Grandeur of the Seas flu outbreak code red

[Luv4dacruise]

I personally am of the opinion that many of our problems are caused by our own stupidity. We rushed out to buy anything and everything that claimed to be anti-bacterial. Result? We now know that we made many bateria resistant. In addition, we probably killed the good bacteria that would have helped with the bad bacteria. I believe that good, thorough washing with an old fashioned hand soap is just as effective. The current antibacterial products will have little or no effect on a viral strain - except that is, to lull us into a false sense of security:(

 

Thamk you, i was waiting for someone to smarten up a bit. In all actuality folks, hand sanitizer is really useless for stuff like this. While it will stop the spread of germs and bactries, and sort of virus, it is not going to do a single thing for. The only way to possibly help control that is with plenty of soap and water......

[grandsix]

All of the cruise lines use a hand cleaning product called Germcontrol which claims to be 99.9 effective against novo virus etc, including the aids virus. Still trying to understand why they waited to use it.

[life is good]

IMO hand sanitizers should be out at all times on all ships.

To get everyone to use them is another story!:eek:

 

***

 

The last couple of cruises I was on had hand sanitizers and they are always available. I agree with you Arizona, you can lead a horse to water BUT you can't make them drink it. I think that folks that cruise on a regular basis are more apt to use them, because they realize the consequence of having a GI infection would mean they could possiblyy be quarantined to their cabin.

 

My feeling is as hand sanitizers continue to become regular fixtures on all ships, passengers will be more apt to use them. For me, it is comforting to see the hand sanitizers.

[sj25]

See the sanitizers they use at the windjammer and dinningroom ect...isn't just plain Anti-bacterial soap its rubbing alcohol ....just thought I could take those wipes...and it would do a better job keeping your hands clean.

ok that will be on my Dec. packing list....I didn't like having to worry so much not to touch things....I guess we really used our room alot more this time...and room service...we had a suite and I was glad we did...

[LindaandJeff]

WOW, thats pretty scary, 300 students and faculty! Hope your family wasn't effected!

***

 

Fortunately, it wasn't our school. Thanks though! If we ever visit AZ, we'll have to look you up!

 

Anyone know if getting the flu vaccine would help? Are we really sure all of these outbreaks aren't just labeled "norovirus" when they might just be the common flu?

[peggy655]

I was on the Grandeur of the Seas and was extremely careful with touching surfaces with bare hands, avoiding the buffet areas, etc... and was very happy when I disembarked thinking I was clear of this illness. Needless to say after returning home to CT. Saturday evening I became violently ill with severe vomiting and diarrhea continuously for more than eight hours. I can honestly say I never felt so ill in my life and was prepared to go to the emergency department of local hospital when it finally subsided. RCL did do a good job sanitizing areas while on ship but I think the outbreak was proabably larger than they let on and they led passengers to think it was the "normal" flu bug but the symptoms of the flu were not present with people who got sick. I know of at least one other person who became ill on Friday and did not wish to report it as they were fearful they would not be let off the ship on Sat. morning. I wonder how many passengers got ill returning home like me too! I have taken many cruises and this is the first one that ever had an outbreak on. It also is the only one in the past couple of years that did not have hand sanitizing modules at every food entrance until the outbreak occurred and even then they seemed short until last day of cruise.

[JulieMcCoy]

I was also on the 3/6 Grandeur and thought the ship personnel did as good a job as possible of trying to limit spread of the illness; only other thing they could have done was to stand in the bathroom and make people wash their hands after using the toilet! Of course, I saw people who did not wash their hands, including some folks who appeared to be drunk enough that it was amazing they remembered to use toilet paper (assuming they did). ;)

 

Here http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm is the actual Centers for Disease Control info about the Vessel Sanitation Program. One point I thought was interesting was the recommendation to wash your hands before and after smoking. I don't smoke, but it had never occurred to me that that was an obvious hand-to-mouth movement that could cause you to come down with the illness. Another point was the recommendation to rub hands together for 20 seconds when washing; although I thought I was washing carefully on the ship, I really don't think I washed for 20 seconds before rinsing, and neither did the folks around me, meaning we weren't being as careful as we thought. Finally, note that the CDC says to "use alcohol-based hand sanitizer along with handwashing." I figured the hand sanitizer was a bonus and used it whenever it was present, but it doesn't replace washing your hands. I wonder if some people relax their hand-washing standards, thinking the hand sanitizer is enough.

Regarding the folks who think they should get a partial reimbursement on their cruise costs if they got sick, I vote with the cruise line on no reimbursement. I just can't see how it's the cruise line's fault if people get sick in this case. The CDC notes that one reason you hear more about this type of outbreak on cruise ships is because illness there is monitored and required to be reported to the CDC. It's not necessarily a fault of the cruise line, other than the ship simply being lots of people in tight quarters.

[someone]

Most of the passengers interviewed on the local news were very complimentary of RCI's response to the outbreak. This includes those that avoided the virus as well as those that got sick and were quarantined. I just hope Sovereign doesn't have to deal with this for the next six weeks:eek: :eek: .

[ga-shel]

So they can claim they're protecting you when you come down with it anyway. Sorry to be so cynical I just don't believe they are an effective tool on a cruise ship during an outbreak. If its floating around it may get you anyway. You can keep sanitizer on your hands 24/7. There is always a railing, elevator button ect. I think the best defense is to screen carefully sick looking passengers, quarentine them and have staff serve the buffet food.

 

CDC requires the ship to provide the sanitizer after (x) number of cases are reported. Yes washing hands is better, but we can't get everyone to take the 3 seconds to pump the sanitizer on their hands and walk, could you imagine how many people would walk past a sink with soap and water?

 

 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/noro-qa.pdf

 

The Link above should help clarify some peoples questions.

[susibell2]

I do think they did a great job of making everyone aware of what was going on. Everytime we went into the windjammer if someone walked past the sanitizers the staff told them to go back and use them.One man really grumbled saying he had just walked in the other door and around to this side and they still made him use it. one time getting back on the tender for Cozumel they didn't pay any attention if you used the sanitizer or not.But I have to say all the other times they keeped a good eye out. The were constantly sanitizing the places people touched such as rails post etc. My dh said though he was surprised he never saw anyone in the casinos doing the same.

We had a wonderful time on this ship and would travel on it again.

[NCcruisin]

We will be boarding the Granduer on 3/25...what I am wondering is with the recent outbreak are they cleaning the ship more thouroughly and being more vigilant with precautionary measures will it be a "SAFER" time to travle in a couple of weeks than any other time????

Thoughts.?.?.?

[erisajd]

There is a HUGE nasty virus going around the states too - its probably not norovirus, it is probably this very nasty very virulent virus takes people down HARD and is not necessarily a gastrointestinal bug - literally EVERYONE I know except me has gotten first the muscle aches, then a very mild runny nose, then a cough and fever that lasts for a week. It is very reluctant to leave one's body.

 

My wife got it 2 days into our cruise, my son got it after we got home - our friends [who did not cruise with us] all got it as did my co-workers and partner, yet, I am strangely without a symptom.

 

Hope it stays that way.

[HurricaneSally]

That sir, sounds more like the flu.

[98Charlie]

That sir, sounds more like the flu.

 

You can call it the flu, sounds better than Norovirus. It still makes you upchuke and makes your body hurt and you wish it would get over soon.

 

Norwalk style viruses seem to go around about every year at this time. Virus isn't contained to cruise ships - affects schools, nursing homes, even airplanes - every contained area where a large number of people are contained in one area.

 

Central Ohio has many schools closed now due to the virus, most of those private schools as those are easier to shut down than public school systems.

 

Each year this virus raises it's ugly head and news reporters head to the cruise ships to get stories when the virus could have been brought aboad via a traveler who touched a serving tray on the airplane that brought them to the cruise port or a passenger who had dined at a buffet the night before they boarded the ship.

 

The virus is out there and anyone can be affected. Only defense against it is to use common sense, wash hands regularly, use anti-bacterial products if you are so inclined, and -- if you think you have contracted it -- stay away from people, even your best friend, until you're no longer contagious.

 

I'm not a germophobic - just believe that we need to look out for our own good health. Washing hands, watching out for ourselves and being aware of our surroundings are the best defenses for our own good health.:D

 

Dianne

[beachlady58]

When we were on the Radiance a few weeks ago the coughing fever thing was all over the place - I saw so many sick people going around just coughing on everyone...If sick, they should have avoided the crowds...just like with the norovirus:mad:

[98Charlie]

[quote name='beachlady58']When we were on the Radiance a few weeks ago the coughing fever thing was all over the place - I saw so many sick people going around just coughing on everyone...If sick, they should have avoided the crowds...just like with the norovirus:mad:[/QUOTE]

I hae problems going from air-conditioning to hot climate areas and then back to air-conditioning on ships. It makes me cough. Doesn't mean I'm carrying a virus. I just cough. Have met many others on cruises who have the same problem.

Dianne