year old girl. I agree about the crew being awesome! Royal did a great job responding to this situation. The person who said Royal will receive bad PR because of this outbreak is wrong IMO. I think they will be lauded for refunding everyone and being immediately transparent and responsive to this situation.

[brillohead]

2 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Never going to get everyone to wash, but I like that they are scattered, as I can wash before and after I get my food. It’s fine that one washes before, you you still have to touch the serving utensils that other people have touched... so I like the ease of washing after I get my food. 

We nurses are an anal bunch about washing our hands before we eat, aren't we?  LOL

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, brillohead said:

We nurses are an anal bunch about washing our hands before we eat, aren't we?  LOL

...and some of us non nurse types also. 

[ONECRUISER]

23 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:

 

 

It's possible to wash your hands elsewhere and walk to the windjammer (or MDR, etc) without touching anything.  I often pass the hand washing stations because I've just come from the bathroom and washed my hands there.  I get that many people have poor hygiene but let's be careful about over-generalizing.

Agree, always wash my hands in my Cabin before going to eat. Don't touch anything as always take stairs and even pull my chair out with my sweatshirt sleeves...

Edited January 14, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[John&LaLa]

30 minutes ago, CruiszBug said:

We heard from someone in medical "Patient Zero" was an 8-year old girl. I agree about the crew being awesome! Royal did a great job responding to this situation. The person who said Royal will receive bad PR because of this outbreak is wrong IMO. I think they will be lauded for refunding everyone and being immediately transparent and responsive to this situation.

 

May be setting a tough precedent for future outbreaks

[islandwannabee]

On 1/10/2019 at 11:51 AM, John&LaLa said:

Headed back to Pt Canaveral,  full refund

You know what bugs me, is the lack of soap. They are always pushing the washy washy thing, but some of the public bathrooms, have so little soap that comes out or none at all. Then in the rooms you get a tiny bar of facial soap. I always bring my own liquid soap for the cabin. When you go to a hospital and use any bathroom like in the cafeteria, their soap is thick and strong and you know when washing you are getting all those germs and your hands are clean, I just don't feel that sense of cleanliness when using the ships public bathrooms.

[John&LaLa]

Anyone from Oasis get a survey yet?

 

We have not

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Anyone from Oasis get a survey yet?

 

We have not

I assume they don't want the "feedback".

 

Biker, who is not surprised if RCI never sends a survey for that sailing.

[dreadpirate3]

On 1/13/2019 at 8:31 AM, xpcdoojk said:

Several new ships have a complete hand wash area outside of the Windjammer.

 

jc

 

Including Adventure OTS, which we sail this weekend.

[h20skibum]

Check your junk email folder. That’s where mine from the last two cruises ended up.  Wondered why my wife was the only one who got one.

[rusty nut]

Next time you're in the Windjammer, take a look around and see if you can notice the dozens of passengers coughing and hacking into their hand, and then touching all of the serving spoons. It's an ongoing problem. The most vile part of the entire ship is right there on that serving spoon.  

[GW248]

7 minutes ago, rusty nut said:

Next time you're in the Windjammer, take a look around and see if you can notice the dozens of passengers coughing and hacking into their hand, and then touching all of the serving spoons. It's an ongoing problem. The most vile part of the entire ship is right there on that serving spoon.  

 

And the most disturbing and disgusting thing I've seen on multiple cruises is the handle of the serving spoon actually sitting in the food itself.  I don't understand why they don't have a dedicated place next to the food for the serving utensil.

[Lmm79]

22 minutes ago, rusty nut said:

Next time you're in the Windjammer, take a look around and see if you can notice the dozens of passengers coughing and hacking into their hand, and then touching all of the serving spoons. It's an ongoing problem. The most vile part of the entire ship is right there on that serving spoon.  

What makes me cringe is

the people who walk around the windjammer eating and licking their fingers while going from item to item. I am considering gloves for the next cruise. 

[ONECRUISER]

14 minutes ago, Lmm79 said:

What makes me cringe is

the people who walk around the windjammer eating and licking their fingers while going from item to item. I am considering gloves for the next cruise. 

Yes, see that all the time. Even have watched people put food back...with their bare hands

Edited January 14, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[Mikew0805]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

We nurses are an anal bunch about washing our hands before we eat, aren't we?  LOL

LOL.. yes we are. 

[voyager70]

6 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

LOL.. yes we are. 

 

Not a nurse but I'm an obsessive hand washer as well.  Wish everyone was.  

 

[rusty nut]

My Wife's a major germaphobe. I guess it's rubbed off me a little. We have both vowed not to step foot in the Windjammer for a meal.

[island lady]

On Rhapsody I saw an older gentleman drop one of the tongs on the floor in the WJ.  As I watched.... he picked it up off the floor and went to put it back on the little serving plate it was on.  I immediately barked at him like he was a child "DON'T put that back up there after you dropped it on the floor!!".  Without looking at me, he sheepishly put it way off to the side down at the end.   

Edited January 15, 2019 by island lady

[parrotfeathers]

My hubby volunteered in the emergency room at a local hospital for 10 years.  He was constantly coming down with something and he is a fanatical hand washer.  Since he has retired (2 years) he hasn't been sick the first time.

 

Every time one of the dogs lick him or he pets one, he washes his hands.  

Edited January 15, 2019 by parrotfeathers

[E23NK1]

20 hours ago, rusty nut said:

Next time you're in the Windjammer, take a look around and see if you can notice the dozens of passengers coughing and hacking into their hand, and then touching all of the serving spoons. It's an ongoing problem. The most vile part of the entire ship is right there on that serving spoon.  

110% agree. Both my son and I contacted Noro last April on Oasis (April 2018) and I believe it was from the Windjammer.

He is type 1 diabetic so we are very very careful, always washing hands, hand sanitizer, never touching hand railings or elevator buttons, etc but I think we were exposed thru the Windjammer. I cant say 100% but an pretty certain as I feel that the Windjammer is a breeding grounds for the viruses.

He had to get 2 IV's at ships medical during the night ($1600) and was taken off the ship by ambulance in Mexico to go to the ER. I was not allowed to leave the ship so only my wife could go...lucky they just made it back to the ship before departure.

Oasis had 200-250 reported Noro cases and we did NOT receive anything remotely close to a full refund...more like a day refund for me and son, nothing for wife...plus we had a $1600 ship medical bill and $5000 in Mexico to pay. I recouped less than 1/3  back from health insurance.

We have a previously scheduled cruise for Nov 2019 on Allure but are very nervous to cruise again...but dont want to lose my deposit if we cancel.

I did just learn of a few hand sanitizers that are 99.9% effective against noro, E Coli, Salmonella, etc so if we go we will be sure to have those at all times along with washing...but we are 100% skipping the Windjammer.

Also there is a thing called Medical travel insurance...different that regular travel insurance and different than your regular medical insurance...so we will be looking into that as well.

[PelicanBill]

On 1/14/2019 at 11:00 AM, CruiszBug said:

We heard from someone in medical "Patient Zero" was an 8-year old girl. I agree about the crew being awesome! Royal did a great job responding to this situation. The person who said Royal will receive bad PR because of this outbreak is wrong IMO. I think they will be lauded for refunding everyone and being immediately transparent and responsive to this situation.

Here's why the child vomiting isn't a likely scenario:

It takes 24-48 hours to become symptomatic after coming in contact with the virus.  How many people could that be? and then for the second order exposure, to affect hundreds? The CDC incident records show that almost all outbreaks affecting large numbers are caused as a result of contaminated food preparation or a careworker in a nursing home or medical facility where someone touches the food of many people.  Noro is not a virulent spreader - it does not cover huge surfaces like a sneeze does. So it does not spread rapidly by incidental contact with door handles or even buffet utensils.  that said, I wash my hands like crazy and use and sanitizer a LOT on a cruise. 

[ONECRUISER]

40 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

Here's why the child vomiting isn't a likely scenario:

It takes 24-48 hours to become symptomatic after coming in contact with the virus.  How many people could that be? and then for the second order exposure, to affect hundreds? The CDC incident records show that almost all outbreaks affecting large numbers are caused as a result of contaminated food preparation or a careworker in a nursing home or medical facility where someone touches the food of many people.  Noro is not a virulent spreader - it does not cover huge surfaces like a sneeze does. So it does not spread rapidly by incidental contact with door handles or even buffet utensils.  that said, I wash my hands like crazy and use and sanitizer a LOT on a cruise. 

Well said. More likely multiple people brought it on board. But we'll never know...