Mariner Sickness

[BILLP1]

Just read that 10 crew members and 23 guests have come down with

acute gastroentenrtis. This was posted on the events at seas web site.

Terrible way to end such a nice cruise.

[Dolebludger]

Yes, it is sad, but the same thing has been "going around" the general population recently. I have had the same disease, and have been no where near the Mariner (darn it!). The percentage of the "population" aboard the Mariner that got this disease was small. Smaller than in my hometown in the middle of Oklahoma!

 

Thanks,

Richard

[hvsteve1]

I don't know about anyone else,but I just got off Navigator yesterday and have been sick since my last night on the ship. I'm finishing my stay in San Juan and just begining to wonder,"Could this be one of those cruise ship things?".

[LibLively]

I believe the ship that had the problem with people being ill was NOT the Regent Mariner but the Mariner of the Seas, which is a Royal Caribbean ship.

Two different ships, but they both a re called Mariner!!!! Go figure!

[BILLP1]

Yes it was the Regent Mariner

[LibLively]

I stand corrected. You are right. I checked CDC. I could have sworn the report I read in a newspaper a couple of weeks ago said it was Mariner of the Seas.

[hvsteve1]

Now that I'm home (and still sick) let me give some observations on the sanitation situation an Navigator.

1. Nobody but us seemed to be using the hand sanitizing outlets when entering the ship or the buffet. On last summer's Mariner cruise,I recall people lining up to use them. Maybe then it had something to do with more recent news about ship outbreaks or a higher level of urging by the cruise line. And we were on a trip to the tropics this time.

2. There were several occasions where we sent back half and half because it curdled when poured in the coffee. Refrigeration problems?

3. I love smoked salmon.. What was offered in Portofino at breakfast didn't seem that great and smelled a bit fishy.

4.. I was under the impression the fruit in the room was changed daily. I picked an orange from the bowl and found it to be heavily blue molded..

Let me add I did not I did not have ANYTHING to eat or drink when on shore and did not get sick until early AM on the day we docked,so I doubt that I picked anytyhing up on our San Juan stay prior to the cruise.

[blackbird71]

I always used the one in the buffet, but almost never getting on the ship, most ppl, myself included, have their hands full returning to the ship. Some shoppers more than others. :D

 

You really can not 100% protect yourself from this, :( even if you follow the old doctor's rules, Never put hand to mouth unless you just washed it. IE Even if YOU used the sanitizing outlet before entering the buffet, that does not mean the person before you did, and then if you touch a common serving spoon they touched, bingo, you COULD have the bad germs now on your hands.

[Leonid]

Interesting that RSSC doesn't require that all passengers use the hand sanitizer when boarding. On our 8 Crystal sailings, one could not embark until one used the sanitizer, hands full or not. Crystal was, and probably still is, paranoid about sanitation. We were never once sick, nor do I remember any outbreaks of gasto problems.

[azgkrudi]

Hand sanitizing outlets? Forgive a newbie, but what are these? I've been on Silversea three times and don't recall seeing anything like that. I would be ALL FOR them!!! My husband & I got deathly ill on one of our SS cruises a little over a year ago - Norwalk virus, they think. We've never been so sick in all our lives.

 

It still amazes me that while in a public restroom, how many women I see exit the ladies' room without washing their hands. It's really unbelievable.

[JDRMYS]

Leonid, There seem to have been outbreaks of gastric problems on almost all cruise lines. On the Crystal Serenity, there was a significant outbreak during the first segment of this year's world cruise. According to posts on the Crystal board, the company seemed to try to minimize this and not to make a statement about it to the passengers.

[merryecho]

Has Regent made a statement as to how they plan to respond to this outbreak? We are due to sail on her next Monday, and I hope they are seriously looking at a potential sanitation problem.

[AtA]

Let's see, my cruise was over a month ago. I just got sick last night with an intestinal bug and I do wash my hands frequently. My daughter was nice enough to give it to my son and me. After over 24 hours, I'm finally upright for more then five minutes. Getting sick happens, and it's more likely to happen anywhere large groups are in close contact...schools, the military, ships, etc. Especially this time of the year, you can catch something anywhere.

[giustot]

I just returned from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess and I saw very little done to minimize the spread of any viruses. There were hand sanitizers available by the food areas but no one used them nor were they asked to use them. And no one used hand sanitizers upon entering the ship.

 

It's pretty obvious that anytime you touch something that someone else has touched, tongs, doors, railings, you risk spreading a virus. We met a woman who brought her own bottle of hand sanitizer and used it when she returned from the buffet just before she was about to eat. That's probably an excellent way of minimizing getting sick.

 

We also saw a woman at the sushi buffet who tried to spoon some wasabe onto her plate. When it wouldn't come off of the spoon, she used her finger to push it off and then put the spoon back in the container of wasabe for the next person to use. My wife almost died when she saw this and immediately let the woman know what she had done (perhaps not in the most diplomatic way). Tom.

[merryecho]

dear Ata- According to the CDC there is a health problem on the Mariner that goes beyond what one would expect in a group of similar size. It is serious enough to warrant their going onboard and conducting tests to discover its source. As I will be on the ship next week I appreciate this subject being brought to my attention on this board. Yes, I think we all know that it is possible to get sick from sources other than a cruise ship- and indeed, you can "catch something anywhere". But if there is a disease source on the ship, I am glad they are looking for it. I hope it doesn't turn out to be another outbreak of Salmonella, as the CDC found on this ship last year.

[wayfarer]

There did not seem to be a problem on the South America cruise until we hit Peru. After Lima a fairly large number of us came down with Acute Gastroentenrtis. The Doctor thought I may have picked mine up eating in Lima. Doctor gave me Ciiprofloxacin and I was cured in 24 hours.

[petlover]

I too just got off the Mariner on Monday. The last couple of days I did have a bit of what seemed like flu symptoms but mostly just a bad cold and scratchy throat. I think it's common for "things to go around" on these ships when you're in close quarters to others (I think of it as "kennel cough"). Luckily, I stayed healthy for the first 60 days so can't complain.

 

As for the hand sanitizers....I think there should be one next to ALL ELEVATORS. They would get a lot of use while people are waiting for the elevator to arrive. It's such a good habit to get into.