Norovirus On Current FOS ?

[CP3o]

:D here is a bit of good news....i just googled "norovirus outbreaks" and there was an article stating that the outbreaks are declining each year on cruise ships. it also said that there were 15 total for 2008 and royalcaribbean, celebrity, disney and cunard didn't have a single outbreak for that year. i hope everyone will stay try to stay healthy and quit worrying so much. i am a well known worrywart especially about illness, but i'm going on the freedom in june and i'm excited. I'm going to maintain a positive outlook and attitude. and i did thankfully, purchase travel insurance. that way, if i get sick before the trip, i can stay home, get well, and travel at a later date when healthy (and not bring my germs onboard and expose everyone else).:)

 

It will be interesting to see if the larger ships are more likely to have problems as we are sailing larger and larger cruise ships. Of course it will take a bigger percentage affected to be noteworthly. Part of the reason I'm hesitant about the big ships, besides the waits getting on and off in a port, is that with more people it seems more likely somebody will be sick or someone will get injured requiring a change to itinerary.

 

As a side note, DCL does something in the kids clubs I wish RCL would start, and it seems very easy to implement. [The effectiveness of purell and such is iffy but it's good they do something at dinner time.] DCL counselors squirt a big glob of soap on the kids as they enter the club. Their hands are in the air scrubing as they walk to the restroom, good way to learn where it is. The walk there gives them some good scrubing time; before they've touched anything, they have had a good hand washing.

[ritaontherocks]

It will be interesting to see if the larger ships are more likely to have problems as we are sailing larger and larger cruise ships. Of course it will take a bigger percentage affected to be noteworthly. Part of the reason I'm hesitant about the big ships, besides the waits getting on and off in a port, is that with more people it seems more likely somebody will be sick or someone will get injured requiring a change to itinerary.

 

As a side note, DCL does something in the kids clubs I wish RCL would start, and it seems very easy to implement. [The effectiveness of purell and such is iffy but it's good they do something at dinner time.] DCL counselors squirt a big glob of soap on the kids as they enter the club. Their hands are in the air scrubing as they walk to the restroom, good way to learn where it is. The walk there gives them some good scrubing time; before they've touched anything, they have had a good hand washing.

That does sound like a good idea for the kids club.

I do not think it makes any difference what size the ship is. I've seen the list of ships that have been affected over the past few years. Small, large and everything in between have had outbreaks.

 

I remember when I went to a dude ranch in Colorado about 10 yrs. ago, there was an outbreak of a stomach virus there. This was a ranch in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. We were all staying in separate cabins spread about through the woods. There were only about 30-40 guests there that week. Approximately, half got sick along with some of the employees. It's kind of weird how it works, no one in my family of 6 got sick and the family of 5 in the cabin next to us were all stricken.

[RevSmith]

Babson College closed it's campus this week because of norovirus. It is something you can get anywhere.

Did you go to Babson College...me too. Small world.

Rev

[behringclan]

Hi Don24-

just read your review. There seems to be nothing worse than being so sick on a vacation. Sorry to hear about that. I did read that you enjoyed swimming with the dolphins in jamaica. Which excursion was that exaclty 7 did you book it through RCCL? Also, did it include a trip to Dunn Falls or was that seperate? We are going on FOS on May 4th & booked the zipline but wasn't sure which dolphin encounter was the best. I appreciate any input. thanks much!

[don24]

we did swim with from dolphin cove ,through rccl and it did include dunns falls .great excursion will never forget it

[behringclan]

Sorry to bug you again. When I search the excursions in Montego Bay there are two for the dolphin cove & dunn falls w/ lunch. One is $115 per person & 1 is $165 per person. Both say they last 7 hours. Is that true? Which one did you do? Also, what did you do for 7 hours? Was there a beach w/ facilities etc?? Thanks for the help

[reallyitsmema]

Did you go to Babson College...me too. Small world.

Rev

Nope, just live about 20 minutes down the road from it. The story was in the local news for days.

[Guggie]

I wonder why a certain blood type would cause a person to be more susceptible.

 

The proteins on the red blood cell membrane play a role in the transport of the virus through the body. This applies only to certain blood types and only certain strains of the virus.

[drummond]

It is HIGHLY contagious. With so many people in closed spaces and such close contact with one another, its very easily spread. I'm on the Freedom in June and sure hope its gone by then!!

 

There were no sanitizing facilities on BOS in Feb 2009. I enquired why this was not available the answer was that there were no problems. I am not sure what RCI policy is on this subject but it is not consistant across the fleet. We always take our own and use regularly in addition to frequent handwashing. If removing sanitizing is a cost cutting exercise, then this is shortsighted and false economy. Please RCI reinstate the sanitizsers.

[diver323]

That does sound like a good idea for the kids club.

I do not think it makes any difference what size the ship is. I've seen the list of ships that have been affected over the past few years. Small, large and everything in between have had outbreaks.

 

I remember when I went to a dude ranch in Colorado about 10 yrs. ago, there was an outbreak of a stomach virus there. This was a ranch in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. We were all staying in separate cabins spread about through the woods. There were only about 30-40 guests there that week. Approximately, half got sick along with some of the employees. It's kind of weird how it works, no one in my family of 6 got sick and the family of 5 in the cabin next to us were all stricken.

 

That is a good idea for the kids club and a lot of adults I see not washing their hands. I leave on this ship sunday and we are on deck 8, so I will wipe down the bathroom just for my sanity and wash,wash,wash our hands! hopefully things will be better by then.

[Thom524]

Is there more than one strain of Norovirus? Does one bout with Norovirus impart immunty to the victim? If immunity is gained then all who have suffered in the past are one up on the rest of us!

[Cthy651]

There is an outbreak at one of our local hospitals, this week.

They have closed off certain floors:(

[ritaontherocks]

Is there more than one strain of Norovirus? Does one bout with Norovirus impart immunty to the victim? If immunity is gained then all who have suffered in the past are one up on the rest of us!

According to the CDC website, you do not gain immunity by having the virus. You can continue to get it, but not sure about the multiple strains.

[hibiscusgirl05]

Is there more than one strain of Norovirus? Does one bout with Norovirus impart immunty to the victim? If immunity is gained then all who have suffered in the past are one up on the rest of us!

 

 

Yes there is more than one strain. Infection with norovirus does not give you any immunity for the future, unfortunately. It's a bit like the common cold virus that way. Depending on the strain, your blood type may or may not give you protection or make you more susceptible to norovirus.

 

Wash your hands!

[Patsfan3]

We are going on the Freedom in 2 weeks. I look forward to hearing if anyone was sick on this past week's cruise.

[Buccaneergirl]

Any one back from FOS today that can tell us any info about the norovirus still being on the ship from the previous cruise??

[shelby_36]

I bring clorox spray and use it on the doorknobs and fixtures in our stateroom mostly on the first day. I encourage the kids not to touch the handrail unless it is rough seas. We wash our hands often and we try to only use our bathroom when we can and avoid the bathrooms in public areas when at all possible. If they offer hand sanitizers we use it although not all cruises have done this. I also take sanitizer with me when we go on shore rather than wash with local water and out of all of our cruises we have only eaten in one port the others we take prepackaged snacks and bottled water. We have been lucky so far (knock on wood) and although it sounds like it when I write it down we don't obsess over it. We take some simple precaustions and it has worked out for us.

[vavasmom]

Any one back from FOS today that can tell us any info about the norovirus still being on the ship from the previous cruise??

 

We got off this morning. The ship was at code green after the third day. I personally liked having the buffets served by crew but realize the drain on man power. We boarded late (after 1pm) and did not get in the rooms until 3:15 so they could sanitize.

[dunmowin]

We just returned from the 4/5/09 FOS. I believe we were told that 96 passengers were sick last sailing. As the previous poster stated we boarded a little late and rooms were ready a little late. I think everything was removed from rooms and sanitized.....the ship was probably cleaner for our cruise than any you could sail. I didn't hear of anyone getting sick this week. When we boarded, the crew were serving all foods throughout the ship and not allowing guests to "touch" anything. This practice lasted through mid week...I wish they would do this all the time as it just seems so much more sanitary. I don't think anyone sailing this week should worry :-))

[Buccaneergirl]

Thanks for letting us know. Sounds like they have it under control.

Hope you had a wonderful cruise!:D

[tchrmom]

We got off this morning. The ship was at code green after the third day. I personally liked having the buffets served by crew but realize the drain on man power. We boarded late (after 1pm) and did not get in the rooms until 3:15 so they could sanitize.

 

vavasmom,

We had some friends on your cruise. It was their first experience with RCCL. They said the customer service was poor.......They had LOTS of trouble getting towels for the pool, CS people were "rude".......and lots of unenthusiastic workers, who acted like you were a problem. For 5 days her child wasn't able to ride the flowrider. On day 6, suddenly she was tall enough. When they got home they measured her with a tape measure, she was 52 1/4 inches tall (She did say that her dining room servers were OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!! :) )

Did you see any of this? If so, do you think it was from being over worked or Clorox-ed out?????????

[vavasmom]

vavasmom,

We had some friends on your cruise. It was their first experience with RCCL. They said the customer service was poor.......They had LOTS of trouble getting towels for the pool, CS people were "rude".......and lots of unenthusiastic workers, who acted like you were a problem. For 5 days her child wasn't able to ride the flowrider. On day 6, suddenly she was tall enough. When they got home they measured her with a tape measure, she was 52 1/4 inches tall (She did say that her dining room servers were OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!! :) )

Did you see any of this? If so, do you think it was from being over worked or Clorox-ed out?????????

 

We did not do the Flowrider so I can't comment on that one. I do know on most days they were enforcing the towel exchange (i.e. you give them a towel for a new one). In some cases they ran out. We either took our own towel or used the ones from our room steward. I know the first two or three days everyone seemed exhausted fromt the cleaning and mandatory extra shifts to serve food. I found the shore excursions manager to be less than friendly but everyone at the guset relations desk was very helpful. I also think some of the bar tenders were tried of carding the same guests (who were not 21).

[missbogota]

Glad you had a great cruise!

[tchrmom]

We did not do the Flowrider so I can't comment on that one. I do know on most days they were enforcing the towel exchange (i.e. you give them a towel for a new one). In some cases they ran out. We either took our own towel or used the ones from our room steward. I know the first two or three days everyone seemed exhausted fromt the cleaning and mandatory extra shifts to serve food. I found the shore excursions manager to be less than friendly but everyone at the guset relations desk was very helpful. I also think some of the bar tenders were tried of carding the same guests (who were not 21).

 

I know they kept telling her that she was to bring the towels for the pool that were in her room. She kept telling them that the ONLY towels she had were the wet ones from the night before. Finally, the room guy knocked on her door and said "Is there a problem?" She was not very happy with them. Finally, she just found a different cabin steward, told her the problem, and that the pool had no towels either.....and the person just gave her 4 towels.

 

Sounds like some people were just frazzled for working hard to keep that "code red" form happening again.

 

Thanks for the info............I can't wait for my cruise in June!