Global news: Joy disembarking at San Pedro/LAX after 16 days - hundreds ?? sick from norovirus

[mking8288]

Just FYI - news apparently hitting around the globe, from India Times, Mirror (UK) and of course, Fox News ... among others.

 

That, hundreds of cruisers on the Norwegian Joy were sicken due to (suspected) norovirus while at sea, being rushed off the ship & evaluated by paramedics from LAFD.  Surprised that it has been posted by anyone else here yet - ship is scheduled to start sailing its 7 night Mexico Rivera itinerary.  

 

Most likely, exaggerated and taken out of context ("hundreds of passengers acutely ill") ... probably similar to what the Bliss pax experienced sailing the other direction, from the West Coast via Panama Canal & disembarked this morning in NYC.  It's the beginning of the flu season ... proper personal hygiene is just as important as "infection control" and cleaning measures as a matter of best practices.  

 

https://indiatimespost.com/norwegian-joy-hundreds-of-people-rushed-off-cruise-ship-after-norovirus-outbreak/

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/norovirus-norwegian-cruise-outbreak-hundreds

 

A-EMT quoted as saying several were assessed for symptoms ??  Social media sources claimed some/a group of ... were rushed off, unclear how many were (actually) affected.   Of course, USPHS/USCG and/or CDC would know the specifics as the cruiseline is obligated to report these incidents and update their efforts, etc. when arriving/returning back to a U.S. port.  

 

[erdoran]

Not to cheapen what is a difficult experience for some, but I liked the link to the article about the $2950 facial!!!

[trivimp]

Los Angeles Times is reporting that six people were examined by paramedics, and of those, four were transported by ambulance to local hospitals with non-life-threatening complaints. 

 

Perhaps more were ill, but not severely enough to need the attention of EMTs.  In any case, the "hundreds" reported by the Times Mirror seems badly exaggerated.  

 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-24/sick-passengers-norwegian-cruise-line-paramedics

Edited November 24, 2019 by trivimp
link

[Gershep]

It's not fun being sick but being on vacation and getting sick is awful.

[tallnthensome]

You can blame those guests that are too ignorant to sanitize and wash their hands. They use the restroom and don’t wash their hands. Don’t forget the finger lickers in the buffet who dine on spilled gravy on their thumbs only to pick up 7 sets of food tongs seconds after. Saw this countless times on the Bliss ....

[LATK]

We were on this ill-fated cruise and we were on deck 13 near the Medical Center. There were lines out the door a couple of days and many people quarantined in their rooms. There were some very sick people and crew members, too. A couple of hundred people might be an understatement . 

[FranknBeans]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

You can blame those guests that are too ignorant to sanitize and wash their hands. They use the restroom and don’t wash their hands. Don’t forget the finger lickers in the buffet who dine on spilled gravy on their thumbs only to pick up 7 sets of food tongs seconds after. Saw this countless times on the Bliss ....

I cant agree more that the bathroom habits I've witnessed cruise after cruise and men coming out of the cubicles holding there cell phones, not washing their hands, it just grosses me out and I now use paper towels when leaving bathrooms when exciting. 

I wont even get into the trough habits that we've witness and we only eat breakfast at the trough

[www3traveler]

The picture I have seen supposedly related to this story is The Norwegian Epic.  Currently She is no near the United States let alone LA.  She is on Her way from Europe to Puerto Rico.

[nyc2pdx]

Great....I am taking the Joy in 2 weeks 😞

[FitchburgWIFamily]

On the ship right now. We boarded late due to extra cleaning. We’re still in Port, I’m not quite sure why. They definitely are doing the Noro virus protection. Buffets are being served instead of self serve, menus are paper and not in folios, all the paperwork in the cabin is removed, etc.

 

We were given the option of not boarding and taking another cruise of equal value..we opted to board.  Letter they gave us in port said simply “more than 2” of previous passengers were ill.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Sorry for the phone shadow. Letter in port and notice in room.

[nyc2pdx]

I'll be curious how it goes this time around.  Hopefully they really did contain it!

 Please keep us posted @FitchburgWIFamily

[Outerdog]

28 minutes ago, FitchburgWIFamily said:

Letter they gave us in port said simply “more than 2” of previous passengers were ill.

 

More than 2 percent. Which based on Wikipedia's capacity for pax/crew, 2% equals about 112 people.

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, Outerdog said:

 

More than 2 percent. Which based on Wikipedia's capacity for pax/crew, 2% equals about 112 people.

The reason the letter mentions 2% is because that is the threshold  set by the CDC requiring a report of GI illness to the Vessel Sanitation Program. The letter says that, but in case anyone doesn't bother reading past the 2% figure I thought it was worth mentioning.

Edited November 25, 2019 by njhorseman

[EllieinNJ]

One news article said...Norwegian Joy...formerly called Norwegian Bliss.  I think it was ABC News. 

[mking8288]

Interesting ... Joy passengers given a choice to not sail - was this done at the pier prior to checking in; and, what about luggage if they're checked with the porters on the pier.

 

Bliss passengers - If I'm not mistaken, not given the same choice to not sail today (out of NYC)  Our friends are onboard, they sailed a little after 5:15 pm (originally pushed back from 4 pm to 5 pm EDT ... actually, not bad)   Crew & officers really hustled for the turnaround, extra cleaning protocol, health inspections, boarding & provisioning and did all the embarkation tasks - ship sailed full, beyond 100% capacity.  

 

Measures continued in the buffet (and, probably MDR's, etc.) with staff handling the utensils, paper menus, and dishing out food items from behind the buffet stations - long lines & some confused pax, not knowing the details.  Going to chat with them on Tuesday & get an update when they get to Port Canaveral ... if nobody else onboard posting live, semi-live or otherwise report out.  

 

ABC News probably didn't realized or pickup the info that the Bliss was impacted by a separate & different noro incident onboard earlier this week.  But, when public restroom doors are popped open with the stopper & standalone portable hand  sanitizers are put out everywhere, near the elevators & stairs ... you know to suspect that something is going around.    

[YVRBassElectric]

I've sailed after a Noro outbreak - special precautions should only last 72 hours, if it lasts longer someone on your sailing is sick with Noro symptoms

 

[nyc2pdx]

So I’m sailing on the Joy in 2 weeks, first time cruising. I’m a little concerned....how concerned should I be?  I mean, I employ all standards of hygiene by washing my hands frequently and use hand sanitizer whenever I see it. Would that keep me from getting sick in case of an outbreak?  What happens if you do get sick? Lock you in your stateroom for the trip?  
 

 

[YVRBassElectric]

1 minute ago, nyc2pdx said:

So I’m sailing on the Joy in 2 weeks, first time cruising. I’m a little concerned....how concerned should I be?  I mean, I employ all standards of hygiene by washing my hands frequently and use hand sanitizer whenever I see it. Would that keep me from getting sick in case of an outbreak?  What happens if you do get sick? Lock you in your stateroom for the trip?  
 

 

don't eat with your hands, avoid the buffet, wash your hands, don't shake hands. The ship will be Noro free by the time you get on, you are only at risk from a passenger on your sailing. Yes anyone who is sick, will be confined to their cabin

[Trevor Fountain]

Following report says 6 people treated for flu like symptoms.

https://www.wfmz.com/news/cnn/us-national/ca-several-fall-ill-aboard-docked-cruise-ship/video_b960198c-7634-5097-aaa2-54756d18441a.html

[david_sobe]

This was on my local news this morning.  It showed several ambulances at the port and passengers on stretchers being taken to hospitals.  A bit dramatic?  But maybe they were disabled and could not walk?

[david_sobe]

11 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

You can blame those guests that are too ignorant to sanitize and wash their hands. They use the restroom and don’t wash their hands. Don’t forget the finger lickers in the buffet who dine on spilled gravy on their thumbs only to pick up 7 sets of food tongs seconds after. Saw this countless times on the Bliss ....

Speaking of "finger lickers" there are also those who just use their hands at the buffet.  Check out this video where a guy uses his hands to scoop French fries.   I don't care for buffets and those tongs have to be the covered in germs and people's greasy hands.

 

[dexddd]

Story just on morning news.  Think they said six taken to hospital.  Interviewee said pillows taken from rooms.

 

Incident Command setup.

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, njhorseman said:

The reason the letter mentions 2% is because that is the threshold  set by the CDC requiring a report of GI illness to the Vessel Sanitation Program. The letter says that, but in case anyone doesn't bother reading past the 2% figure I thought it was worth mentioning.

That is the threshold for a "special" report to the CDC.  Every ship, every time it enters the US, has to submit a report of the number of GI illnesses onboard, even if that number is zero.

[LrgPizza]

Here's a tip that many ignore. Even if you wash and sanitize your hands before serving yourself at the buffet, that protects others but not yourself. To protect yourself, you need to sanitize again AFTER you have served yourself but before you eat - sanitize after touching the serving utensils before you eat with those hands.