Norovirus on Azura

[netchells]

Brilliant - I wonder what they expect us to do till (in our case) 8.30pm? We fly in to Southampton at 0930 ... It's going to be a long day - but we'll have £20 to spend - and it's my birthday so what the heck, we might just blow the lot!!!

 

Cheer up you're going on a Caribbean cruise....this time tomorrow you'll be on your way ...it's only a few hours ....and I'm sure you'd rather them deep clean the ship before you get on than run the risk of getting Norovirus......we had delayed embarkation in June because of Norovirus on Azura.....it was fine......enjoy your birthday and your cruise :-)

[tokyo]

I see that Azura is due to depart Southampton 10pm:eek:

[Otter18]

I'm with 'netchells' on this one. I would prefer a few hours delay at the start of the cruise, rather than 2 days confined to your cabin feeling awful and sick.

 

I also had a delay boarding Azura earlier this year due to Norovirus outbreak, and deep clean. We did not however, receive £20 each for the delay. No complaints here though as we had a virus free cruise, and that is the important part.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

What amazes me is that our local doctors surgery has them to register your arrival. That must be the worst possible place for them.

What amazes me is that anyone can actually get an appointment with a GP! Just checked and the first appointment with ours is 16th November.

 

We were on the Thomson Dream when there was a massive outbreak of sickness - awful! I am quite paranoid now. I went shopping today and the chap who served me had a terrible cold. I came home and washed my hands well before I did anything else!

 

I don't think anyone was enforcing the gel on the Oceana in March, or indeed on the two Thomson cruises we have been on this year. We shall see what happens next month!

[jeanlyon]

Washing your hands will do nothing to avoid a cold. It's a virus that you breathe in from others, not caught by your hands, whereas norovirus is to do with hands. However, the gel does not protect against noro, you need an antiviral, not an antibacterial.

[Florry]

Washing your hands will do nothing to avoid a cold. It's a virus that you breathe in from others, not caught by your hands, whereas norovirus is to do with hands. However, the gel does not protect against noro, you need an antiviral, not an antibacterial.

 

 

Unless the virus is on a surface you touch and you then touch your mouth, rub your eyes etc. they can also spread that way too, although coughs and sneezes are the primary cause. I always catch a cold on a cruise despite using protective nasal sprays and hand gel. The cold I got on Britannia was so bad I was in bed 3 days (probably flu - but in July!) I wasn't surprised there were people coughing everywhere.

[jaceyar]

On Azura now and still, they say, lots of cases of NV. They're still serving us in the buffet on day 4, shops are using one entrance only so they can apply gel and tables and chair arms are wiped down after use.

[jeanlyon]

I still have a cough from my last cruise. I blame it on the air con.

[finalstraw]

On Azura now and still, they say, lots of cases of NV. They're still serving us in the buffet on day 4, shops are using one entrance only so they can apply gel and tables and chair arms are wiped down after use.

 

Before disemabarking last week I did overhear something about the measures staying in place for the first 6 days of the next cruise. Hopefully things will return to normal for you soon.

[NauticalMiss]

I still have a cough from my last cruise. I blame it on the air con.

 

You're right. The air con is to blame for many outbreaks of coughs and colds. On planes too.

[Mysticalmother]

You're right. The air con is to blame for many outbreaks of coughs and colds. On planes too.

 

 

So P & O not to blame....:)

[Concorde001]

Day 8 of the cruise, and we are still at Red Level. Still, apparently, have Norovirus on board.

[dgs1956]

Day 8 of the cruise, and we are still at Red Level. Still, apparently, have Norovirus on board.

 

Apart from the precautions taken, is it having any detrimental affect on the passengers?

[seapals2]

We were on Azura earlier in the year and had exactly the same during our cruise. Its all getting very familiar reading. The ship was deep cleaned supposedly between cruises but measures stayed in place.

On our cruise so many came down with it on the same day it left us wondering if it had in fact been a food poisoning outbreak. Surely 600 people cant get a virus at the same time. We considered ourselves very lucky to not get ill but put that down to never using the buffet. Would opt to have pizza if we had missed lunch in the MDR but I don't think that is cooked to order like it used to be any more.

[Daddyglove]

We were on the last azura cruise before the transatlantic when the outbreak of NV started. My wife was laid up for a couple of days so we missed cadiz[emoji20]. Anyway out of the blue we got a pleasant surprise this morning from p&o giving my wife £93 future cruise credit or £70 cash as my wife was ill and she had adhered to the cleanliness and safety procedures and informed the ship doctor of her illness while on board.

[groovechick]

We were on the last azura cruise before the transatlantic when the outbreak of NV started. My wife was laid up for a couple of days so we missed cadiz[emoji20]. Anyway out of the blue we got a pleasant surprise this morning from p&o giving my wife £93 future cruise credit or £70 cash as my wife was ill and she had adhered to the cleanliness and safety procedures and informed the ship doctor of her illness while on board.

 

Very surprised to read that Daddyglove, because DH was taken ill on our last cruise on Azura (he missed our first port, Lisbon, and was only just well enough for Gib two days later) and did precisely that - confined himself to cabin and informed the doctor. All he got was some rather nasty comments from the doc and repeated reminders that if he gave him any treatment it would cost a minimum of £50.00. No sign of cruise credit or cash.

[kevinyork]

Very surprised to read that Daddyglove, because DH was taken ill on our last cruise on Azura (he missed our first port, Lisbon, and was only just well enough for Gib two days later) and did precisely that - confined himself to cabin and informed the doctor. All he got was some rather nasty comments from the doc and repeated reminders that if he gave him any treatment it would cost a minimum of £50.00. No sign of cruise credit or cash.

 

 

My Mum was ill from Noro in March this year on Britannia and after pushing we got £800 for her.

 

 

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[mrmarley]

We were on the last azura cruise before the transatlantic when the outbreak of NV started. My wife was laid up for a couple of days so we missed cadiz[emoji20]. Anyway out of the blue we got a pleasant surprise this morning from p&o giving my wife £93 future cruise credit or £70 cash as my wife was ill and she had adhered to the cleanliness and safety procedures and informed the ship doctor of her illness while on board.

 

You were lucky then! Last year on our 24 nighters to the Black Sea I succumbed to norovirus on about 20th day and was confined to our cabin for a couple of days. I reported it to medical centre and our cabin was deep cleaned. My poor hubby came down with it on the last day. We were kept on ship and were last off. Poor husband then had 2 1/2 hr drive home. No future cruise credit for us :(

I do fume when I see people not washing hands after using loos and not using hand gel in buffet. I think that it should be enforced before entering restaurants.

[jeanlyon]

At least those people who say Norovirus always hits Oriana can eat their words! It can happen anywhere. Plymouth hospital was closed due to norovirus a few months ago, so were the local schools. It's not just cruise ships. I don't quite understand the compensation. It's not the ships fault. It's passengers who bring it on.

[Otter18]

At least those people who say Norovirus always hits Oriana can eat their words! It can happen anywhere. Plymouth hospital was closed due to norovirus a few months ago, so were the local schools. It's not just cruise ships. I don't quite understand the compensation. It's not the ships fault. It's passengers who bring it on.

 

 

It is not always the passengers fault. It is just as easy for the staff to bring it on board, or carry it over from a previously infected cruise.

 

I agree it is prevalent elsewhere. I understand it is the second most common infection in the UK, after the common cold.

[mrmarley]

It is not always the passengers fault. It is just as easy for the staff to bring it on board, or carry it over from a previously infected cruise.

 

I agree it is prevalent elsewhere. I understand it is the second most common infection in the UK, after the common cold.

 

Funnily enough ( or not :() the assistant waiter was absent a night or so before and head waiter said he was ill. What was wrong with him I don't know.

A few years ago my husband and I went down with the virus at Christmas. We'd booked Christmas Day lunch out but could not go, so do know it can happen anywhere.

[insanemagnet]

I do fume when I see people not washing hands after using loos and not using hand gel in buffet.

 

I completely agree about washing hands, although to have any effect this must be done properly.

 

However the anti-bacterial hand gel would seem just to be a sop so that the cruise line can be seen to be doing something, even though they know it will have no impact on the spread of a virus.

 

That is not to say the hand gel should not be used as it will help prevent the spread of bacterial food poisoning, but it won't help with norovirus.

Edited November 7, 2015 by insanemagnet

[jeanlyon]

totally agree and have said it before. Hand Gel is useless against noro. Soap and water is best.

[insanemagnet]

Hand Gel is useless against noro. Soap and water is best.

 

Although Boots do sell an anti-viral (and anti-bacterial) foam spray, which I take to supplement soap and water.

 

I do wonder why the cruise companies don't do use a similar product, and whether their choice not to could cause problems if anyone ever sued them.

[brillo]

Sad to see people falling over each other to try and get their noses in the compensation trough,

 

Noro Virus occurs on all cruise lines and on all cruise ships,

 

it occurs where there are large groups of people and is spread in the main by people picking up the virus on their hands and passing it to their mouths,

 

Nothing to do with aircon or other ventilation systems which contain virus filters.