Veendam Norovirus Problem?

[RioNaiad]

My AAA TA just called and said that boarding the Veendam Panama Canal Cruise for Sat Feb 22 will be delayed until at least 1 pm due to the Norovirus on board.

Each room will have to be antiseptically cleaned in addition to the regular cleaning.

Has anyone else heard of this problem? :(

[Wakepatrol]

Yes it happens all the time. Bring some wipes with you and wipe everything down in your cabin ie remote contro,l phone cabinet pulls,door knobs etc. wash your hands with hot water and sing Happy Birthday while doing it.

[RioNaiad]

Yes it happens all the time. Bring some wipes with you and wipe everything down in your cabin ie remote contro,l phone cabinet pulls,door knobs etc. wash your hands with hot water and sing Happy Birthday while doing it.

 

Ok, clarification!

I am referring to this Veendam Panama Canal Cruise leaving Feb 8 and docking at Port Everglades Sat Feb 22.

I understand norovirus is rampant, and am familiar with how to treat it.

[igraf]

Again, it happens all the time. HAL is better than others with dealing with the problem. Are you looking for confirmation? Here is some information:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm#2014

 

igraf

 

 

 

Ok, clarification!

I am referring to this Veendam Panama Canal Cruise leaving Feb 8 and docking at Port Everglades Sat Feb 22.

I understand norovirus is rampant, and am familiar with how to treat it.

Edited February 21, 2014 by igraf

[RioNaiad]

Thanks; I've pretty much Googled everything, including that site, and no info anywhere.

Thanks, anyways.. :D

[RuthC]

What is it you're asking?

[RioNaiad]

I just wanted to know if anyone on the Veendam knew of this norovirus warning issued by my AAA travel agent.

We're leaving for the airport, so thanks to all of you for your help.

[Randyk47]

I think the OP was asking had anybody else heard of the specific problem with the on-going Veendam cruise. To that I think the answer is that I don't recall it being mentioned here, there may not be a CC'er on the cruise who has posted during the cruise that there is an issue on their cruise. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't. At the same time sometimes news media picks up on extreme outbreaks and sometimes it doesn't. To the best of my knowledge there is no real-time reporting system that accurately captures every outbreak and publishes it in a timely manner.

[Salacia]

Thanks; I've pretty much Googled everything, including that site, and no info anywhere.

Thanks, anyways.. :D

 

Sorry to say that, yes, there was an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on the Veendam cruise February 8-22, 2014.

 

"Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 114 of 1273 (8.96%)

Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 10 of 575 (1.74%)" -quotes from http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2014/february22_msveendam.htm

 

Best wishes to those affected.

Salacia

[rajkr74]

It is now being listed on the CNN website:

 

http://us.cnn.com/2014/02/23/travel/cdc-cruise-ship-norovirus/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Salacia]

It is now being listed on the CNN website:

 

 

Yes, except that there seems to be a glaring error in a quote attributed to the CDC:

 

To quote CNN: "...The Veendam got a failing grade from CDC inspectors who found multiple sanitation violations, including brown liquid dripping on clean dishes and a fly on the buffet, in September, the CDC said."

 

The failing inspection took place Aug. 19, 2012 (I remember it well because I was on the Veendam voyage immediately following the failed inspection). The CDC inspected the ship three times since then, and all grades were in the 90's, with the latest score being 99.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Is there any update on the Veendam?

DH thought he heard something about the ship this morning on Fox news while at the gym.

[G&G]

Is there any update on the Veendam?

DH thought he heard something about the ship this morning on Fox news while at the gym.

 

 

He did. Fox News reported noro outbreak on HAL ship in the Caribbean; 120 passengers. The video showed a Vista Class Ship but no ship name reported.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you

He saw what could have been either a Vista or Signature ship and I told him that I only remembered 1 thread here on CC that talked about a Noro virus -- Veendam.

Hope we find out more.

[innlady1]

Is there any update on the Veendam?

DH thought he heard something about the ship this morning on Fox news while at the gym.

 

We saw something on Fox News this morning but was reading the paper so missed all but the tail end.

[innlady1]

Thank you

He saw what could have been either a Vista or Signature ship and I told him that I only remembered 1 thread here on CC that talked about a Noro virus -- Veendam.

Hope we find out more.

 

That could have been a stock photo, too.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I had our local news on while doing some chores and nothing was mentioned. And so far there hasn't been any mention about it on the Today show.

[innlady1]

It is the Veendam...it's actually about the noro that was reported on the last cruise -

 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/02/24/cdc-investigating-fourth-possible-outbreak-norovirus-on-cruise-ship

[sail7seas]

Anyone else think it ridiculous the way news stations jump all over any reports of Noro like virus on a cruise ship? They rarely mention it in a nursing home, dormitory, day care center, school, gym, hotel or anywhere but cruise ships.

[sherilyn70]

Anyone else think it ridiculous the way news stations jump all over any reports of Noro like virus on a cruise ship? They rarely mention it in a nursing home, dormitory, day care center, school, gym, hotel or anywhere but cruise ships.

 

Yep, I'm with you there. It's ridiculous how much coverage this gets from the media. People get sick all the time in other places. Right now my office is having people out left and right for bronchitis, pneumonia and flu diagnosis... I actually spent 3 days in the hopsital last week because of it. My cancer hospital was so overflowing with sick patients that they couldn't even release me from the ER for over 24 hours (they have special rooms reserved for holding patients that haven't been assigned to a unit). I never actually did get admited to the cancer unit... and had to be treated by a general hospitalist instead. Yet the news isn't all over that story. :)

Edited February 25, 2014 by sherilyn70

[POA1]

Anyone else think it ridiculous the way news stations jump all over any reports of Noro like virus on a cruise ship? They rarely mention it in a nursing home, dormitory, day care center, school, gym, hotel or anywhere but cruise ships.

 

Yes. You rarely see articles or segments touting the danger of leafy green vegetables or long term care facilities, but they're much more likely to be involved in norovirus outbreaks. My guess is that people in the news media don't favor cruise ships for vacations. (Lack of news media types on cruise ships. Another check in cruising's plus column! :thumbup:)

 

From the CDC - Note where the outbreaks occur:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/trends-outbreaks.html

[sail7seas]

Yep, I'm with you there. It's ridiculous how much coverage this gets from the media. People get sick all the time in other places. Right now my office is having people out left and right for bronchitis, pneumonia and flu diagnosis... I actually spent 3 days in the hopsital last week because of it. My cancer hospital was so overlfowing with sick patients that they couldn't even release me from the ER for over 24 hours (they have special rooms reserved for holding patients that haven't been assigned to a unit). I never actually did get admited to the cancer unit... and had to be treated by a general hospitalist instead. Yet the news isn't all over that story. :)

 

 

Sorry to hear you were ill enough to require hospitalization. Hope you are feeling better. Talk about risk of infection/contagion....... where is worse than a hospital? :eek: Certainly higher risk than on a cruise ship.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

"Events At Sea" has this report:

February 23

Veendam

Holland America Line

CDC reports 114 of 1273 passengers (8.96%) and 10 of 575 crew (1.74%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemiologist will board the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale on February 22, 2014 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 14 day cruise.

[sherilyn70]

Sorry to hear you were ill enough to require hospitalization. Hope you are feeling better. Talk about risk of infection/contagion....... where is worse than a hospital? :eek: Certainly higher risk than on a cruise ship.

Thanks, definitely feeling much better. Antibiotics got the pneumonia under control and I also got good news that one of the masses in my lungs we had been concerned about being new cancer went away. :)

I've spent so much time at the hospital this last month for scans, appointments and such that when I did get a fever no one even blinked until I was 6 days into it and still not getting better. My doctor was out with a very high fever as well and he had been taking his turn on rounds in the oncology group, when I saw him on Wednesday I actually lectured him about working sick and told him to go home... he looked about as good as I felt. Last week was a mess for so many places.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yep, I'm with you there. It's ridiculous how much coverage this gets from the media. People get sick all the time in other places. Right now my office is having people out left and right for bronchitis, pneumonia and flu diagnosis... I actually spent 3 days in the hopsital last week because of it. My cancer hospital was so overflowing with sick patients that they couldn't even release me from the ER for over 24 hours (they have special rooms reserved for holding patients that haven't been assigned to a unit). I never actually did get admited to the cancer unit... and had to be treated by a general hospitalist instead. Yet the news isn't all over that story. :)

 

 

Sorry to hear that you were so sick that you had to be hospitalized.

Hope you are feeling better now.