Why does Celebrity have the most cases of Norovirus?

[dulcemariamar]

After doing a quick google search I read that Celebrity has the highest number of outbreaks. I know that generally speaking it is just a small number of cases each year when you take into consideration the total number of passengers.

 

But it is giving me a slight pause about booking with them and taking along my 3 year old. We would go in August to Norway so perhaps the chances are less in the summer. I just would thought that a more upscale cruise line with less kids will have less outbreaks.

 

Thoughts?

[dkjretired]

After doing a quick google search I read that Celebrity has the highest number of outbreaks. I know that generally speaking it is just a small number of cases each year when you take into consideration the total number of passengers.

 

But it is giving me a slight pause about booking with them and taking along my 3 year old. We would go in August to Norway so perhaps the chances are less in the summer. I just would thought that a more upscale cruise line with less kids will have less outbreaks.

 

Thoughts?

 

They don't have the most, believe that honor belongs to Carnival or Royal.

 

Here is a link to every outbreak going back to 2002, you will find the facts there.

 

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/outbreaks2015.html

[CanadianDee]

Dulcie, would you mind sharing your source?

 

I'm looking at the CDC information here and, while Celebrity did have the most reported outbreaks in 2013, 2014 shows them outbreak-free, and 2015 with two outbreaks (with Princess and Royal Caribbean also reporting two).

 

In the 2015 reported outbreaks, both RCCL and Princess record higher numbers of individually reported cases than Celebrity.

Edited September 22, 2015 by CanadianDee

[dkjretired]

Dulcie, would you mind sharing your source?

 

I'm looking at the CDC information here and, while Celebrity did have the most reported outbreaks in 2013, 2014 shows them outbreak-free, and 2015 with two outbreaks (with Princess and Royal Caribbean also reporting two).

 

In the 2015 reported outbreaks, both RCCL and Princess record higher numbers of individually reported cases than Celebrity.

 

Just as an FYI, the CDC only reports on outbreaks involving ships traveling to or from US ports. The source I gave covers all cruises foreign and domestic.

[CanadianDee]

Just as an FYI, the CDC only reports on outbreaks involving ships traveling to or from US ports. The source I gave covers all cruises foreign and domestic.

 

Ah, ok. That makes sense.

 

But the CDC has no reported outbreaks on Carnival since 2012? *re-thinking next cruise". ;)

[gardenMaui]

From my understanding, passengers who already are sick (or becoming sick) bring it aboard with them. Usually multiple people on a large ship.

When we boarded a TA on HAL several years ago (leaving Barcelona on Nov 2nd) there were notices in every cabin that norovirus had been rampant all summer on ships in the Med. Of course, this was never mentioned until we were on board.

Evidently, a whole group arrived & within 24 hours, the virus was reported.

We were in "code red" for the entire 17 day cruise! The crew cleaned night & day (in hazmat apparel); you were not allowed to touch anything in shops, at the buffet, etc. But the casino remained open! The pools were also closed.

I heard from spa staff that "people aboard" were not following the rules of remaining in their cabin for 24 hours after being declared free of the virus by the ship's medical staff. So, the virus kept spreading.

12% were infected by mid cruise. The captain announced every day the rules - wash hands, remain in cabin, etc. You could hear the frustration is his voice as the outbreak continued.

It was so widespread tha the CDC boarded the ship at our stop in Half Moon Cay. They rode another HAL ship there to meet us - & boy did they

segregate the passengers of the two ships - absolutely no contact!

I think HAL tried very hard to stop the virus, but some passengers did not seem to care re others. The captain had even threatened to disembark people in Madeira, if they refused to follow the rules. Hard to believe that some people are so inconsiderate!

So, you never know! Just be very careful - I never touched any common surface - walked around with my hands interlocked to be sure I would not touch anything. Use your elbow on the elevator doors. Do not touch any railings, etc.

Hope this helps. This was our only experience & we have cruised multiple times. Sometimes, things go wrong. We felt like we were on a "plague ship". Good luck.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I don't think cruising in summer is going to give you better odds of not getting the virus. There are always a lot of outbreaks in summer in Alaska, so who knows? In over 35 cruises, we've never had it and neither have our sons who have been on about 23 cruises. Doesn't mean we won't get it, but there are ways to avoid it - even with children.

 

I'm not sure if it helps, but bringing antibacterial pump soap from home always makes it easier to wash your hands in the cabin vs. a slimy soap bar.

 

The minute we arrive at our cabin, we have a wipe-down routine with Chlorox wipes starting with the front door knob and going throughout the entire cabin. I do it again mid-week as the cabin stewards can bring in Noro too.

 

These precautions may, or may not, help. That's all you can do. The rest is up to fate. :cool:

[dkjretired]

Ah, ok. That makes sense.

 

But the CDC has no reported outbreaks on Carnival since 2012? *re-thinking next cruise". ;)

 

They also don't have to report it until they have a certain number of cases, believe it might be 5% but not sure of that.

[lisiamc]

I don't think cruising in summer is going to give you better odds of not getting the virus. There are always a lot of outbreaks in summer in Alaska, so who knows? In over 35 cruises, we've never had it and neither have our sons who have been on about 23 cruises. Doesn't mean we won't get it, but there are ways to avoid it - even with children.

 

I'm not sure if it helps, but bringing antibacterial pump soap from home always makes it easier to wash your hands in the cabin vs. a slimy soap bar.

 

The minute we arrive at our cabin, we have a wipe-down routine with Chlorox wipes starting with the front door knob and going throughout the entire cabin. I do it again mid-week as the cabin stewards can bring in Noro too.

 

These precautions may, or may not, help. That's all you can do. The rest is up to fate. :cool:

 

Antibacterial soap isn't going to help against a virus, so any pump soap will do nicely if you prefer pump soap to bar soap.

[az_tchr]

It is either 5% or 50 cases according to a doctor friend.

 

Always love statistics. can slice and dice them any way you want. It is sad and sort of funny that the OP suggested Celebrity was the problem when as was posted here the problem is inconsiderate passengers who bring it on board. Crew members are screened by all line pretty well.

[searoses]

Was sitting on a plane on the way to sju for a land vacation...across the aisle was a mom ,dad,and young boy on their way to a ship.....the boy was repeatedly sick and when the attendant leaned in and said it was too bad flying was so hard on him the mom pipes up and says...Oh,it's not the flight....he's been doing this all night!!!.....eeewwww....that attendant popped back very quickly and just left them some bags....

[hvsteve1]

I did notice that, on my HAL cruises, they were on code orange for the first few days and pax could not touch anything in the buffet. Everything was handed to you, even the drinks. I believe they do that as a matter of course. HAL also seemed a little more aggressive about shoving hand cleaner at you when you entered a food area.

[pwapwa47]

Anybody have the statistics of reported cases on ship's that always serve you at buffets vs those that allow serving yourself.

 

I much prefer to be served and not touch utensils God knows how many people have touched.

[Got2Cruise]

What about NCL? They have the "washy washy" girls who won't take no for an answer for the disinfectant spray. On the other hand I noticed that Celebrity suggests hand sanitizer as an afterthought. Hardly any patrons at the MDR utilized it.

[RocketMan275]

Was sitting on a plane on the way to sju for a land vacation...across the aisle was a mom ,dad,and young boy on their way to a ship.....the boy was repeatedly sick and when the attendant leaned in and said it was too bad flying was so hard on him the mom pipes up and says...Oh,it's not the flight....he's been doing this all night!!!.....eeewwww....that attendant popped back very quickly and just left them some bags....

 

Good Grief, I certainly hope they were denied boarding.

[JMG]

The cruise lines can only do so much to stop this. One reason I hate flying to a port is because I firmly believe that breathing the recycled air in that plane spreads far more germs than I might contact onboard a ship.

 

That being said...I do find it amazing that there are people that do not wash their hands in the bathrooms or use the sanitizers at the entrance to the dining areas. People that cough without covering their faces...

 

We were on one HAL cruise and the second night we got a new couple added to the table. She refused to sit next to him because he had a cold. It was okay to subject the rest of us to his germs! Needless to say, they were not popular at that table!

[dkjretired]

What about NCL? They have the "washy washy" girls who won't take no for an answer for the disinfectant spray. On the other hand I noticed that Celebrity suggests hand sanitizer as an afterthought. Hardly any patrons at the MDR utilized it.

 

Just so you are aware some of us are allergic to the hand sanitizers..

 

The reporting is required when 2% of passengers or crew is sick.

Edited September 23, 2015 by dkjretired

[flames9]

Had Noro on our August 2015 British Isles Cruise on the Silhouette... Doesn't surprise me with the # of people onboard...seeing a few people using their hands in the buffet.....people barely washing their hands...or u see people washing their hands properly on the ship...then see them ashore, and chance meeting in the bathroom and they wash their hands inappropriately. I'm a RN, plenty of lessons on hand washing,lol Funny thing is I rarely get sick, even working in the hospital, yet my last 2 cruises, came down with a bad cold at the very end..and I wash my hands all the time!!

[neverbeenhere]

This thread is BLINDING WITH ANECDOTALLY BAD SCIENCE!!!

[perditax]

This thread is BLINDING WITH ANECDOTALLY BAD SCIENCE!!!

 

 

This kind of outburst only works if you back it up with peer reviewed sources.

[Adidas4fun]

This thread is BLINDING WITH ANECDOTALLY BAD SCIENCE!!!

 

But I will also note that the OP hasn't returned, what was their goal in starting this thread?

[chrismakris]

The cruise lines can only do so much to stop this. One reason I hate flying to a port is because I firmly believe that breathing the recycled air in that plane spreads far more germs than I might contact onboard a ship

 

 

 

I wish I had kept the article but what was said is that you are more likely to get sick on a plane from using the bathroom water than anything else. The recycled air was near the bottom. Also the tray table is a smorgasbord of germs.

 

Because the planes have such a short turn around that the stewardesses do not have enough time to do a proper clean.

 

Also, someone who is sick with Noro can still spread the virus weeks after they have been sick. I somehow came down with it last March and even though I tried my best to do a proper clean no matter what I did my wife got sick two weeks after I did.

[gold1953]

Hardly worth my sanitizer at the buffet when I see countless imebciles licking their fingers while they eat and going back for more food and contaminating the utensils. I am taking gloves next cruise!!

[HokiePoq]

I did notice that, on my HAL cruises, they were on code orange for the first few days and pax could not touch anything in the buffet. Everything was handed to you, even the drinks. I believe they do that as a matter of course. HAL also seemed a little more aggressive about shoving hand cleaner at you when you entered a food area.

 

I think it's a combination of things....what the line does is one of them. We just finished a 35 day HAL cruise with no outbreak of NORO. Not one time during the cruise did I see a passenger stick their hands in the buffet food. This was a first of all the lines and ships we've sailed. The ship was full of experienced cruisers who know the drill. HAL did monitor the buffet food better than any I've sailed....most things were served to you, not all, though. The beverages were served to you which I think prevents a lot of problems. There were hand sanitizers but no "washy-washy" people like NCL has.

People bring it onboard or pick it up in port. One port in Costa Rica seemed to cause an outbreak both ways on our PC cruise on NCL even though the captain came on and told people not to eat from street vendors. I don't worry as much about Noro as respiratory illnesses. Experienced cruisers can be ultra-vigilant about not touching surfaces but we have to breathe the air folks are coughing into. Got an awful one on the Millie in May but didn't get it on this recent cruise when many did...think it might have been the same virus. This is not the fault of the cruise line. I don't think any ventilation system can help if people are not covering their coughs/sneezes properly or if people are lying about Noro on the forms they fill out boarding the ship.

Edited September 23, 2015 by HokiePoq

[Aquahound]

What about NCL? They have the "washy washy" girls who won't take no for an answer for the disinfectant spray.

 

They will from me. I don't use it. I will not bear the pain and discomfort of cracking hands just to satisfy others who are misinformed about sanitizer.