Virus On Rhine

[Retired(Almost)]

We sailed on the Viking Neptune Vienna-Black Sea-Budapest Sept 2-16 and had 2 doctors on board. One was the doctor for the trip and the other was her husband. We heard of several people on board who had flu-like symptoms that lasted a day or 2. Fortunately, neither DH nor I got sick. We thought Viking did a great job of trying to prevent the spread of illness with hand sanitizers at the gang-plank and in the public restrooms. Frequent handwashing, liberal use of hand-sanitizer on shore and Airborne have worked well for us. Knock on wood.

[Yosemitegal]

Does anyone know if this river boat virus has only been a problem this year, or was it also a problem in 2006?

[Yosemitegal]

Does anyone know if this virus on the river boats has only been a problem this year, or was it also a problem last year?

[Robyn France]

This individual has apparently given all kinds of testimony on statistics on cruise problems. Per his website, there were far more outbreaks in 2006--of course, 2007 isn't over yet so the numbers could not be complete. Check it out-- http://www.cruisejunkie.com/outbreaks2007.html

I do no vouch for the site but have seen it referenced in a few places. Hope it helps.

[Yosemitegal]

I looked at the website that you referenced, I didnt see anything about river cruises.

[steamboats]

This website lists only outbreaks which had to be reported to CDC (which does not include European river cruises) or which were reported by any kind of media (and I´ve never seen any media reports about a Noro virus outbreak on a river cruise ship here in Germany). Therefore you won´t find anything about European river cruises on this website. Anyway this website is very informative showing that those outbreaks are very common and it´s not a thing of small river cruise ships but of all kind of cruise ships (plus schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, hospitals...).

 

steamboats

[2Happy]

We leave very soon on Uniworld's 2 wk. Budapest-Amsterdam cruise. Thanks to everyone who posted regarding this virus. We'll be sure to bring anti-flu supplies, just in case. I will post on this board upon my return as to whether the flu was evident on board. We've cruised with Uniworld in the past, and found their cleanliness standards were excellent. In any case, thanks to you, we'll be prepared.

[Video Cruiser]

I am the person who posted the original note on here a couple of weeks ago about "Virus On Rhine." There were some early doubters (the first responses to my note) about whether I had accurate information.

 

Well, as one can see from follow up posts I was on target, especially the note posted October 4th from p598738 who was on the MS Deutschland for the same cruise my friends were on when there was a major virus problem.

[modacran]

We just returned from Amadagio cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Yes, there was definitely a problem. What started as a few coughs and sneezes at the beginning ended up sounding like a TB Ward from an old movie. I don't don't know what it was but it is wicked! We've been home 2 weeks and are still fighting the remnants of what we were calling the Amadagio plague. But --- in spite of it, the cruise was fantastic!!!

[Yosemitegal]

When we were on the Amadagio in July the same virus was going around. The CD said they had never had that kind of problem before with so many people being sick, she must have been mistaken. I'm just wondering if the boat is so full of germs that new passengers pick it up when they come on, or if someone brings it on each time and then infects everyone. We took airborne and washed often, which either helped or we were just lucky. A few people that we talked to onboard had brought antibiotcs with them that they started taking when so many people were getting sick, that seemed to help also. I'm about to book the Rhine and Moselle with Avalon for July 2008, sure hope the germs are dead by then.:(

[letsgoeverywhere]

I am wondering if these germs get picked up on the flights we take to the cruise port, and then symptoms appear a day or two into the cruise. Best to take precaustions on the plane too!

[Robyn France]

I absolutely agree that the planes with all their recirculated air are germ factories--particularly those with the blowers which blow directly on each person. I often wind up with a cold following a long flight and have developed a little routine to avoid--we just returned from a long flight and I seem to have escaped this time.

[AZPam]

I often wind up with a cold following a long flight and have developed a little routine to avoid--we just returned from a long flight and I seem to have escaped this time.

 

What is your routine that you follow to avoid catching the crud?

[Robyn France]

Pam--I bring saline solution in a spray bottle and spray into my nostrils throughout the trip (I read that the key reason people fall ill is because the natural defense tissues in the nose dry out on long flights and germs enter the system), I wrap myself in my own pashmina and keep it around my neck near my face (not their germy blanket which is not sterilized in between users), and I spray zinc cold spray in my mouth and nostrils both before I get on and following--also take a zinc gluconate lozenge during the flight--sounds paranoid and I am rarely sick--but I have had too many trips to Europe where I get a cold within hours of getting off the plane. We have just returned from a cross country trip and I could feel that cold air blowing down on me and was concerned--but my little routine seems to have done the trick. Try it!

[AZPam]

I will give that a try! I seem to get that "plane crud" on long trips too and don't want to waste my vacation sick in bed even for a few days. Thanks for the tips!

[p598738]

Video Cruiser, can you put me in touch with your friends who were on the Deutschland Sept 15 sailing ??? Thanks.

[CPT Trips]

Robyn France

Have you had problems bringing your bottle of saline spray on board?

Where do you put it - with your medications, with your "3-1-1" Kippie bag or elsewhere?

[Robyn France]

:p No problem at all with the saline--it comes in a 3 ounce spray bottle at Walmart and I just keep it in my backpack which I take with me. In fact, I had packed all my other liquids in 3 ounce leakproof bottles and put them in a zip lock in the front compartment of my carry on suitcase (the only one I took on the trip) per the Delta directions and they never even asked to see what was in there so that may be old news for them. I do think keeping the nasal passages moist is key to repelling the contaminants in the air. Hope that helps for u.

 

Take care,

Robyn France

[warringtonian]

Robyn France

Have you had problems bringing your bottle of saline spray on board?

Where do you put it - with your medications, with your "3-1-1" Kippie bag or elsewhere?

 

You could always make your own - 8oz (one cup) of water and a quarter to half a teaspoonful of salt.

[needshelp]

We just returned from the Danube Discovery by Amadeus on the Amadagio. One week leaving Budaperst to Nueremburg. 145 passengers. By the end of the week I beleive at least 3/4 of the passengers were extreemly ill. Starts with sore throat, then head cold-like symptoms with high feaver. Then goes to cough and chest. Several in our cruise fled to nearest hospital and some hospitalized. My husband came down with it just as we disembarked and were transfered to Prague. Very very ill. Do not confuse this with the Noro virus that you hear of, That one attackes the stomach and intenstines. this one attacks the upper respiratory system. I had brought prescription antibiotic with me and gave it, along with Benedril and robotussin to husband. He spent our 4 days in prage in the hotel bed sick and feaverish. This sounds like the same thing that was going around in 2007. I for one, think the waterways or cruise lines could do a better job.

[Yosemitegal]

We traveled from Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon last month and not a sole was sick on this trip, but last year we were on the Amadagio and most on board had that same virus, many went off to the Hospital for meds and a few were hospitalized. I've been considering another cruise with Amadeus for next year, but might need to re-think who I cruise with.

[GlobeMan]

We returned from Uniworld's Basal to Amsterdam in early July. I'm not aware of anyone on the ship getting sick.

 

Passengers were required to sanitize their hands whenever they boarded the ship.

[bookfairy]

We just returned Sunday from a Castles on the Rhine cruise with Uniworld. There was only one person on it that I know of that caught a cold. They had a disinfectant station for us to use when returning to the ship. They mentioned they were a sterile ship and the station was to keep it that way.

[TravelingProf]

We were on the AMA Amadante 7/25-8/10 and a good deal of passengers became ill (myself included). I thought it was an isolated incident until reading these posts. It was the same type of respiratory illness as described by needshelp. I ended up with severe bronchitis and I am finally feeling better this week. BTW, the cruise was wonderful, but our ship also sounded like the TB ward by the end of the cruise.

[Palmetto Lady]

Over the years we have done a fair amount of traveling. More often than not one of us will come home from a cruise, either ocean or river, with some sort of respiratory virus. The only cases which I have ever heard reported to CDC were noro viruses. In the cases of respiratory viruses, it was usually someone who brought it onboard. In most cases, they start out as colds. I tend to think those kinds of viruses are not reported to CDC.

It is one of the risks of travel - you are putting yourself in places where you may not have any immunity. I bring wipes, but often forget to use them. Whose fault is that? I am a fanatic about washing my hands and using sanitizer, but on our last 35 day cruise, I can down with a cold about ten days before arriving home. You wash your hands, but then touch the arms of the chair on which someone has just sat who has a cold. Only a few people on ship had colds, but I became one of them. It's one of the risks one takes if one travels. I know someone who does not travel because she has a weak immune system. C'est la vie!