Hundreds of Passengers sick on the Mercury

[chewap]

Passengers arriving in Seattle from an Alaska cruise, 100's had the Norwalk virus. This is an excellent ship (taken 2 cruises), but RCL does a lousey job at preventing viruses.

See story and video http://www.kirotv.com/news/9345176/detail.html

[wrp96]

100 passengers sick is not the same thing as 100s of passengers sick.

[Yukon]

This is an excellent ship (taken 2 cruises), but RCL does a lousey job at preventing viruses.

 

To split hairs, that's a Celebrity ship. RCI ships have hand sterilizer stations everywhere on the ship - food areas, bathrooms, theatre - so it seems more likely that it's the passengers who aren't being careful, not the ships' officers/crew. Disease this week, a drunk captain arrested 2 weeks ago - they're off to a very bad start :(

 

Murray

[Yukon]

100 passengers sick is not the same thing as 100s of passengers sick.

 

"Passengers told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News as many as 300 people were sick."

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Here are the facts, straight from the CDC:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2006/update_june8mercury.htm

 

The crew/passenger numbers are 125 ill, total, according to the CDC.

[chewap]

To split hairs, that's a Celebrity ship. RCI ships have hand sterilizer stations everywhere on the ship - food areas, bathrooms, theatre - so it seems more likely that it's the passengers who aren't being careful, not the ships' officers/crew. Disease this week, a drunk captain arrested 2 weeks ago - they're off to a very bad start :(

 

Murray

 

Murray- Celebrity is owned by RCL I agree that is the passengers not being carful in washing their hand or using the sterlizer stations is the culprit in this case I was on the Mecury with the drunk captain in March and they had no sterlizing stations in the Buffet area. Same with the RCL Jewell of the Seas, I was on in May, very few sterlizing stations, but signs for people to wash their hands. You can go back over the last 5 years RCL has had the majority of the outbreaks of this virus. On the Princess ships that I have been on, they make the passengers sterlize their hands before they can go thru the buffet lines, but some passengers refuse to.

[gg3]

I wish some of the ships would take a cue from one of our top hospitals in the US - Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. Every patient room has a container of foamy antibacterial hand sanitizer outside its door (in the hall), and one mounted on the wall inside the room. Also in the huge cafeteria, they are mounted where diners pick up their trays and eating utensils. If ships could make these available throughout the ship, in restrooms, cabins, every dining area, spas, bars, outside elevators, etc. it might help with the spread of the virus. Of course, folks have to use these. I believe overall the ships do a great job in disinfecting. gg

[Yukon]

>>Celebrity is owned by RCL<<

 

And Princess and HAL are owned by Carnival, but they have very different management styles.

[Coral]

Unfortunately - this can happen on any ship.

 

I happened to be on an Alaskan Princess cruise last year with 6% (about 120 people) of the passengers were sick with this.

 

As much as the cruise lines try to prevent this (and you know they are all trying hard), people can still be stupid and will get on a ship when they are sick and infect others.

[flpenguin]

I just got off the serenade of the seas last week from Alaska and they had 2 hand sanitizers when entering the windjammer with the hostess asking all passengers to use it when entering.

[goodsampam]

I am a nurse so I was very careful to not touch my hands to anything the public would be touching also such as stairways & any door handles and instructed my family the same. I cannot use the Purell brand they had on the ship and the bottles of the brand we use at the hospital which do not cause me my hands to turn red & infammed got left in the van! I washed my hands with soap & water instead and again avoided touching public areas with my hands. I noticed that many people were careful in the dining areas & careless everywhere else. Soap & water is the preferred method if at all possible also. Luckily, no one was sick on our ship but I ran the stairs everyday many times so if I was tired I leaned my clothes covered elbow against the rail to get up that last flight!

[emjayel56]

My complaint with RC was that they lacked cleanliness compared to other lines. Dirty cabin, no sanitizers, no precautions taken. I am not surprised it was on Royal Caribbean.

 

I'm leaving for Alaska in a month on Princess. I was only on Royal Caribbean once but was not impressed with it.

 

Maryjo:(

[ParrotTops]

Buffets are the worst culprits! Think about it--how many people (who may or may not have washed their hands) have touched each and every serving spoon before you do....hundreds!!! Then if you eat after going thru the buffet line and do not wash your hands--really, how can you NOT get sick? I always carry antibacterial wipes with us to use AFTER serving up our plates and BEFORE putting anything in our mouth!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Murray- Celebrity is owned by RCL I agree that is the passengers not being carful in washing their hand or using the sterlizer stations is the culprit in this case I was on the Mecury with the drunk captain in March and they had no sterlizing stations in the Buffet area. Same with the RCL Jewell of the Seas, I was on in May, very few sterlizing stations, but signs for people to wash their hands. You can go back over the last 5 years RCL has had the majority of the outbreaks of this virus. On the Princess ships that I have been on, they make the passengers sterlize their hands before they can go thru the buffet lines, but some passengers refuse to.

 

Just off the Disney a couple of weeks, they have crew handing out cloths as you went in the restaurants, I never heard anyone refuse the whole week.

[SEPyle]

Here's my take on the whole issue:

 

In my opinion it's not a case of the cruise line doing a lousy job of preventing illness; it's a case of passengers who come on a ship ill because they don't want to lose 100% of the cost of the cruise. Did anyone notice the first symptoms appeared on June 5th when the cruise began June 5th. Sounds like an incubation period to me!

 

Is it possible maybe the cruise lines need to re-visit their policy of no refunds within 1 week of the cruise with a certified statement from a DR stating the reason being a gastro-intestinal virus??? What a can of worms that would open, but then again: large outbreaks are a BIG problem!

 

I know a friend who got sick on the Mercury Mexican Riviera sailing. She didn't actually have symptoms on the ship, but on the flight back to Detroit. She was very sick the whole way back. Do airlines get a bad rap for preventing illness? Of course not. Passengers disembark; go their seperate ways and just remember it as a nasty bug, not the airline who made them sick.

 

Something to think about...

[SEPyle]

Oops, I just re-read my post and realized I said people began getting sick on June 5th while the cruise began on June 5th. I meant to say: the cruise began on June 2nd! Sorry for the mistake!

[LonghornKJK]

Oops, I just re-read my post and realized I said people began getting sick on June 5th while the cruise began on June 5th. I meant to say: the cruise began on June 2nd! Sorry for the mistake!

 

According to the Mayo Clinic, the incubation period is 18 to 72 hours. Also, many adults have the virus without ANY symptoms. So even if a passenger brought in on board, he might not have any idea that he had it.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/viral-gastroenteritis/DS00085/DSECTION=3