Maasdam -- CODE RED

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes - you are reading correctly.

The Maasdam went into Code Red last night.

We boarded the Maasdam on Feb 23 for back-to-back cruises.

During our first cruise we knew of a cabin steward (just down the hall from us), a waiter and an assistant waiter who were ill. There could have been more sick - don't know.

Then a few days ago one of our production shows was cancelled because some of the cast were ill.

It was confirmed at last night's production show that the Norvo was on the ship. When we got back to our cabin after the show there was a letter indicating that the virus was on board.

We learned this morning that several crew members and a few passengers are ill.

Of course the spa is closed, the hot tubs are closed, library closed, no self-service in the Lido, Etc. We are used to this.

Tomorrow we get off the ship.

Don't know if this will affect the passengers getting on the ship or not.

[jhannah]

Yikes! Looks like this is the "season" for this nasty bug. I hope you can escape getting it.

 

We're anxious to hear about your B2B. Welcome home!

[peaches from georgia]

Good to hear from you again, KK, even if the news you have is not so good. Glad this did not affect your b2b.

[RedmondCruiser]

Sorry to hear about the Maasdam and the code red. Hope that you and Joe do not get it. I guess that the bright side is that it happened at the end of your cruise rather then the beginning. Ingrid and I are going for 19 days on the Regal in April so we are crossing our fingers that Norvo does not strike. Hope your cruise was a good one and its good to see your posts again.

 

Ron

[airlink diva]

I really hate this!! I'm sailing on April 4th. I hope that the code red is gone then. I'm really looking forward to the themal spa.

[gizmo]

I do hope you and your husband do not get it.

 

Welcome home. I look forward to hearing all about your cruise. :)

[lka1012]

Norvo is also making the rounds of my office as well as several local schools. I had mine last week. :(

[Broon]

We were on this cruise, the first 1/2 of Krazy Kruiser's B2B, and, fortunately, did not experience the Code Red that has just been declared.

We weren't aware of any major illness on board, apart from the increased amount of coughing among many passengers as days passed. My wife came down with a very bad cold during the last day or so and is still trying to get back to good health.

We hope that those affected by the current outbreak recover quickly and that the ship and those who are sailing, and about to sail, on her don't have to deal with an outbreak.

She is a great ship to be on and we were glad to have made our cruise.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

KK, sorry to hear that the Maasdam is in Code Red, Hopefully you and DH stay healthy. Unfortunately tis' the season:( I have spoke with several Las Vegas Hotel workers that say the same thing is happening here in Las Vegas. The only thing is you do not hear about it because the average person only stays 2 to 3 nights and are gone, they usually bring the noro home with them. Often they think they ate something bad or drank too much. I applaud HAL for doing what they do to try to contain the noro virus. The resorts here in Las Vegas do nothing and because no one stays long enough for them to have to report this to the CDC (at least not that often or not at all) because it is bad publicity. Basically the phrase of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas well the little bit of info that it also has the noro virus also is kept a big secret.

[dag144]

Sailing tomorrow 3/15 on the Ryndam which is being scrubbed stem to stern. The virus broke out one or two cruises ago so our 10 day cruise was shortened to eight days and we have been well compensated. That being said I would rather have the two extra days at sea. Good luck to you future cruisers.

 

dag144

[sail7seas]

There isn't a hotel in the country, I dare say, that has not had Noro Like Virus at one time or another.

....or hospital, or nursing home, or dormitory, or any place where people gather.

 

And all those folks visiting Las Vegas and everywhere else where it is present go through airports and get on airplanes and carry the germs with them....right onto cruiseships and into restaurants and stores and schools and the cycle keeps going round and round.

 

 

And the really ignorant, selfish, boars among us don't bother to let anyone know they are sick and they go out and about and spread it to others. At least have the decency to think of someone beside yourself if you should get it. Just because 10 or 12 or 24 hours later your feel better, does not mean you should be roaming around the ship. You are still contagious and while you are only thinking about you want to make the most of your vacation time you are infecting other people. It is plain Selfish and Mean and Reprehensible IMO

 

 

 

[lkmamom]

There isn't a hotel in the country, I dare say, that has not had Noro Like Virus at one time or another.

....or hospital, or nursing home, or dormitory, or any place where people gather.

 

And all those folks visiting Las Vegas and everywhere else where it is present go through airports and get on airplanes and carry the germs with them....right onto cruiseships and into restaurants and stores and schools and the cycle keeps going round and round.

 

 

And the really ignorant, selfish, boars among us don't bother to let anyone know they are sick and they go out and about and spread it to others. At least have the decency to think of someone beside yourself if you should get it. Just because 10 or 12 or 24 hours later your feel better, does not mean you should be roaming around the ship. You are still contagious and while you are only thinking about you want to make the most of your vacation time you are infecting other people. It is plain Selfish and Mean and Reprehensible IMO

 

 

 

 

Sail, could not have said it better, exactly what i was thinking. ;)

Linda

[rosemike]

Come Down With The Bug, Is This Grounds To Collect My Travel Insurance. I Sail In Ten Days, On The Maasdam.

[CruiseBumm]

Its the season for Narvo on ships, but at glof courses. Here in Tucson AZ Athe Oro Valley Country club has been closed for a week now because of an outbreak of the virus at a womens golf turnament. :eek: Good thing my DW does not golf.;)

[Mary Ellen]

I didn't realize there was a 'season' for people (read idiots) not washing their hands after using the restroom. Checking the MayoClinic.com website for viral gastroenteritis (90% of the time, Noroviruses), that IS the initial cause. You can catch it anytime, anywhere.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We aren't home yet. We are still on the ship. We get off tomorrow.

 

They having been cleaning everywhere for the last 24 hours.

 

Some of the assistant CD's are just coming out of quarrentine - they were there for 72 hours.

 

There are several intransit passengers. Don't know what will happen to them as they clean the ship tomorrow. The CDC will not be coming on board as we have not hit that certain percentage yet inwhich they have to be notified.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are right -- we have been on ships in Oct, Mar, Apr, June, and Sept with the Norvo virus -- it can happen any tine, any month, any day.

[jhannah]

Come Down With The Bug, Is This Grounds To Collect My Travel Insurance.

You would need either a doctor's statement saying you couldn't go (while you're still home) or a denied-boarding statement from the ship if they won't let you on. You will have to fill out a form saying whether or not you've had the symptoms during the past 3 days.

[ger_77]

I'm sorry to hear you experienced a Code Red - we disembarked the Maasdam on the 23rd. Everything was peachy-keen while we were onboard, but we were all making sure we kept our hands washed, Purell-ed, etc. I'm happy to hear you weren't affected by the Noro-virus. We've had it at my school and closed one of our hospitals to patients only because of it. Other than the Code Red, how was the rest of your trip?

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Juanita462]

Just came across an interesting bit of information - it said that taking probiotics can help prevent viruses like noro. That might explain why DH got noro and I didn't. I was taking probiotics for the whole cruise. I took care of him while he was ill so was certainly exposed to a certain extent.

Will certainly be taking my probiotics with me next month. They have to be the type that are refrigerated - on board ship I would take some ice from the ice bucket, put in glass and put the probiotics bottle in amongst the ice. The good bacteria die off more quickly if they aren't kept cool.

[Schplinky]

I didn't realize there was a 'season' for people (read idiots) not washing their hands after using the restroom. Checking the MayoClinic.com website for viral gastroenteritis (90% of the time, Noroviruses), that IS the initial cause. You can catch it anytime, anywhere.

 

I agree with you. We have seen people do this on several lines and walk straight into the buffet. I'm Canadian and we're not all that good at confrontation but it's to the point where you want to tackle these people.

[trubey]

I agree with you. We have seen people do this on several lines and walk straight into the buffet.

 

I had a thought in the middle of the night last night. In the 1980s we frequently went to a restaurant called The London Chophouse in Detroit, where there were restroom attendants. Aside from other Valeting duties, Andy in the men's always turned on the water in the sink FOR you and handed you a towel when you were ready to leave. Durn hard NOT to wash your hands! This might solve some Norvirus problems if it were instituted, and also extended to a person at the entrances to the kitchens from the crew quarters and facilities.

 

Lane

[Schplinky]

I had a thought in the middle of the night last night. In the 1980s we frequently went to a restaurant called The London Chophouse in Detroit, where there were restroom attendants. Aside from other Valeting duties, Andy in the men's always turned on the water in the sink FOR you and handed you a towel when you were ready to leave. Durn hard NOT to wash your hands! This might solve some Norvirus problems if it were instituted, and also extended to a person at the entrances to the kitchens from the crew quarters and facilities.

 

Lane

 

they had bathroom attendants in the evening on Celebrity (constellation) but some folks still walked past them. I think that folks who do not feel the need to wash their hands will not feel any shame in doing so.

[Oceanwench]

If you look at the cases reported to the CDC, you will see few [if any] cases in the summertime.

I haven't looked at the site in a while, but I recall noticing that many more cases are in the late fall/winter/early spring months.

[Schplinky]

Good grief! I just looked and 5 of the 9 cases reported so far this year are from HAL, on three different ships, with no other line reporting more than one incident. That certainly is bad luck for HAL. I still think this is more passenger-driven than line oriented but this doesn't look good.

 

Wash your hands, people!!!