Gem - Code Red during 4/8 Sailing

[richm20]

Even though the service, activities and amenties were lacking, our party made our own fun! But on our day back, Sunday, my daughter an

What do you mean. We were very happy with the service except for the last day, but I assume you had a different experience.

As far as the activities and amenities, I dont see how you wold find this trip lacking but again would love to hear.

 

 

Sorry you got sick, we were nervous but also knew it was going to be a crap shoot. Hope you are all felling much better now. I had it 3 weeks ago and it wasnt fun.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

Hopefully those that see bad behavior (putting food back with fork or hands, taking a bite out of food and putting it back, etc.) are saying something, instead of just watching.

 

I will call for a server and say loud enough so the person that did it hears, "this woman/man just touched that roll with their hands, can you throw it away and all the food around it, because it is unsanitary". Hopefully the offending person gets the hint, probably not but those around that person will know what kind of scum they are.

I have reported before. On the Sun a few years ago there was a cheese station on the buffet and I saw someone lick the cheese knife! I picked it up (from the opposite end) and handed it in. I still can't really believe what I saw!

We like buffets and hate to think that others may be spoiling it for us.

[barb-ottawa]

So if I am leaving on the Gem on Sunday (the 22nd), should I be worried about the recent outbreak or relieved that the ship will have received a good scrubbing? We also avoid the buffet and have our meals in the MDR.

[Cruzgrl6077]

Buffets can be questionable at best, and not just on cruise shps. That being said, i still enjoy them and hope my immune system kicks in! A couple other tips I find useful to help lower my chances of getting sick are to not touch my eyes directly or the inside of my nose. I feel people usually overlook those two ways of germs entering the body.

[babygirl722]

What do you mean. We were very happy with the service except for the last day, but I assume you had a different experience.

As far as the activities and amenities, I dont see how you wold find this trip lacking but again would love to hear.

 

 

Sorry you got sick, we were nervous but also knew it was going to be a crap shoot. Hope you are all felling much better now. I had it 3 weeks ago and it wasnt fun.

 

Rich - we're with you on this. We thought the sailing was fantastic. I'd love to hear about your experience deewal.

[murr202]

The crew is scheduled to start a full ship sanitation starting in Nassau next week. It will take 3 days. All crew will be putting in extra hours to get it done.

Im told the crew was relatively sick free, but judging by the lack of service on Saturday....I think they may be infected as well.

I got to say, a lot of the passengers at the buffet are DISGUSTING! We went to 2 of them and will never go back.

 

 

Where did you hear this??

Is it true?

 

There is no altering to the schedule this week!!

[bones774]

I think in general, people eating are disgusting and it should be done in private, like sexual relations and bathroom activities. In the future we will see it as disgusting, having families sitting around tables tearing at cooked animal flesh and satisfying our hungers.

[richm20]

Where did you hear this??

Is it true?

 

There is no altering to the schedule this week!!

 

Was told this by our waiter on Sunday am. We became friendly over the week and he was telling us how he hates doing it. They work the normal 10 hour shift then need to put in more time to clean. I assume they want to start in Nassau so it's done for Sundays new guests.

[Veronica Beaverhausen]

I was on the GEM from 4/1 -4/8. I did not see any bugs (thankfully) nor did any of us get sick (thankfully). I am a freak when it comes to seeing people doing disgusting things at the buffet. I tried to eat there on port days when there wouldn't be as many hands in the buffet. One thing I did see that was a turn off was people refilling their personal water bottles holding them right underneath where the water comes from. I only used bottled water after I saw that. The April 8th sailing was filled to capacity as a lot of children were on their sping break. The 4/1 sailing had 1000 children..I'm not sure how many were on the 4/8 sailing...wonder if all those kiddies washed before touching the buffet...Always carry hand sanitizer and use it right before you eat because they do washy washy when you walk in, but noone does washy washy after touching the buffet serving utensil. Hope everyone enjoyed their cruise and didn't get sick...

[Laszlo]

I was on the GEM from 4/1 -4/8. I did not see any bugs (thankfully) nor did any of us get sick (thankfully). I am a freak when it comes to seeing people doing disgusting things at the buffet. I tried to eat there on port days when there wouldn't be as many hands in the buffet. One thing I did see that was a turn off was people refilling their personal water bottles holding them right underneath where the water comes from. I only used bottled water after I saw that. The April 8th sailing was filled to capacity as a lot of children were on their sping break. The 4/1 sailing had 1000 children..I'm not sure how many were on the 4/8 sailing...wonder if all those kiddies washed before touching the buffet...Always carry hand sanitizer and use it right before you eat because they do washy washy when you walk in, but noone does washy washy after touching the buffet serving utensil. Hope everyone enjoyed their cruise and didn't get sick...

 

We saw the water bottle thing to. Their were signs saying Please Do Not Refill Your Water Bottle. Some people are just idiots and or pigs and don't give a rats ass about anyone but themselves. I put these people in the same group who park in handicapped parking places because they are too lazy to walk and extra 50 feet.

[Luckybee]

Dh hates buffets....sometimes I've enjoyed them....dh is now going to be happy....after reading this thread I dont think I'll ever be able to eat at a buffet again ...omg !

[caribbeanblue0327]

I was on the Jewel the week of 3/24-3/30 and by Tuesday they were serving us and there were daily announcements about sanitizing your hands. I have to say they handled it really well and none of our family got sick...except me with a cold at the end :( LOL We all became very aware about everything we touched and actually use the hand sanitizer constantly at home now.

[calmpets]

Anyone hear anything about this week's sailing? I have a friend who is sailing on the Gem starting this Sunday (4/22) and I'm curious if they are still under Code Red conditions. Thanks in advance!

[Bostoncruiser35]

This thread really makes you appreciate the washy washy smilie smile. Yuck!

[crusinmama06]

This thread really makes you appreciate the washy washy smilie smile. Yuck!

 

That's what I was wondering...were the "Washy Washy" girls on Gem this week. Yes, yes I know that the hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus. I was just curious. We loved the Gem washy washy girls. :)

[lgfromdg]

So if I am leaving on the Gem on Sunday (the 22nd), should I be worried about the recent outbreak or relieved that the ship will have received a good scrubbing? We also avoid the buffet and have our meals in the MDR.

 

 

I'm on the Gem now and every necessary precaution is being taken to keep the illness in check. The ship is being sanitized so you should hopefully have no problem during your sailing.

 

While there are some changes such as no self-serve anything, the cruise is going on as usual and we're having a wonderful time. Kudos to the wonderful crew of the Gem for their hard work during this time.

[GriffinAlexander]

All of the noro breakouts on the non-NCL ships at end of Jan. early Feb. were out of FL ports so I don't believe the ports themselves have anything to do with it. All it takes is one person not feeling great boarding the ship anyway and touching multiple surfaces to start an outbreak and if proper sanitization isn't done after an outbreak it just keeps coming back around. Not what you want on vacation but the virus is prevalent wherever large groups are close together.

 

 

We just got back from our first cruise ever. There was a guy a few doors down from us doubled over with stomach cramps one night so I know someone wasn't feeling well on the ship, but he's the only one I know of that was experiencing noro-like symptoms.

 

Many many years ago I was a nursing home cook and had to be a certified manager in food safety. There are some things that people can do to help minimize your exposure to anything that may be going around the ship.

 

Proper hand washing techniques: Wash your hands often, after using restrooms, and always before sticking your fingers in your mouth, nose and eyes.

 

It's best to use a paper towel to open doors or sanitize your hands after doing so.

 

Buffets are ok, but if you take something, don't put it back, and if you want more, get another plate, don't use the same plate for seconds.

 

We didn't get sick or notice anyone except the person I mentioned above who was ill. I had motion sickness on day 2 and migraines, which I'm prone to, but that's not related to anything contagious.

 

The other big worry is the casino. Slot machines and such are breeding grounds for germs, and a lot of passengers like to gamble. So please be extra careful when in the casino not to touch your fingers to anything and wash your hands once you've finished playing.

 

The elevators as well and all the public areas, railings, stairways, etc. When I was in my early 20s, we used to do an exercise where I would have a bag of flour in my pocket and I'd wet my hand, place it in the bag of flour then go around touching things all over the kitchen to show where germs could land. It would teach the dietary aides the importance of hand washing in that environment. These ships have sanitizers all over the place, and those who are sensitive to it and get dry skin can buy hand lotion to soften their skin.

 

I saw a post on here about gloves. People in food service are supposed to change their gloves when they handle money then go back to handling food. It's a violation to keep the same gloves on when they go back to handling food with contaminated gloves. They're cross contaminating what they're touching and they know better. That's just laziness and those who do that are considered in my eyes to not be wearing gloves at all. It's ok to go handle money then change the gloves but not the other way around.

 

On the Epic, the buffet was actually in good shape the times we went. Granted, we had a lot of specialty stuff booked, and we went to Taste a lot, and also O'Sheehans, but the buffet on 15 was well looked after with no problems every time I was there. I always look out for such things as proper temperatures for hot and cold items, clean surfaces and utensils, etc. Everything seemed on the up and up from my laypersons view (I didn't have a thermometer with me nor an opportunity to really see what was going on behind the scenes).

[GriffinAlexander]

We saw the water bottle thing to. Their were signs saying Please Do Not Refill Your Water Bottle. Some people are just idiots and or pigs and don't give a rats ass about anyone but themselves. I put these people in the same group who park in handicapped parking places because they are too lazy to walk and extra 50 feet.

 

 

LOL It's funny I'm reading this. I have a handicapped placard (8 herniated discs, degerative, and migraines). But I almost never park in the handicapped spots unless it's a very very bad day, with sciatica really getting me badly. I figure that the people in the wheelchairs need it more than me, or those who are older.

 

I will sit in a handicapped seat on the ship to eat since they're almost always empty and there's almost nowhere else to sit.

[Young@heart25]

Just found this thread. We returned yesterday from our Gem cruise. All 5 of us healthy throughout the cruise, but early this morning, my son woke up violently ill. We haven't been anywhere since getting off the ship, other than driving home. We noticed the extra precautions, and appreciated them, but it appears the illness is still alive and well somewhere aboard the ship.

[Laszlo]

LOL It's funny I'm reading this. I have a handicapped placard (8 herniated discs, degerative, and migraines). But I almost never park in the handicapped spots unless it's a very very bad day, with sciatica really getting me badly. I figure that the people in the wheelchairs need it more than me, or those who are older.

 

I will sit in a handicapped seat on the ship to eat since they're almost always empty and there's almost nowhere else to sit.

 

I feel for you, I had two herniated disk which were fixed by surgery. I've had migraines the last 25 years. I now only get one - two per month, it seems the older I get the less I have.

[antsymatt]

I have been on many cruises and vacations over the past 20 years. Some of these have been with kids, some without. I absolutely understand that nothing will be perfect. I try to accept mistakes with patience, don't complain about the little things and I have found that vacation will be much more enjoyable.

That being said, our overall experience with the 4/15-4/22 Gem cruise cruise was not positive. The negative after-effects were not because there weren't plenty of fun things to experience and good food to eat and nice people to talk to. It was the inability of our group to get satisfactory answers from anyone about room cleanliness which certainly has led, and is still leading to the contagion that still plagues the ship today.

 

My son became very ill the second day of sailing. On the third and fourth days, 4 other people in our party began to show gastro-intestinal issues and even as I write this 2 others have almost recovered from being ill. It is always a crap shoot with noro or any other contagious disease on a cruise ship or even all-inclusive buffets. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't, however....

We requested at least 7 times that our rooms be cleaned more thoroughly, sheets washed etc. (at the time there was no concern of Noro). Finally one person in the party decided to put a small inch-long line with a pen on the sheets which were being "washed" every day. The line never disappeared. Perhaps it was an isolated incident, and I'm not a germaphobe or a complete neat freak, but our rooms were never clean smelling the entire trip. There was noticeable dust everywhere (not just those hard to reach areas, but thick dustiness on the counters, shelves etc). The bathroom continuously smelled like urine even after being 'cleaned'.

If NCL is truly concerned about preventative measures, it should be a continuous process and not intermittent scrubbing of the boat after the horse has left the barn.

We will not be sailing on NCL again, and like I previously said, it's not because of the everyday fun stuff and entertainment--that was actually great--but when health related issues can't be resolved in a timely, satisfactory manner (the virus can be very troublesome for the very young and old), there are too many other options out there to stick with them.

[Traveller20074]

Anywhere you go to eat there is going to be germs whether on a ship or on land. What grosses me out it thinking about how many dirty hands have touched the menus at restaurants the mustard ketchup salt and pepper that is on the tables.....they do not sanitize these things yet everyone is always talking just about the buffet lines.

 

The chair you sit in too. You go to the bathroom, wash your hands, open the door with a paper towel, then pull out the chair to sit down and get the prior person's germs all over ya.

[Traveller20074]

I have been on many cruises and vacations over the past 20 years. Some of these have been with kids, some without. I absolutely understand that nothing will be perfect. I try to accept mistakes with patience, don't complain about the little things and I have found that vacation will be much more enjoyable.That being said, our overall experience with the 4/15-4/22 Gem cruise cruise was not positive. The negative after-effects were not because there weren't plenty of fun things to experience and good food to eat and nice people to talk to. It was the inability of our group to get satisfactory answers from anyone about room cleanliness which certainly has led, and is still leading to the contagion that still plagues the ship today.

My son became very ill the second day of sailing. On the third and fourth days, 4 other people in our party began to show gastro-intestinal issues and even as I write this 2 others have almost recovered from being ill. It is always a crap shoot with noro or any other contagious disease on a cruise ship or even all-inclusive buffets. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't, however....

We requested at least 7 times that our rooms be cleaned more thoroughly, sheets washed etc. (at the time there was no concern of Noro). Finally one person in the party decided to put a small inch-long line with a pen on the sheets which were being "washed" every day. The line never disappeared. Perhaps it was an isolated incident, and I'm not a germaphobe or a complete neat freak, but our rooms were never clean smelling the entire trip. There was noticeable dust everywhere (not just those hard to reach areas, but thick dustiness on the counters, shelves etc). The bathroom continuously smelled like urine even after being 'cleaned'.

If NCL is truly concerned about preventative measures, it should be a continuous process and not intermittent scrubbing of the boat after the horse has left the barn.

We will not be sailing on NCL again, and like I previously said, it's not because of the everyday fun stuff and entertainment--that was actually great--but when health related issues can't be resolved in a timely, satisfactory manner (the virus can be very troublesome for the very young and old), there are too many other options out there to stick with them.

 

That is very discouraging to read :(

 

I can say that if we sail the Gem (thinking of booking dec or spring of next year) and we get sick after flying all the way to New York from the west coast...having 3 kids with us (will be my daughter, I and 3 grandkids)...that would be horrible. I can't imagine having a vacation like this ruined by sickness.

[gaylemh]

I have been on many cruises and vacations over the past 20 years. Some of these have been with kids, some without. I absolutely understand that nothing will be perfect. I try to accept mistakes with patience, don't complain about the little things and I have found that vacation will be much more enjoyable.

That being said, our overall experience with the 4/15-4/22 Gem cruise cruise was not positive. The negative after-effects were not because there weren't plenty of fun things to experience and good food to eat and nice people to talk to. It was the inability of our group to get satisfactory answers from anyone about room cleanliness which certainly has led, and is still leading to the contagion that still plagues the ship today.

 

My son became very ill the second day of sailing. On the third and fourth days, 4 other people in our party began to show gastro-intestinal issues and even as I write this 2 others have almost recovered from being ill. It is always a crap shoot with noro or any other contagious disease on a cruise ship or even all-inclusive buffets. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't, however....

We requested at least 7 times that our rooms be cleaned more thoroughly, sheets washed etc. (at the time there was no concern of Noro). Finally one person in the party decided to put a small inch-long line with a pen on the sheets which were being "washed" every day. The line never disappeared. Perhaps it was an isolated incident, and I'm not a germaphobe or a complete neat freak, but our rooms were never clean smelling the entire trip. There was noticeable dust everywhere (not just those hard to reach areas, but thick dustiness on the counters, shelves etc). The bathroom continuously smelled like urine even after being 'cleaned'.

If NCL is truly concerned about preventative measures, it should be a continuous process and not intermittent scrubbing of the boat after the horse has left the barn.

We will not be sailing on NCL again, and like I previously said, it's not because of the everyday fun stuff and entertainment--that was actually great--but when health related issues can't be resolved in a timely, satisfactory manner (the virus can be very troublesome for the very young and old), there are too many other options out there to stick with them.

 

I was on the Gem 4/8-4/15 the week before you. My cabin, and the two additional cabins my family had were immaculate, and kept that way throughout the whole cruise. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. Everyone that I came in contact with, from guest services, waiters, and especially our cabin stewart, were wonderful. Always eager to please, and with a smile.

 

I never heard of sheets being washed every day on a cruise.

[Highboy90]

We sailed on the Jewel (03/24/12) and one in our party got very sick due to Noro. While I think NCL did their best to make a bad situation better, it certainly does not make for a good cruise. Strange part was the last day or two, you saw less efforts (wiping down "contact" areas, etc.) to control the outbreak.