Just back from Diamond 10/22 cruise

[mare s.]

Once I have my thoughts together, I'll try to write a complete review of our cruise (which included pre-cruise and post-cruise cruisetour) But just wanted to chime in about our Noro virus outbreak. Thank goodness we (and our traveling companions) did not catch the virus but we did speak to a number of passengers who caught the bug. We have no clue how many were ill...we heard from various sources (none of them from Princess of course) that as few as 60 and as many as 1000 were ill. We do know that the virus came on board early (there were people ill the first day or two of the cruise) but no particular precautions were taken until much later in the cruise. By the end of the cruise there were no salads or raw vegetables being served...also no berries and no smoked salmon (although pickled herring was served) and, of course, staff was having to salt and pepper our food for us (no shakers) and were handing out individual packages of sugar or sweetener! The severity of the situation became obvious in our Shanghai port where we were delayed from disembarking for several hours and, of course, in Beijing where we also experienced major delays getting off the ship. Even the cruise director, JJ, came down with the virus. In the last few days of the cruise, it was not unusual to see staff in the corridors with masks and gloves and anti-viral spray equipment hosing everything down. One morning my husband called room service and was told they could not provide any food; they were too busy preparing trays for all the folks quarantined to their cabins. It was a very unfortunate (and for the poor sufferers, a miserable) situation. I just hope that the ship was fully sanitized for the next group coming aboard (November 7 folks)...we did hear that they were delayed embarking. There were rumors flying that Shanghai and Okinawa were not going to let the Diamond back into port at all...but I've neither heard or read anything to confirm this. Does seem a bit extreme. Despite the outbreak (which did put a bit of a damper on everyone's enthusiasm), DH and I and our friends enjoyed our cruise and especially the post-cruise tour of Beijing and Xian...more of that later.

mare

[Putterdude]

We will look forward to your review but thanks for sharing what you have. It is really to bad that such a wonderful cruise, a lifetime event for some, had to be spoiled by that darn Norwalk bug.:mad:

[Luxury For Less]

Hi Mare - It is really strange that after our roll call meeting on the first day I never saw you again all cruise - I guess that can happen when there are 2600 passengers on a ship! Anyway, I am pleased you escaped the norovirus outbreak, we were fine too. Hopefully Marcy and Tony were okay, I never bumped into them again after our Shanghai tour.

 

The strange thing was that many people we spoke to were only sick once or twice and then felt absolutely fine, which is suspiciously more like food poisoning than norovirus! In many instances only one person in a couple was ill and that was after sharing water bottles etc. and I thought norovirus was highly contageous. Many people were really upset as they felt that they were treated like lepers by the staff and communication about what was going on was not good. They were confined to their cabins with nothing to do for 48 hours and more. They were paying customers after all.

 

I guess these things happen when many people from different cultures are confined in an artificial environment. Although the hand sanitiser was encouraged on arrival at The Trough (Horizon Court), you can sanitise all you like but if people pick up a spoon and lick their fingers and then continue round the buffet handling food servers germs will naturally spread. I noted that people also lick fingers at the tea/coffee station and handle the milk jugs!

 

Anyway, all this aside we had a fabulous cruise, went to some wonderful places and can't wait to cruise again. I too will do a complete review of our cruise once I have gathered my thoughts as with jetlag at the moment I don't know if I want breakfast, lunch or tea! :)