Norovirus Outbreak Hits Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

[At Sea 4Ever]

It is all over the local news here in the Northeast...she is on her way back to NJ...and yes, it is basically crippling along as it will most likely come in in the wee hours to avoid some of the press. (that is what was stated / not my statement...just to be clear) Also reported...RCCL announced the return 2 hours after CDC board the ship...it is now up to 650 sick

 

 

Where are you getting the updated numbers from?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[ariawoman]

I wouldn't want to be on the next sailing, but take sanitizer and disposable gloves if you are

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I was on the sailing after a large noro outbreak on the Celebrity Summit this past October. Passengers should be diligent of course about washing their hands. If the cruise line is smart, they'll do what X did and make the buffet non-self serve. For our cruise we went 5 days without serving ourselves or having salt/pepper/bread on tables. While annoying, it beat the alternative and i'm happy to report our sailing fared very well and restrictions were lifted (on like day 6 of a 14 day).

 

We did disinfect our cabin as best we could when we boarded, with clorox wipes and lysol spray. Who knows if it helped at all but, it gave us more peace of mind to think we were trying to be proactive.

[ariawoman]

It usually causes a delay in sailing while the crew does a massive cleaning of the ship. That ship will be cleaner than its ever been after that virus outbreak..LOL.

 

Honestly, it's probably the best time to sail. :-) I was scared out of my mind getting on a ship that was delayed for a deep clean, but it all worked out in the end.

[Salacia]

Where are you getting the updated numbers from?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

See http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2014/january21_explorer_seas.htm

 

"Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 595 of 3050 (19.5%)

 

Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 50 of 1165 (4.3%)"

[20pluscruises]

Where are you getting the updated numbers from?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Local NYC news

[ariawoman]

The timing of all this has me wondering about cross contamination for travelers coming to NJ for the Super Bowl.

[20pluscruises]

The timing of all this has me wondering about cross contamination for travelers coming to NJ for the Super Bowl.

 

If they don't cancel the Superbowl for a week...there is talk of this as a possibility due the bitter temps

[antsnanny]

The CDC boarded the ship and are sailing back with them. Rerelease the posts on this thread. And really this cruise essentially didn't happen and that was due to the outbreak. Throw down the Pom poms and think realistically. Call it what you want but the ship turned around and is coming home and aborted the cruise. Is that better?

And yes everyone who is following this thread knows the ship is not mechanically crippled but I do apologize to those few who do not Understand this however small those posters may be in number.

 

I realize the CDC is onboard the Explorer, I read that on the CDC site. The question I was asking you is how did you find out it was the CDC that aborted the cruise? If you can't answer that question I understand, you don't have to but if you do have the facts, I would appreciate that. In addition to that I have no pom pom's to put down and I think its a bit weird that you are assuming that I do . I have not even expressed how I feel about how RCCL is handling this, I don't have all the facts so I have not spoken to that at all.

[Dall]

Wow, thanks, didn't know they were obtainable. Good to know.

Wow. Interesting. Thanks!

[tokyo1949]

We had the same problem 2010 with the Jewel;

they had at the previous cruise an outbreack and the only problem

for us was that the boarding was delayed.

Instead going on board around 11am; it was about 3pm, in the meantime they brought us to an hotel and provided drinks and sandwiches for the waiting time.

 

I think they just had some more hand sanitizer set up to prevent another outbreak, but we were fine.

 

We had this problem in Oct 2012 on Celebrity Constellation. Luckily we were fine but many many people and crew sick. couldnt serve yourself with anything, they removed items from cabins and library was closed. Tried very hard to contain it but it occurred again on the next cruise as we knew people on that one. Funny that it seemed to be only one of a couple per cabin that was ill in most cases. they blamed noro but in our opinion it was food as if noro it would have spread to all in cabin. Hope everyone is ok and better soon as its not pleasant for anyone on a cruise like that

[mr walker]

Hope everyone is ok and better soon as its not pleasant for anyone on a cruise like that

 

My thoughts exactly. Others think first of blame & compensation :eek:

How it is resolved can come later, let's just think of the poor folk on board, passengers & crew.

[Crusin6]

My thoughts exactly. Others think first of blame & compensation :eek:

How it is resolved can come later, let's just think of the poor folk on board, passengers & crew.

 

No actually by being very concerned about the compensation the pax receive one is thinking about the pax. I have no doubt the pax are well taken of from a comfort point of view by the crew so there is no need to comment on that.

 

My concern lie with the less than adequate initial offers made by corporate rccl. I will continue to repeat that this cruise essentially did not happen and for all intents and purposes was cancelled by rccl

 

To argue otherwise is fruitless. The cruise line did not purposely set out to hurt pax I am sure but had to make a decision that disrupted pax big time.

 

Pax are owed compensation and that is not being a bleeding heart that is being realistic and that compensation needs to be secured by the pax before they leave the ship and in writing

 

I know it is difficult for many to understand this and quite honestly I doesn't reAlly matter anyway as all that matters is fair and adequate compensation to the pax. As I posted earlier I have no doubt the hard working crew is as compassionate as ever but that is not what this thread is about is it? So why should I comment on that stuff

Edited January 28, 2014 by Crusin6

[Crusin6]

The timing of all this has me wondering about cross contamination for travelers coming to NJ for the Super Bowl.

 

I heard on the 11 o'clock local news that the temps are now forecast to be much better by the weekend. But who knows with this crazy winter. Fingers crossed

[Crusin6]

It is all over the local news here in the Northeast...she is on her way back to NJ...and yes, it is basically crippling along as it will most likely come in in the wee hours to avoid some of the press. (that is what was stated / not my statement...just to be clear) Also reported...RCCL announced the return 2 hours after CDC board the ship...it is now up to 650 sick

 

Thanks for the update. In response to that poster who keeps asking why I think they were ordered home by the CDC well using common sense It just seems that to turn around 2 hours after the CDC boarded tells me that the decision was made upon consultation with the CDC However that just seems logical to me but who knows?

 

Rccl may have balked and been forced to return or may have simply asked the CDC for guidance with this decision. But that really doesn't matter as they did turn around one way or another

 

Fwiw the right decision was made IMHO

Edited January 28, 2014 by Crusin6

[nycruise]

If they don't cancel the Superbowl for a week...there is talk of this as a possibility due the bitter temps

 

No way Superbowl is being cancelled for Sunday. Predictions are for 41 degrees and partly cloudy. Bitter cold today and tomorrow, not a great time to be coming back to NY from a cruise.

[nanwel]

Soooo - you have 500 sick people and many perhaps carrying the germ, and you are dumping them on shore. - Way to go RC - infect the people on shore - should let healthy people off - keep sick people on board until they are well - past contamination time. - then let them leave.

Could move all ill people to one floor so deep cleaning could go on.

Would not want to be the agents, shore staff or taxi drivers handlling that ship!

They have a couple of days to the sick people get better before they have to leave.

Wonder how they will handle this.

Imagine being very ill, needing a washoom asap and being in a line to disembark!?!?!?

[Aquahound]

Soooo - you have 500 sick people and many perhaps carrying the germ, and you are dumping them on shore. - Way to go RC - infect the people on shore - should let healthy people off - keep sick people on board until they are well - past contamination time. - then let them leave.

Could move all ill people to one floor so deep cleaning could go on.

 

Huh? :confused: That's an awful idea.

 

It's noro virus, not SARS. "Dumping" them on shore is exactly what they need to do.

[Highlander1]

Soooo - you have 500 sick people and many perhaps carrying the germ, and you are dumping them on shore. - Way to go RC - infect the people on shore - should let healthy people off - keep sick people on board until they are well - past contamination time. - then let them leave.

Could move all ill people to one floor so deep cleaning could go on.

Would not want to be the agents, shore staff or taxi drivers handlling that ship!

They have a couple of days to the sick people get better before they have to leave.

Wonder how they will handle this.

Imagine being very ill, needing a washoom asap and being in a line to disembark!?!?!?

 

 

 

 

Brilliant:rolleyes:

[knittinggirl]

Anybody know what a "barrier cleaning" the news reports keep mentioning entails?

[jerseyralph]

If they don't cancel the Superbowl for a week...there is talk of this as a possibility due the bitter temps

 

Actually...........The forecast for north Jersey is a high of 37 for both Saturday and Sunday.

[ariawoman]

If they don't cancel the Superbowl for a week...there is talk of this as a possibility due the bitter temps

 

I think by Sunday we are supposed to be back into the normal cold temps, not the single digits we are today. (I live in NJ about an hour from the stadium).

 

Personally I'd love to see it snow for the superbowl LOL.

 

Guess we'll see what happens, but people and players I believe have already started arriving for the big game.

[kevinsgirl88]

Only 284 people got sick. Still a lot but not as many as 500

 

Sent from my MB886 using Forums mobile app

[DrNora]

Somewhere someone suggested gloves at the buffet lines.

Unless you have a clean , gloved-person "gloving" each person as they enter the line, ( think of those movies where. The scrub nurse holds the gloves out for the surgeon, or remember Mash episodes) and then monitors to ensure that no one touches their nose or mouth or a chair with their gloved hands, this is futile. As soon as you touch the outside of the glove to put it on it is just as contaminated as your hand.

 

The contaminated glove then touched the silverware, the serving spoons , stacks of trays

 

Wearing gloves will do nothing except provide a false sense of security

. Yes, the servers wear them, but they are not( I hope!,) rubbing their nose , scratching themselves or putting their hands to their mouth or even rubbing their chins.

 

And, yes, this happens to be a subject in which I can speak with knowledge

[Kosi]

Please stay away from Holland America ..

Why do you say stay away from Holland America? I am going on their ship in 2 weeks:(

[jerseyralph]

Soooo - you have 500 sick people and many perhaps carrying the germ, and you are dumping them on shore. - Way to go RC - infect the people on shore - should let healthy people off - keep sick people on board until they are well - past contamination time. - then let them leave.

Could move all ill people to one floor so deep cleaning could go on.

Would not want to be the agents, shore staff or taxi drivers handlling that ship!

They have a couple of days to the sick people get better before they have to leave.

Wonder how they will handle this.

Imagine being very ill, needing a washoom asap and being in a line to disembark!?!?!?

 

Oh my!

 

Just an FYI........ Noro is everywhere, not just on cruise dining room menus. The CDC reports 21 million cases in the USA last year. Cruise ships get nailed in the winter because of close quarters. The best anyone can do to prevent the spread of Noro is to wash their hands completely and keep their hands away from their mouths, noses and eyes. If you are on a ship and Noro rears its ugly head, and it does way more often than anyone would like to admit, these precautions are even more important. Also avoid touching everything. You might want to stay away from the buffet. On our last cruise the buffet went to servers only handling the food (with gloves) and I watched a woman grab a handful of cookies because she could not wait for the server to give me my piece of pie. Additionally, if you are sick with Noro and about to board a cruise, for the protection of everyone else involved, stay home! Here is a link from the CDC about Noro:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/downloads/keyfacts.pdf