Noro on the Veendam

[jellybeana]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned about the Mexican Rivera Dec 13 cruise. Captain came over the loud speaker at 6pm Saturday Dec 19 and said we had a lot of gastro intestinal cases and it was officially being called Norovirus. Call medical if you have any problems. I wish they would have mentioned the large number of cases earlier as I would have stopped eating anything at the Lido which could have potentially been touched by someone else.

 

Learned the hard way that no matter how much you wash your own hands you can't control others. BTW it hit me at 8:30pm. Was not a pleasant trip home. Wasn't happy that the paperwork given to me by medical said I would be charged the standard office charge. I have heard that some cruise lines do not charge anyone coming in to medical with stomach issues to try to stop the possible spread of Noro. Live and learn.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am so sorry to hear that you got the Noro on your cruise.

Right -- no one else has reported in about this on the Veendam.

Did you get a medical report that you can submit to your insurance company before you left the cruise?

[sail7seas]

So sorry to hear Noro has now been carried to Veendam and particularly sorry you became ill.

 

If you submit the office visit charge at the Infirmary to your insurance, there is a good chance they will reimburse you.

 

Hope you are feeling better now.

[InTheWASide]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned about the Mexican Rivera Dec 13 cruise. Captain came over the loud speaker at 6pm Saturday Dec 19 and said we had a lot of gastro intestinal cases and it was officially being called Norovirus. Call medical if you have any problems. I wish they would have mentioned the large number of cases earlier as I would have stopped eating anything at the Lido which could have potentially been touched by someone else.

 

Learned the hard way that no matter how much you wash your own hands you can't control others. BTW it hit me at 8:30pm. Was not a pleasant trip home. Wasn't happy that the paperwork given to me by medical said I would be charged the standard office charge. I have heard that some cruise lines do not charge anyone coming in to medical with stomach issues to try to stop the possible spread of Noro. Live and learn.

 

Sorry you got sick. I've had it before... Bad situation all the way around (literally)

 

It has been HAL's policy to charge standard visits and let it go through your own personal insurance (if you have/selected it) since... I believe either 2008 or 2009. Quite a while at any rate.

[Alberta Quilter]

I wasn't charged anything when I got Noro on my May Maasdam cruise. I don't recall a note about being charged on the paperwork, though. You would think that they want people to report it; being charged for the office visit will deter some from reporting the illness.

[cruz chic]

A few others mentioned the Noro in some other threads but there wasn't a specific thread about it. Hope you feel better.

[jellybeana]

I am feeling much better thank you. I have insurance and also cruise insurance so will wait for a bill. I wasn't given one but figured since it was the night before debarkation that and the bottle of water from the mini bar will catch up to me.

 

On my flight back home shortly after take off, a man a few rows up became violently ill. The flight attendant said that we were being rerouted to land for a medical emergency. When she walked past me I asked her to ask him if he got off the ship as noro had been reported. She didn't say anything back to me which I knew because of hipa I was not expecting but did announce about 15 min later that we were landing as scheduled and won't be rerouted. They moved everyone from the rows around him and took him off first when we landed.

 

I hope that is the last time I experience anything like that. I can say that the cantaloupe was especially delicious but that may been the problem.

[scluvsrain]

If Noro is a virus, then what can medical do for you, other than advise you to rest, drink fluids, take anti-diarrhea meds and not go out?

 

I was on the Veendam in late October and there was a bit of an outbreak on our cruise too. We all got letters one night, late in the cruise, from the Captain.

[oaktreerb]

You may not receive a bill. I was sick with whatever was going around the ship a few years ago in Alaska. The doctor actually came to my room but did not treat me as I said I didn't need a shot and I just self treated. I was not allowed to leave the ship until my quarantine time was up in Juneau. Thankfully it was over before I had to fly home! I did not receive a bill. Since the Captain had requested passengers to notify the doctor if we were ill i just expected that there would be no charge and there wasn't.

[InTheWASide]

I can say that the cantaloupe was especially delicious but that may been the problem.

 

As appetizing as it sounds the only way noro can transmit is through fecal-oral transmission. You can use your imagination how this might have happened but it could have been as simple as you touched a handle or elevator button after someone else did (again, use your imagination) and then licked your finger, bit your fingernail... lots of possibilities

[chengkp75]

All "ready to eat" foods like fruits and vegetables get a sanitizing wash in bleach before it goes to the prep kitchens. It is highly unlikely that noro is being transmitted by food, unlike at places ashore that report outbreaks.

[Bill S]

jellybeana-So sorry that you got hit, too. I hope that you are feeling better,

 

I wrote about my experience in separate thread that existed prior to us embarking.

 

I woke up around 1:30am Sunday morning with headache and had 3 vomiting episodes and my DW called 90 per the Captain's instructions and she went to the infirmary and returned with an anti-nausea tablet , a disposable thermometer and 2 ibuprofens. The tablet worked great but I still ached and could not sleep. I was very lucky in except for the initial vomiting episodes, the aches, a 101.2 fever, weakness and fatigue, I had no other symptoms. It could have been a lot worse. My poor DW starting feeling poorly later that morning, but just ached all over and also did not get any sleep. She was not charged anything for the infirmary visit for me.

 

Of course, we were put in "isolation" status and disembarked after all guests who had not reported as ill had left the ship. We had a very long drive back to Las Vegas and took turns driving so we could take turns napping. We were in bed around 6:30 that night and slept very well and felt better, but still a bit weak, on Monday. All is good now, except for a slightly diminished appetite.

 

We have done about 30 HAL cruises and this was the first time we have been on ship that had a Noro outbreak. Glad it happened near the end of the cruise.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Bill S

[Cruizer Bill]

I've had Noro twice and both times from land, not from ships. First time I got it from a pizza restaurant in Victoria, BC and the second time many years later I got it from a relative who got it from a hospital in California. It is a TERRIBLE disease, it hit SO HARD and you can't keep any liquids down. It lasted about four days each time and the first time was the worst, constant diarrhea and vomiting, amazing headache, dog tired etc...... I feel so sorry for you!! :(

[Slarty]

It's called a colon-cleanse in the #spa, and you have to pay for it!

[Keith1010]

Sorry it happened. One of the challenges of traveling with so many people.

 

Keith

[kazu]

So sorry to hear this.

 

FWIW, medical visits & treatment were without charge on the Prinsendam when people were asked to report (and it was beat).

 

On my Oceania cruise of a month ago, we had an outbreak and the passengers with Noro were charged for all medical services other than the initial consultation.

 

You might not get a bill. If they do charge you, make sure they send the paperwork to you - you will need it to get reimbursed by insurance.

 

Sorry you were so ill and wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season and New Years.

[Cruiser 4 Life 66]

Yeah, I've learned from a past cruise (not on HAL) that if you are having any stomach problems don't go to medical. Not only will they charge you, but they will assume it's Noro and quarantine you in your cabin the rest of the cruise.

[frankc98376]

Biggest mistake is in hand washing. People finish "their business" in the bathroom and head for the sink to wash. They turn the water on, wash thoroughly, then turn the water off- touching the same faucet they touched with "contaminated" hands.

 

I know it is just common sense but always use a tissue to turn the water on and off and press the flush button on the toilet. We keep Wet Ones in there to wipe off the faucet and the flush button after just in case.

[Tampa Girl]

Yeah, I've learned from a past cruise (not on HAL) that if you are having any stomach problems don't go to medical. Not only will they charge you, but they will assume it's Noro and quarantine you in your cabin the rest of the cruise.

 

I hope this doesn't mean that you continue to roam the ship with an upset stomach!

[shrimp56]

I hope this doesn't mean that you continue to roam the ship with an upset stomach!

My advice. Bring your own Imodium. Sometimes having the runs is just having the runs. DH had no temp, wasn't up-chucking but got nailed with a 36 hr quarantine. I understand the concern, but think they over-diagnose. I wasn't quarantined. I had a much milder version, but sure wasn't going to report it.

 

Before you go all haywire on me. I have HAD noro twice, back in the days before we knew what the deal was. My husband did not have it. We asked if he could be released a few hours early for the medallion ceremony (we got our 100 day ones this trip) and the answer was no, CDC rules. I'd sure like to see those rules sometimes. And again I understand.

 

BTW one of my habits is never to rub my eyes, or touch my face on a cruise, unless it is with a clean tissue or I have just washed my hands.