Crown Princess arrival in San Pedro delayed 24 hours

[AE_Collector]

We've all seen it. A man came out of the stall and straight out the door. Once I finished washing up I headed down the hall to the buffet and there he was, serving himself food using the tongs. I'm sure glad he was thoughtful enough to use tongs, who knows what he might have picked up. :rolleyes:

 

And speaking of tongs, why do people think it is okay to lay them across the food after using them???

 

Terry

Edited November 18, 2014 by AE_Collector

[ChaserX]

If you go to the website

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2014/november16_crown_princess.htm

the information is there.

Says voyage date of October 18-November 16, 2014. Number of passengers reported being ill 158/3,009. Number of crew reported ill 14/1,160.

Causative agent norovirus.

A CDC vessel sanitation program environmental health officer will board the ship in San Pedro,CA on November 16, 2014.

 

Apparently, more stringent measures are being taken:

 

http://www.theonion.com/articles/pacific-ocean-quarantined-after-contact-with-carni,37469/

 

Not sure what this means for future cruises.....

[SapphireHoneymoon]

Haha. Needed that laugh.

 

 

Sent using the Cruis

[caribill]

It's definitely a problem for them trying to keep everyone happy in such situations, That's why cruise lines also have insurance !

 

Cruise lines insure for major disasters, not for minor issues such as this.

[caribill]

I understand the disappointment of the embarking passengers' date=' at least Princess gave you monetary compensation for your lost port. [/quote']

 

The compensation is not for a lost port.

 

It is for a lost day of the cruise.

[caribill]

 

I've never been compensated for a late airline flight, even when I miss my connection. I don't remember the airline giving me credit to spend at an airport bar or restaurant while I have to wait for my next flight.

 

 

I have been compensated for the items you were not.

 

o A hotel when flight arrived to late to make last flight to my destination.

 

o Meal voucher at multiple airports due to significantly delayed departures.

[caribill]

I have a feeling my opinion is in the minority but I feel the compensation is fair. Yes, it is an inconvenience but the per diem refund is for the loss of the day. If you have 2 people in a cabin, the assumption is you would also book a hotel together.There are plenty of hotels at LAX for around $125 per night.

 

Yes, the refund of a day covers your hotel cost.

 

But, it is spending your vacation money on a hotel stay you never wanted as part of your vacation.

 

If the entire cruise was cancelled and Princess gave you all of your $$$ back, but you had to spend that week in a hotel in the L.A. area, would you still think that was fair?

 

The refund of one day of the cruise is a refund of a day of cruising that Princess could not deliver, not payment for a hotel stay you never wanted.

[norcalal]

And it's nice to know, that in this big bad world of ours, we are in the hands of people who don't second guess for a minute that a million dollar expense is worth it to save a life :D

 

Need a ":Like" button .....

[caribill]

I'm just speaking from experience also on the Crown princess where our 7 day cruise to Curacao, Aruba, and Princess Cays was turned into a 5 day cruise to nowhere back in February 2012 because we had an additional outbreak.

 

 

If I remember correctly, while the cleaning was being done on turnaround day, a large number of new passengers along with continuing passengers were crowded into a nearby port building.

 

I suspect there was a high chance of at least one person entering that building having noro (and probably not showing symptoms yet) and spreading it others in that very crowded environment. All the cleaning on the ship means nothing if boarding passengers bring it on board again.

 

Any by the way, the CDC says noro can be passed on for up to ten days after all symptoms are gone. Princess and other cruise lines do not quarantine passengers after symptoms have been gone for only one day.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...All the cleaning on the ship means nothing if boarding passengers bring it on board again...

 

And are sick crew members isolated for 10 days? They often share very close quarters, so I suspect crew also spread it from one cruise to another.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If I remember correctly, while the cleaning was being done on turnaround day, a large number of new passengers along with continuing passengers were crowded into a nearby port building.

 

I suspect there was a high chance of at least one person entering that building having noro (and probably not showing symptoms yet) and spreading it others in that very crowded environment. All the cleaning on the ship means nothing if boarding passengers bring it on board again.

 

Any by the way, the CDC says noro can be passed on for up to ten days after all symptoms are gone. Princess and other cruise lines do not quarantine passengers after symptoms have been gone for only one day.

 

Yes we were taken to a port building until about 7pm when boarding started and were packed in pretty good.. i did take notice when i used the mens room that some men were using the facilities and not washing afterwards.

 

we missed Princess Cays since we got such a late start and were told we would get some extra time in Curacao which was our next stop.

 

On the morning of the Curacao stop i woke up and looked out the window and there was no land in sight which was followed by the announcement that we were going to return to FLL.

 

While we got our money back, a discount on our next cruise, and they booked us on flights to get home, i did use up my last week of vacation time on the cruise to nowhere.

 

All in all they did what they could and we finally got to do the Aruba, Curacao itinerary the next year after i got more vacation time but this time we went on the Caribbean Princess.

 

Bill

[Cruzing Nancy]

I also got hit by the virus three days before we got to Los Angeles. Missed the lat meal with everyone, but did get out later that night. I was only really sick for 6 hours, then it was curling up in bed and watching t.v., reading, and taking naps. I read an article today that stated that 21 million people get the norovirus each year and only 1000 of these are on cruise ships. The news media is making this a much bigger deal than is necessary and I for one am very sorry because you know it will damage the cruise industry. You notice they never mentioned the $1 million Princess spent to save the live of a crew member! I had a wonderful cruise, snorkeled in the rain and saw amazing sights. I wouldn't trade this trip for anything.

[aguamel]

First of all, let me say I had a wonderful cruise. I might also say that there were a fair number of people onboard who are "glass is half empty' sorts. I am not. Yes it rained on several port days. I did not let it stop me from snorkeling with the rays and sharks. I was going to get wet anyway. Yes the internet was problematic at times, but we know, that happens. I live in the country and had satellite internet for several years before cable, and each time it rained, my internet went down. Yes the norovirus struck, and yes, I got it again (my third time on a cruise ship). I do not use the public bathrooms, I don't touch railings, I don't go into the casino and touch machines, I don't do the buffet. I never put my hands near my eyes or face unless they have been scrubbed. But, some people are more susceptible than others - read any report on noro. And I get sick. The medical staff always have to visit me TWICE in my cabin each time, because one shot of phenergan never stops the symptoms. My dh always takes loving care of me and he never gets it. Of course I have gotten it other times outside of ships too. Yes, I always notify the ship, because I do not want anyone to catch it from me. And, if I am going to have noro, honestly it's the place to have it. Tucked in my little cabin, room service at the beck and call, the hit squad sanitizing around me every few hours. So what. It was two days of mostly sleep and watching the movies and lectures on the TV that I missed. And on a 28 day cruise, with people coughing in the public areas from day one, I think there are far worse things to be caught.

 

As far as the delay goes, well, I commend Princess for the lengths they went to to save that young crew members life. As the Captain said, the diversion will cost the line over a million. Bravo Princess.

 

Neither my husband nor I acquired the virus, but for those whom we know did, through no fault of theirs, they were religious in hand washing, etc, but many of our fellow passengers were not. I witnessed several who refused to use the hand sanitizer, and went so far as to tap one on the shoulder and after being told to mind my own business I remarked that is it, for he is infecting me and others. well...he refused. Passengers like him should stay home. As for the ship's staff and crew they did a herculean job attempting to stem the virus and to save the life of the crew member who took us a day out of the way and a day later getting into port. If I or any of my family or fiends needed such I would hope Princess would do the same. I will gladly sail with Princess again.

[suzyed]

'Course they didn't mention that embarking passengers are getting OBC and an FCC for the inconvenience. :rolleyes:

 

I'm sure all involved is happy that they were at least close enough to an island to get the sick person off and not in the middle of the 8 days that it takes to sail back from the South Pacific.

 

We were NOT close to an island and we were indeed in the middle of the 8 day return portion of our cruise. We were 2-3 days into it after leaving our last port of Tahiti. We were over 700 miles from the nearest island and reversed course to get there, thus adding another day to our trip.

[suzyed]

Really? First of all, if you have any decent travel insurance coverage, hotel, food and change fees should be covered. If not, well whose fault is that?

 

BTW, do not assume Princess is insured for all of this. A> there are deductibles, B> they are self-insured for many things and C> we don't know all the little details. Princess will be incurring a LOT of extra charges (fuel, last minute docking charges in both ports, default fee in PV depending on the contract, loss of onboard revenue, costs to change restocking delivery, costs to adjust air for people on board, etc (have not seen what they are getting).

 

In my mind, just the credit for the missed day is fair enough...

 

Well the one thing they did not lose is the onboard revenue.....WE were on there and they got revenue from us! ;)

[suzyed]

Sick passengers will disembark first, then everything the passengers may have touched getting off will be disinfected, lessing the risk of non-infected passengers from getting sick. Then the rest will disembark.

 

As far as I know, that was not the case.

[suzyed]

I also wonder how many infected pax don't report out of fear of being kicked off the ship or confined to their cabins?

 

I was on this cruise and I am betting there were MANY who did not report....which in the end, helped fuel the spread of the virus. Very selfish.

[Wehwalt]

I am on the Crown. The captain announced last night that they have not been successful in getting rid of the Norovirus and there have been additional cases. The usual precautions such as not letting us serve ourselves at the buffet continue. I get off in two days but I wonder what they do next with two consecutive plague problems

 

As for what I would do if I fell ill which I do not I think I would give Imodium a chance to work before turning myself in. I don't want to endanger the other passengers but a cruise is a lot of money and I would want to make very sure that what I was letting myself in for was necessary

Edited November 20, 2014 by Wehwalt

[paul929207]

I am on the Crown. The captain announced last night that they have not been successful in getting rid of the Norovirus and there have been additional cases. The usual precautions such as not letting us serve ourselves at the buffet continue. I get off in two days but I wonder what they do next with two consecutive plague problems

I would guess they would try to get you guys off quickly and then really sanitize the ship. Probably another late boarding and sailaway

[Wehwalt]

I would guess they would try to get you guys off quickly and then really sanitize the ship. Probably another late boarding and sailaway

Probably. It won't be my concern by then because I'll be in Marina Del Rey. And the crew have been very professional and in good spirits and I will raise a toast to their professionalism. I can do that because I'm in the bar in Cabo San Lucas

[paul929207]

Probably. It won't be my concern by then because I'll be in Marina Del Rey. And the crew have been very professional and in good spirits and I will raise a toast to their professionalism. I can do that because I'm in the bar in Cabo San Lucas

They have about 330 days to get her clean for me.

[RetiredNTraveling]

They have about 330 days to get her clean for me.

 

And me too! I have just been sitting here been Googling pictures of the islands!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

What part of the ship being disinfected from top to bottom did you not understand?

 

The ship was disinfected and yet Noro is still on the ship.:confused:

 

Bill

[Loonbeam]

The most likely candidate is a crew member who was asymptomatic during or immediately after the cleanup. Or it equally could have been brought on board again (lost track of when she actually sailed, if its less than 2 days, any new cases were likely percolating on land before sailing)

 

The ship was disinfected and yet Noro is still on the ship.:confused:

 

Bill

[RDC1]

I am on the Crown. The captain announced last night that they have not been successful in getting rid of the Norovirus and there have been additional cases. The usual precautions such as not letting us serve ourselves at the buffet continue. I get off in two days but I wonder what they do next with two consecutive plague problems

 

As for what I would do if I fell ill which I do not I think I would give Imodium a chance to work before turning myself in. I don't want to endanger the other passengers but a cruise is a lot of money and I would want to make very sure that what I was letting myself in for was necessary

 

Depends upon how many cases. They go to enhanced measures when a relatively few number of cases show up (around 15 according to one ships doctor that I chatted with on a cruise last year). They will probably do another enhanced cleaning.

 

The level for it to become a CDC listed event is 3% of the passenger population.