Why does Celebrity have the most cases of Norovirus?

[dulcemariamar]

Sorry to post and run. I guess my google skills are not that great so it is good to know about Celebrity having less outbreaks. I do like NCL washy washy people. I rather them being annoying about it if that means I dont get sick.

 

But...I did have to cancel my Disney cruise last year when 2 members of my parry got sick with the flu. I cancelled the day I was supposed to go and when I called to cancel, the girl who took the call asked me so many times if I really wanted to cancel. I thought they would be happy not to have my germs. I was so sad about not going so I didnt need to hear them ask me if I was SURE that I didnt want to go.

[DrivesLikeMario]

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.

 

I do. Can't stand the slimy soap bar that has been sitting in water and has just had germs rubbed all over it by the previous user. Bleck! :p

[DrivesLikeMario]

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.

 

Precisely why I always Cholorx-wipe down my plane's tray table, seat belt handle and reclining buttons before touching them. I don't care if I look like a germa-phobe.

 

The airplane's toilet water is more hygienic than the water that comes out of the tap in the bathroom. For that reason, I use antibacterial wipes for my hands instead of the bathroom sink water.

[gardenMaui]

lWe rarely eat at the buffet, but if we do, I always go to the lav & wash my hands again before eating. Better safe than sorry.

[Got2Cruise]

Isn't the hand sanitizer used to prevent YOU from spreading germs just in case you ahem don't wash your hands after using the toilet? Celebrity did have a washy man spraying your hands when you returned to the ship and he was all business.

[gardenMaui]

This is my understanding (from health care professionals):

 

1) wash your hands where soap & water are available

 

2) use hand sanitizer where no access to soap & water

[pwapwa47]

Seems to me after checking around on the internet that the upper scale cruise lines (of which Celebrity is trying to emulate) do not have passengers handling the food utensils and that they also have a much much lower incidence of noro on their ships.

 

 

Just saying........Perhaps this is the way to go.

[pauly]

People do not wash their hands with warm soapy water and scrub after using the bathroom. In addition, the alcohol gels kill bacteria, not viruses.

[CruisingChick]

Seems to me after checking around on the internet that the upper scale cruise lines (of which Celebrity is trying to emulate) do not have passengers handling the food utensils and that they also have a much much lower incidence of noro on their ships.

 

 

Just saying........Perhaps this is the way to go.

 

Personally I would love that. We have been on a few noro cruises and to tell you the truth, I like it better when they have to do all the serving. Unfortunately I don't think most people do.

 

On our recent Summit cruise I noticed many passengers not using hand santizer before entering the buffet.

[Grumpy100]

We have been on 26 cruises and have never gotten sick.

Four years ago we did a British Isles cruise out of Southampton with 8 in our party. 6 out of 8 got sick and luckily I was not one of them. My husband did get the norovirus this time but only lasted one day and was ready to go after that.

I don't mind using the "washy girls" stuff that comes out of the machine at the entrances to the dining rooms. Better safe than sorry.

Happy sailing.

[az_tchr]

Ok - here is the information from the CDC on Noro. The "CDC requires cruise lines to immediately file a report when more than 2 percent of passengers report symptoms". Thus if a ship has 2000 passengers they must report at 40 passengers. That is not a big number.

 

Also the sanitizer used on cruise ships has more alcohol in it so it is "slightly" effective against noro simply washing your hands and not touching "stuff" is about 99% effective.

[villauk]

Ok - here is the information from the CDC on Noro. The "CDC requires cruise lines to immediately file a report when more than 2 percent of passengers report symptoms". Thus if a ship has 2000 passengers they must report at 40 passengers. That is not a big number.

 

Also the sanitizer used on cruise ships has more alcohol in it so it is "slightly" effective against noro simply washing your hands and not touching "stuff" is about 99% effective.

 

You have not correctly quoted all the details, because as Don already posted, the CDC only requires cruiselines to notify them if the ship is travelling to or from US ports - foreign ports such as ships in Europe do not have to be reported - hence the recent Equinox outbreak not listed ;).

Edited September 25, 2015 by villauk

[Suzy Smith]

You have not correctly quoted all the details, because as Don already posted, the CDC only requires cruiselines to notify them if the ship is travelling to or from US ports - foreign ports such as ships in Europe do not have to be reported - hence the recent Equinox outbreak not listed ;).

 

Totally agree - the CDC website states that all cases of norovirus must be reported before arriving at a US port when sailing from a foreign port, a separate notification must be made when cases reach 2%, but they only appear on the CDC list if they reach 3%. So the CDC reports do not reflect anything like the real numbers world wide. We have been on two Celebrity cruises which went to Code Red with large numbers of pax being ill, one to the Holy Land and another Eastern Med, but of course they are not listed.

 

The cruise lines do their best to limit the spread, but it requires full co-operation from the passengers, and I am another who would be happy if the staff served all food and passengers did not handle serving utensils.