Code red--3 days for each part of a Back to Back?

[CruiserBruce]

Things that make you go hmmmm....

 

The majority of the time the first day of a cruise is at sea. You can't go for a swim or a hot tub, both of which should be chlorinated. You can't take a book from the library which might not have been picked up by another person in a years time.....but you can go to the casino and spend money (cash even) touching a machine, cards or chips that have been touched by others numerous times.

 

just sayin'

 

Rochelle

 

In Code Orange- the first 48 hours, you can swim and use the hot tubs. I don't know about the library/book issue. My experience with Code Orange (two 10 day Med B2B, this last August), is the only limitations for the first 48 hours are in the Lido Buffet, where you can't serve yourself.

[ariawoman]

The hand sanitizer on the ship was rumored to remove nail polish....someone in the hot tub told me his wife had gotten a manicure in the spa and later used the sanitizer and the polish came off...

 

So, that's an interesting testiment to what's in the stuff HAL uses lol.

[durangoscots]

In Code Orange- the first 48 hours, you can swim and use the hot tubs. I don't know about the library/book issue. My experience with Code Orange (two 10 day Med B2B, this last August), is the only limitations for the first 48 hours are in the Lido Buffet, where you can't serve yourself.

 

Library is open and operating. The only restrictions are in the Lido food lines. Washing, use of sanitizers and Keeping Your Hands Away from Your Face will help. I don't eat any finger food in including appetizers. It is those hands!!!!!

 

Susan

[rochelle_s]

In Code Orange- the first 48 hours, you can swim and use the hot tubs. I don't know about the library/book issue. My experience with Code Orange (two 10 day Med B2B, this last August), is the only limitations for the first 48 hours are in the Lido Buffet, where you can't serve yourself.

 

Thanks for the clarification I obviously misread what was posted earlier. Do they close the casino during a code red?

 

Rochelle

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the clarification I obviously misread what was posted earlier. Do they close the casino during a code red?

 

Rochelle

 

Code Orange -- No

Code Red -- a couple of times when we went into Code Red during the cruise the Casino was closed while they cleaned everything down -- all the chips had to be hand washed. Once that process was completed -- the casino reopened and you could wear deposible gloves to handle the cards and chips and money. This will vary ship by ship.

[Hlitner]

Don't know what they said on 60 minutes, but we had a CDC physician (on board a RCI ship training crew) tell us that the alcohol-based sanitizers (such as Purell) are nearly worthless against Norovirus. He said the only effective prevention is washing hands with soap and water and not touching anything. The hand sanitzers do a good job against bacteria, but very little against viruses.

 

Han

[ssneiderma]

Having been on more than 50 cruises on diferent lines ,it seeems that only HAL has this code orange or red the first few days of their cruises. Why HAL? Just off Nieuw Amsterdam..the first few days not only in Lido but dining room, library etc. Pools were open but not hot tubs. Feel we were cheated out of 3 days of ship use. Out of a 7 days cruise this doesn't have many days left. The only time my DH and got virus was on a HAL ship.

[RuthC]

Having been on more than 50 cruises on diferent lines ,it seeems that only HAL has this code orange or red the first few days of their cruises. Why HAL? Just off Nieuw Amsterdam..the first few days not only in Lido but dining room, library etc. Pools were open but not hot tubs. Feel we were cheated out of 3 days of ship use. Out of a 7 days cruise this doesn't have many days left. The only time my DH and got virus was on a HAL ship.

Standard Operating Procedure on HAL is to have Code Orange at the beginning of every cruise as a proactive measure to reduce the spread of disease.

Your cruise started with the stricter Code Red procedures as the ship had experienced Norovirus on the previous cruise. Had the previous cruise not had the illness, your cruise would have started with Code Orange. Had your cruise later on had norovirus rear it's ugly head, the ship would have moved to Code Red status.

That's no fun for anyone, but it is necessary.

[Stevesan]

It's not the same number for all ships, it's a percentage ... 3%, I think, when it has to be reported to the CDC ... but I believe the Captain can choose to declare a Code Red when the number is still below that.

 

My last Maasdam cruise the captain did exactly that. There were only twelve noro-like cases on the previous cruise, but he declared Code Red out of precaution. The only inconvenience was delayed boarding while the crew did a "deep" cleaning. I was happy to wait while they did that. :p

 

I like the "servers only" procedure at Lido buffet. That should be standard practice.

[stag]

This is our protocol on the ship-

 

We wash our hands when we return to the cabin. We wash our hands before we leave. We use the hand sanitizers before entering the dining areas, and if we leave and return to the dining areas, we use it again. We have hand sanitizer with us, which we use in the ports, because sometimes soap and water is not available, and we'd like to clean our hands before we eat, etc.

 

Is one better than the other? Who knows. I just want to keep my hands clean:)

We use the similar strategy. In several dozens of cruises, I never get stomach related illness. We not only make sure our hands are clean but also avoid cross contamination. We saw a guy licked all fingers and picked up the menu. Since then, we apply hand sanitizer after ordering our food.

[Juanita462]

Some good tips here - especially about cleaning our hands after handling the menu.

 

I also take plastic and cotton gloves wih me for code red situations.

 

I don't agree that they should always serve guests in the Lido - they always give me way too much even when I ask for a small portion - then when I leave the extra on my plate - people look at it and think I take more than I can eat - you can read their expressions.

 

whenn we travelled in Portugal we found restaurants that had sinks, soap and paper towels near the tables where guests washed up before sitting down to dine. thought that was an excellent system.

[Jemima]

This month the Statendam was in code red a couple of days mid-cruise. (It was also in code orange the first two days.) In addition to restrictions previously mentioned, self-service laundries were closed and there were no napkins or flatware on the lido tables during code red. We didn't eat in the MDR so don't know what was done there. I heard that the number ill was very low.

[cruisecrasy]

Things that make you go hmmmm....

 

The majority of the time the first day of a cruise is at sea. You can't go for a swim or a hot tub, both of which should be chlorinated. You can't take a book from the library which might not have been picked up by another person in a years time.....but you can go to the casino and spend money (cash even) touching a machine, cards or chips that have been touched by others numerous times.

 

just sayin'

 

Rochelle

 

U aren't supposed to notice or mention the cruiseline makin' money :D

[cruisecrasy]

 

I like the "servers only" procedure at Lido buffet. That should be standard practice.

Unfortunately, while I agree also, the cruisefares wld have to go up 'cause more staff wld be needed.

 

They already use the PG staff for those days and close the PG so suite pax don't get their breakfast perk (at least thats the reason given) :(

[cruisecrasy]

That's no fun for anyone, but it is necessary.

 

Curious but I want to know where this all started - never experienced the virus problem until recently - never had Code anything onboard ships not that many yrs back?

 

Sad 'cause sure takes away the fun of travelling & esp of a cruise what with 'Code' this or that, security fiascos..(w/ airports in particular) & even bed bugs!!!

 

Sorry but this is one instance when the past is preferable...IMO anyway!! :(

[Marie321]

We take wet wipes and wipe our hands thoroughly after we pull the chairs up to sit down and before we begin eating. We get the singles ones. Very handy to keep in a pocket.

[CrusinAgain]

We take wet wipes and wipe our hands thoroughly after we pull the chairs up to sit down and before we begin eating. We get the singles ones. Very handy to keep in a pocket.

 

Exactly. I use them when I get home also after I leave a public venue.

[DutchByAssociation]

It's not the same number for all ships, it's a percentage ... 3%, I think, when it has to be reported to the CDC ... but I believe the Captain can choose to declare a Code Red when the number is still below that.

 

The Captain OR Corporate can based on daily reports that are sent to the HQ, but I'm really not at liberty to go more specific than that

[CruiserBruce]

I also take plastic and cotton gloves wih me for code red situations.

 

I am not sure what benefit cotton gloves would be, unless you were able to wash them very regularly. Cotton is an absorbant material, with microscopically huge places for bad stuff to collect. If you didn't wash them after every wearing, you would simply be re-exposing yourself to what ever you last touched, when you put them on.

[Stevesan]

Curious but I want to know where this all started - never experienced the virus problem until recently - never had Code anything onboard ships not that many yrs back?

 

Sad 'cause sure takes away the fun of travelling & esp of a cruise what with 'Code' this or that, security fiascos..(w/ airports in particular) & even bed bugs!!!

 

Sorry but this is one instance when the past is preferable...IMO anyway!! :(

 

Ignorance is bliss.:D

[Juanita462]

CruiseBruce

 

The cotton gloves are for the handrails when it is rough or for when we use the stairs - they slide along better than plastic - and yes, I do wash them after every wearing - and wash or purell my hands after removing them.

 

think about how many people touch those handrails over the course of a day and in code red there could be noro on them plus any other virus going around.

[Koshlong]

We just got back from Veendam's SA repositioning cruise (yes, thank you, it was great) and we had 6 days of code Orange........the 3 days from NYC to Ft. Lauderdale, then 3 more for the passengers who embarked there. It didn't bother us, but I really felt sorry for the crew............and no, I don't know if the Pinnacle was unavailable for breakfasts for 6 straight days. I forgot to ask.

[stag]

Curious but I want to know where this all started - never experienced the virus problem until recently - never had Code anything onboard ships not that many yrs back?

 

Sad 'cause sure takes away the fun of travelling & esp of a cruise what with 'Code' this or that, security fiascos..(w/ airports in particular) & even bed bugs!!!

 

Sorry but this is one instance when the past is preferable...IMO anyway!! :(

Legionnaires' disease was identified 33 years ago. I am sure the bacteria existed thousands of years and fatalities happened when infected. In the old days, passengers did not report the problem as often as now. But it did not mean no problem then.

[jtl513]

Curious but I want to know where this all started - never experienced the virus problem until recently - never had Code anything onboard ships not that many yrs back?

The CDC site lists outbreaks back as far as 1994:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm

[cruisecrasy]

Legionnaires' disease was identified 33 years ago. I am sure the bacteria existed thousands of years and fatalities happened when infected. In the old days, passengers did not report the problem as often as now. But it did not mean no problem then.

 

as I believe it is related mostly to 'dirty' individual air conditioning units...rarely has anything to do with cruiseships..

 

In the old days less problems to report might be a good reason also!!

 

Besides, I asked about viruses & in particular the Noro Virus - do u have any ideas where it came from and while u are at it how about all the fall/winter flus these days too? Remember last winters flu problem..I sure do!! :(