Question about the Norovirus

[crazycruzer68]

Just wondering if all those ppl leaving the RCI ship that had the virus had to pay for their medical treatment. Hopefully no one here has had that experience but share with us if you did.

[mrdood]

If you have a question for RCI passengers, why don't you post it on the RCI forum...:confused:

[crazycruzer68]

It's just a cruise question in general, sorry to offend anyone and mention RCI here!!

[salty dingo]

I have not had that virus, at least not while on a cruise, but I do have these impressions:

 

Medical service on a cruise is not complimentary, not even when there is an outbreak. This is akin to seasickness in bad weather - it may affect a lot of people but it is not the cruise line's fault that it happens.

 

Also, norovirus is spread by unsanitary people. I would assume the average cruise staff has been trained in the basics of sanitation, but the average passenger may not always wash their hands before eating - especially children.

 

Also, even if there is an outbreak, all passengers do not fall ill - usually only a small percentage do. Those who do catch it probably did not follow basic hygiene. This is not a bug that bites you while you sleep - it can be prevented if passengers remember to take precautions.

[LizaMM]

Just a note....I am really not a germ fanatic but whenever I travel I make sure to have lots of travel size bottles of something such as Purell in all my bags. I keep some in the cabin and also in the bag I carry with me during the day. If my kids are travelling they each have their own bottle in their bag as well.

 

Since our first cruise a few years ago one of my DD's has continued to always carry a bottle in her backpack and also one in her locker at school. She rarely gets the common cold etc when all her friends are sick and missing school she is there.

 

I also carry wet-naps for sticky hands after sunscreen etc.

 

 

You can take precautions to protect yourself but truth is an air borne virus can get you anyway. There are many factors that come into play as to who gets it and who does not. It only takes a moment and different people have different immune systems and your could be compromised for any number of reasons at the moment. ....An example.....many years ago I went to the First Birthday of a little boy. The day after the party one of the kids in attendance came fown with chicken pox (this was before the vaccine even existed). There had to about 15 kids of varying ages at this birthday party which took place in a small apartment in the middle of the winter (close contact, no open windows)...lots of toys being passed around, kids crawling on the floor, etc. Only 2 kids (my oldest daughter being one of them) came down with the chiken pox about 3 weeks later....go figure.

[Kethry88]

Some things you can do to prevent contracting norovirus:

 

-Bring some lysol wipes with you and wipe down your cabin first thing, especially those places often touched by hands: door handles, drawers, phones, chair backs, tabletops.

-Wash your hands often: after using the restroom, before eating, after eating.

-If you touch handrails in the hallways or stairways, wash or sanitize your hands before touching your face. Most germs enter your body through your eyes, after being transferred there from your hands.

[FreddyKruiser]

Some things you can do to prevent contracting norovirus:

 

-Bring some lysol wipes with you and wipe down your cabin first thing, especially those places often touched by hands: door handles, drawers, phones, chair backs, tabletops.

 

The staff doesn't do this before you board?

[isujim]

A poster just back from that cruise said all who came down with this were provided free medical care while on the ship.

[Twaincruisers]

Every time a ship gets Norovirus people start posting here that everyone should use the anti-bacterial hand cleaners that you can carry around or use the ones put out at the buffet by cruiselines...on NCL ships it is almost everywhere.

 

The problem is Norovirus is just that, a virus; it is not bacteria. These hand cleaners may be good in general but have no effect on norovirus.

 

The only thing that MAY keep you safe is to wash your hands frequently, especially after going to the toilet, and before you eat, keep your hands away from your nose and mouth, and don't touch anything with bare hands!

 

Relying on anti-bacterial cleaners could be detrimental to your health; promoting them for norovirus could be detrimental for someone else's health!

[droseball]

I am not a medical person and I don't know if this matters or not, but the I was on the Mariner this past week and that stuff we used on our hands was not purell or typical hand sanitizer. It was pretty much pure alcohol (not the kind you drink!). It was liquid and evaporated very quickly if you didn't rub fast. I agree about the hand washing but someone on another thread said that alcohol is more likely to do something about ridding your hands of virus type germs than typical hand sanitizers. I don't know if this is true or not but I just wanted to say we weren't using purell on our hands.

 

Denise

[SissasMomE]

The staff doesn't do this before you board?

 

 

Are you kidding me??? You're lucky that they vacuum the room and change the sheets LOL

[sanantonionurse]

If you have a question for RCI passengers, why don't you post it on the RCI forum...:confused:

 

 

My computer show this IS the RCI thread.....:eek:

[mrdood]

My computer show this IS the RCI thread.....:eek:

 

It was originally posted on the Carnival FORUM, the hosts re-located it...

[FreddyKruiser]

Are you kidding me??? You're lucky that they vacuum the room and change the sheets LOL

 

haha

[QM2 Cruiser]

HOW TO AVOID ANY ILLNESS ON A CRUISE:

 

PREVENATIVE MEASURES AGAINST NOROVIRUS OUTBREAKS:

 

1. Take "Airborne" and "Vitamin C" lozenges beginning 10 days before sailing. Avoid contact with people that you suspect may have any type of illness, and wash hands on the hour with antibacterial soap, and before eating, drinking, touching face, and after leaving the restroom.

 

2. Use hand sanitizer liberally, and add additional hospital grade rubbing alcohol to the sanitizer to increase alcohol content. Norovirus can be killed with constant alcohol exposure of three to five minutes.

 

3. When boarding an airplane, wipe down your tray table, seatbelt, armrests, air vent, and reading light button with Clorox bleach wipes. Repeat this half way through the flight.

 

4. While on the airplane, avoid people around you that are coughing, sneezing, etc. if at all possible. Never directly face such a person to avoid them breathing on you. Do not shake hands. If someone tries to shake your hand tell them you are sick and don't want to give them your cold.

 

5. While on the flight, don't touch anything that is not sterilized, and avoid the lavatory. Sanitize hands with bleach wipes liberally before taking any food and beverage service, and minimize hand-to-food contact by not eating the part of the food you touch.

 

4. After landing, wash hands for at least one minute with antibacterial soap, and include arms and elbows, and face. Use paper towels only and use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door.

 

5. Change clothes as soon as you reach your hotel, and place in a plastic bag. Do not wear these airplane clothes again until washed. Immediately take a shower.

 

6. After onboard the ship, sanitize everything in the cabin upon arrival:

 

A. Lysol spray all bedspreads, couches, carpets, and chairs. (Does not stain).

 

B. Bleach all bathroom surfaces including floor, shower walls, toilet, sink, faucets, and walls. Cruise ship bathrooms are usually waterproof because everything is plastic, so basically just soak the whole room with bleach or Lysol.

 

C. Use Lysol wipes for all wooden surfaces, table tops, night stands, lamps, TV remotes, telephones, light switches, thermostat, door handles (inside and out), and closet hangers.

 

D. Use a water and antibacterial soap solution to scrub balcony floor. Lysol wipe the balcony railing, and Lysol spray all balcony furniture.

 

E. Use Lysol wipes for plastic "Do Not Disturb" signs, ice buckets, mini-fridges, and other objects.

 

F. Lysol spray the bedspread daily and don’t sit on it. Bring your own pillow.

 

G. VACATE STATEROOM FOR FIVE HOURS OR UNTIL CLEANING ODOR SUBSIDES. LEAVE BALCONY DOOR OPEN AND BRING SMALL PORTABLE FAN TO AID IN AIR CIRCULATION.

 

7. Be sensible while on the cruise. Bring bottles of antibacterial soap for personal use, and use antibacterial bar soap for showering. Pour Listerine on your toothbrush before each use to clean. Wash hands before entering the buffet and again after putting your plate on your table before eating. Stay away from anyone that may be ill. Never touch handrails. Wash hands when entering and when leaving your stateroom, before eating, drinking, smoking, touching face, and before and after using the restroom. Use hospital grade hand sanitizers liberally and often. Use bleach wipes in the dining room or buffet before eating. NEVER USE HOT TUBS AND DO NOT SUBMERGE HEAD IN SWIMMING POOLS. Shower after swimming onboard or ashore. Shower at lease twice daily, especially after shore excursions.

 

8. Never use the public restrooms, and do not open doors to exterior decks or public rooms without a napkin, paper towel, or other barrier. Your elbow can be used as a last resort to open doors, but be sure to wash it. DO NOT PUSH ELEVATOR BUTTONS WITH HANDS OR USE HOUSE PHONES. Avoid touching objects in the public areas. Only your clothes should ever touch a chair or a lounge. Never wear the same clothes twice to avoid contamination.

 

9. If there is an outbreak onboard, limit your time in public areas. Eat only in the dining room. Before leaving the stateroom know your destination, and take the shortest route. Do not use elevators. Stay in your cabin and on open decks, instead of inside the ship. If necessary, use room service for all meals depending on degree of outbreak.

 

10. Have a great, germ free cruise vacation!

[zuscruiserz]

QM2 - Am hoping you do all this only after an outbreak :confused: .

[dmndlil]

HOW TO AVOID ANY ILLNESS ON A CRUISE:

 

PREVENATIVE MEASURES AGAINST NOROVIRUS OUTBREAKS:

 

1. Take "Airborne" and "Vitamin C" lozenges beginning 10 days before sailing. Avoid contact with people that you suspect may have any type of illness, and wash hands on the hour with antibacterial soap, and before eating, drinking, touching face, and after leaving the restroom.

 

2. Use hand sanitizer liberally, and add additional hospital grade rubbing alcohol to the sanitizer to increase alcohol content. Norovirus can be killed with constant alcohol exposure of three to five minutes.

 

3. When boarding an airplane, wipe down your tray table, seatbelt, armrests, air vent, and reading light button with Clorox bleach wipes. Repeat this half way through the flight.

 

4. While on the airplane, avoid people around you that are coughing, sneezing, etc. if at all possible. Never directly face such a person to avoid them breathing on you. Do not shake hands. If someone tries to shake your hand tell them you are sick and don't want to give them your cold.

 

5. While on the flight, don't touch anything that is not sterilized, and avoid the lavatory. Sanitize hands with bleach wipes liberally before taking any food and beverage service, and minimize hand-to-food contact by not eating the part of the food you touch.

 

4. After landing, wash hands for at least one minute with antibacterial soap, and include arms and elbows, and face. Use paper towels only and use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door.

 

5. Change clothes as soon as you reach your hotel, and place in a plastic bag. Do not wear these airplane clothes again until washed. Immediately take a shower.

 

6. After onboard the ship, sanitize everything in the cabin upon arrival:

 

A. Lysol spray all bedspreads, couches, carpets, and chairs. (Does not stain).

 

B. Bleach all bathroom surfaces including floor, shower walls, toilet, sink, faucets, and walls. Cruise ship bathrooms are usually waterproof because everything is plastic, so basically just soak the whole room with bleach or Lysol.

 

C. Use Lysol wipes for all wooden surfaces, table tops, night stands, lamps, TV remotes, telephones, light switches, thermostat, door handles (inside and out), and closet hangers.

 

D. Use a water and antibacterial soap solution to scrub balcony floor. Lysol wipe the balcony railing, and Lysol spray all balcony furniture.

 

E. Use Lysol wipes for plastic "Do Not Disturb" signs, ice buckets, mini-fridges, and other objects.

 

F. Lysol spray the bedspread daily and don’t sit on it. Bring your own pillow.

 

G. VACATE STATEROOM FOR FIVE HOURS OR UNTIL CLEANING ODOR SUBSIDES. LEAVE BALCONY DOOR OPEN AND BRING SMALL PORTABLE FAN TO AID IN AIR CIRCULATION.

 

7. Be sensible while on the cruise. Bring bottles of antibacterial soap for personal use, and use antibacterial bar soap for showering. Pour Listerine on your toothbrush before each use to clean. Wash hands before entering the buffet and again after putting your plate on your table before eating. Stay away from anyone that may be ill. Never touch handrails. Wash hands when entering and when leaving your stateroom, before eating, drinking, smoking, touching face, and before and after using the restroom. Use hospital grade hand sanitizers liberally and often. Use bleach wipes in the dining room or buffet before eating. NEVER USE HOT TUBS AND DO NOT SUBMERGE HEAD IN SWIMMING POOLS. Shower after swimming onboard or ashore. Shower at lease twice daily, especially after shore excursions.

 

8. Never use the public restrooms, and do not open doors to exterior decks or public rooms without a napkin, paper towel, or other barrier. Your elbow can be used as a last resort to open doors, but be sure to wash it. DO NOT PUSH ELEVATOR BUTTONS WITH HANDS OR USE HOUSE PHONES. Avoid touching objects in the public areas. Only your clothes should ever touch a chair or a lounge. Never wear the same clothes twice to avoid contamination.

 

9. If there is an outbreak onboard, limit your time in public areas. Eat only in the dining room. Before leaving the stateroom know your destination, and take the shortest route. Do not use elevators. Stay in your cabin and on open decks, instead of inside the ship. If necessary, use room service for all meals depending on degree of outbreak.

 

10. Have a great, germ free cruise vacation!

 

Okay..... add another LARGE suitcase just for the gallon of sanitizer, the lysol/clorox wipes, lysol spray and the bleach. Oh lets not forget the fan! :eek:

[Langley Cruisers]

WOW. :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Well definitely something to think about doing. We take precautions anyway, but would someone really do all those things, even scrub the balcony floor? We wear shoes/flip flops in the cabin and never go anywhere in bare feet (except the shower, duh!).

 

Thanks for the list.

 

~Karen