Caribbean princess noro

[sns1]

We board today.   (Fingers crossed).  We have received two emails from princess about the GI issue on the ship.  Boarding has been delayed.   Anyone on the ship now that can give first hand info?  

[Torfamm]

1 hour ago, sns1 said:

We board today.   (Fingers crossed).  We have received two emails from princess about the GI issue on the ship.  Boarding has been delayed.   Anyone on the ship now that can give first hand info?  

They are doing extra cleaning and B2B passengers have to leave the ship from 9:30 to 12:30 today. The usual Noro precautions are in place - everything served in the buffet; rolls and butter served, not placed on the table in the MDR no salt and pepper shakers, etc Passenger laundry facilities were all closed but reopened Thursday 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Torfamm

[Jadn13]

I hope this is the last of it and people…Wash Their Hands! 

[sns1]

This was an interesting paragraph in the last email we received. 

 

"We will reach out to you should there be any additional changes to communicate. Please be sure you have your mobile phone number listed in your Cruise Personalizer"

[mtnesterz]

@sns1 "They'll reach out to you?" Hope they wash their hands first. 

Transmitted by contact. Knuckles on elevator buttons, use back of hand on stair hand rails. Be mindful until it becomes habit. We were on X's Mercury during it's big outbreak. Both of our careers were in heathcare, we are careful by habit and neither of us affected. Good luck to you!

Edited April 15, 2023 by mtnesterz

[wrongwaywatson]

We were on the April 1-8 cruising on the Caribbean Princess where this outbreak started, about halfway through.  We did not catch anything, but we were careful to wash out hands and to keep them away from our faces.

[SargassoPirate]

5 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

@sns1 "They'll reach out to you?" Hope they wash their hands first. 

Transmitted by contact. Knuckles on elevator buttons, use back of hand on stair hand rails. Be mindful until it becomes habit. We were on X's Mercury during it's big outbreak. Both of our careers were in heathcare, we are careful by habit and neither of us affected. Good luck to you!

I worked in public health and safety for a large organization before I retired.  I offered several opinions on another thread about noro and will repeat them here:

 

"The real key to preventing noro is to simply break the chain of contamination by washing your hands and not touching your food with your hands or sticking your hands in your mouth.  Sanitize your hands last thing before you eat since you have touched all sorts of common surfaces since that last handwash.

 

I couldn't care less about that or others washing their hands, etc.  I treat every surface as contaminated and break the chain of contamination by washing my own hands and sanitizing before I eat.  I don't depend on the hygiene habits of others to keep me from getting sick.

 

And while we are on the subject, those ubiquitous plastic gloves that you see on food staff are more theater. They only serve to keep the wearer's hands clean and are excellent cross-cross-contamination vectors especially when worn for hours at a time and touching multiple surfaces."

 

 

[Coral]

I really wish they would go back to how the buffet worked during COVID. There were grab and go containers (individually plated items in small containers) and crew served the food. This would help this situation immensely. Princess had so much norovirus before COVID, you would think they would have thought of this on their own. Being pro-active is always better than being re-active.

[sns1]

We take all the precautions.  I'm just wondering how big of an issue it was this past cruise.   

 

We were on the crown about 10 years ago when princess did a deep clean, we got on the ship and two days later they turned around. 

[sns1]

We also cruised during covid.   I didn't mind one bit that they served at the buffet.   

[mtnesterz]

The ship can be cleaned, true. The problem, as I'm sure @SargassoPirate will confirm, is that all it takes is for one passenger to get sick at home, not having bought travel insurance, and decide to sail anyway. Also, with Noro's 12 to 48 hour incubation period, someone could board, not knowing they are infected.

Best practice is when being on a ship, or anywhere with a lot of people in close quarters, practice good habits. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by mtnesterz

[avonlady6390]

I'm boarding the Caribbean princess next Saturday hopefully it won't be bad for this cruise since more passengers will be awhare of the situation.  I'm thinking of avoiding the buffet.  And I agree about the use of gloves they are mostly used wrong since I work in a restaurant and see them used inappropriately all the time or not used at all.

[SargassoPirate]

I have traveled worldwide, including third world countries, for over 30 years on planes, trains, buses, taxis, and cruise ships.

 

Noro is spread by the fecal-oral route.

 

I have never had noro. Why?  Because I wash/sanitize my hands.

 

It's easy to tell those who don't.  They get noro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[azbirdmom]

More info here - they've had trouble the past two cruises.  

 

[nasa1974]

Our very first cruise there was a noro outbreak. We had no idea what it was. Precaution is taken now on every cruise.

[Traveler1977]

I’ve been on a cruise where there was a Nero virus outbreak on the prior sailing.  The boarding was delayed while they deep cleaned the ship.  Everything was fine.  As early posters have stated your health is up to you. Treat every surface as being contaminated.  Wash your hands often. We always bring our own disinfecting wipes and can of Lysol spray. Once we get into our cabin we wipe down and spray every surface.  We do the same in hotel rooms and use the wipes on airplane surfaces around our seats.  

[suzyed]

4 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

@sns1 "They'll reach out to you?" Hope they wash their hands first. 

Transmitted by contact. Knuckles on elevator buttons, use back of hand on stair hand rails. Be mindful until it becomes habit. We were on X's Mercury during it's big outbreak. Both of our careers were in heathcare, we are careful by habit and neither of us affected. Good luck to you!

We are experienced cruisers and I, too, worked in healthcare as an OR nurse.  We wash our hands carefully.  Unfortunately, DH got Noro on a cruise but we believe it was from the market in Tahiti.  After our port stop there, we had hundreds of cases onboard.  We were delayed disembarking and the CDC came aboard for a full ship inspection.

[suzyed]

21 minutes ago, Traveler1977 said:

I’ve been on a cruise where there was a Nero virus outbreak on the prior sailing.  The boarding was delayed while they deep cleaned the ship.  Everything was fine.  As early posters have stated your health is up to you. Treat every surface as being contaminated.  Wash your hands often. We always bring our own disinfecting wipes and can of Lysol spray. Once we get into our cabin we wipe down and spray every surface.  We do the same in hotel rooms and use the wipes on airplane surfaces around our seats.  

Ditto!

 

[jeromep]

2 hours ago, suzyed said:

We are experienced cruisers and I, too, worked in healthcare as an OR nurse.  We wash our hands carefully.  Unfortunately, DH got Noro on a cruise but we believe it was from the market in Tahiti.  After our port stop there, we had hundreds of cases onboard.  We were delayed disembarking and the CDC came aboard for a full ship inspection.

You made a great point that is frequently ignored.  Noro could be coming on board from passenger contact with something in a port stop.  When it seems like a ship just can't shake it for numerous sailings, like the Caribbean seems to be suffering right now, I can't help but wonder if there is a port stop on its route which is "reintroducing" it to the ship.  So the introduction isn't happening on turn around day, but there is some activity or eatery in a port which is infecting passengers halfway through the cruise.  This is all academic as it is very difficult to pinpoint where Noro gets introduced into a "system".

 

I too am super cautious, and am an avid hand washer.  I wash before every meal.  I'm the weirdo that visits a restaurant, orders, and after having handled the menu am compelled to visit the restroom to soap up.  I've felt very positive toward the cruise lines for putting in hand washing stations in the buffets.  Too bad they can't make the handwashing thing a bit of an airlock, or better yet, a squeeze chute.  You only get into the buffet if you walk into the "washing chamber", and you don't get through the next set of doors in the buffet unless you wash up.  Don't want to do that?  Go to the dining room, hit up the grill on the Lido, have somebody hand you your food.

[Cruisin4beaches]

Just came back from Caribbean Princess this morning. I feel ripped off! After eating on Princess cay and dinner Sunday night went to bed. Woke up at 3:30 am with non stop diarrhea until 630 am. Fell back asleep till 9am and it started again till noon. Took an amodium tablet. At 1:45 got out bed vomit. Had told my bartender I hadn't vomit in almost 20 years. Went back to bed

 At 5:30pm. I had to eat something went to the buffet had plain rice ,bread and mashed potatoes. Drank lots of water back to bed. Tues morning had milk and a doughnut back to bed. Got up at noon went to buffet had 2 chicken 🍗 and 2 rolls. Went to Outrigger bar to tell my bartender where I was. He was on break. Tried to drink a rum and coke but not into it. Went to buffet had some mashed potatoes and roast beef kept it down sill diarrhea. Back to bed. Finally Wednesday morning I felt about 90 percent better. But cruise now half over.

Why can't Princess fix this problem? They're the only cruises line has this happening so often.

I work in the food business and wash my hands constantly. I've been on over 100 cruises and have never spent a day in bed until now.

Other guest I spoke to told me they also got diarrhea from the food on Princess cay.

I will now be very careful what I eat when I sail Princess as don't think the crew handles the food properly.

[Cruise till you drop]

1 hour ago, Cruisin4beaches said:

 

Why can't Princess fix this problem? They're the only cruises line has this happening so often.

 

I”m not sure how accurate this is but I’ve cruised over 25 times on different lines and the only time I got noro (also midway in the cruise) was on a Princess ship

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, Cruisin4beaches said:

Just came back from Caribbean Princess this morning. I feel ripped off! After eating on Princess cay and dinner Sunday night went to bed. Woke up at 3:30 am with non stop diarrhea until 630 am. Fell back asleep till 9am and it started again till noon. Took an amodium tablet. At 1:45 got out bed vomit. Had told my bartender I hadn't vomit in almost 20 years. Went back to bed

 At 5:30pm. I had to eat something went to the buffet had plain rice ,bread and mashed potatoes. Drank lots of water back to bed. Tues morning had milk and a doughnut back to bed. Got up at noon went to buffet had 2 chicken 🍗 and 2 rolls. Went to Outrigger bar to tell my bartender where I was. He was on break. Tried to drink a rum and coke but not into it. Went to buffet had some mashed potatoes and roast beef kept it down sill diarrhea. Back to bed. Finally Wednesday morning I felt about 90 percent better. But cruise now half over.

Why can't Princess fix this problem? They're the only cruises line has this happening so often.

I work in the food business and wash my hands constantly. I've been on over 100 cruises and have never spent a day in bed until now.

Other guest I spoke to told me they also got diarrhea from the food on Princess cay.

I will now be very careful what I eat when I sail Princess as don't think the crew handles the food properly.

 

 okay ......

[Cruisin4beaches]

Forgot to mention there were constant announcements about using your own cabin toilet not the public restrooms. Also no salt and pepper shakers on any tables and all the guest laundromats were closed and locked. The buffet was served by the crew. But they did hand out menus in the dining room, which I never saw whipped off between guest. I ordered from my phone with the medallion app.

 

[wrongwaywatson]

3 hours ago, Cruisin4beaches said:

Just came back from Caribbean Princess this morning. I feel ripped off! After eating on Princess cay and dinner Sunday night went to bed. Woke up at 3:30 am with non stop diarrhea until 630 am. Fell back asleep till 9am and it started again till noon. Took an amodium tablet. At 1:45 got out bed vomit. Had told my bartender I hadn't vomit in almost 20 years. Went back to bed

 At 5:30pm. I had to eat something went to the buffet had plain rice ,bread and mashed potatoes. Drank lots of water back to bed. Tues morning had milk and a doughnut back to bed. Got up at noon went to buffet had 2 chicken 🍗 and 2 rolls. Went to Outrigger bar to tell my bartender where I was. He was on break. Tried to drink a rum and coke but not into it. Went to buffet had some mashed potatoes and roast beef kept it down sill diarrhea. Back to bed. Finally Wednesday morning I felt about 90 percent better. But cruise now half over.

Why can't Princess fix this problem? They're the only cruises line has this happening so often.

I work in the food business and wash my hands constantly. I've been on over 100 cruises and have never spent a day in bed until now.

Other guest I spoke to told me they also got diarrhea from the food on Princess cay.

I will now be very careful what I eat when I sail Princess as don't think the crew handles the food properly.

I'm sorry, but this is EXACTLY how it spreads!  You were contagious and went to the buffet.  You were contagious and went to the bar.  You were contagious and went back to the buffet.  No matter how thoroughly Princess cleans, YOU were spreading the germs around the ship.

[d9704011]

5 minutes ago, wrongwaywatson said:

I'm sorry, but this is EXACTLY how it spreads!  You were contagious and went to the buffet.  You were contagious and went to the bar.  You were contagious and went back to the buffet.  No matter how thoroughly Princess cleans, YOU were spreading the germs around the ship.

The problem wasn't him... it was Princess Cay if I understand things correctly.