Gastro Outbreak on Expolorer of the Seas

[waydago]

Just received email re a gastro outbreak on the current Explorer Cruise advising of revised boarding times for next cruise 16th December.

 

Disappointed that our first time early boarding time has been pushed back by more than 4 hours but relieved to know we will still sail.

 

Extremely grateful to RCCL for addressing the issue by fully sanitizing every inch of the ship prior to boarding.

[happysnapper]

When are people going to learn to WASH their hands PROPERLY

Edited December 12, 2015 by happysnapper

[Kinkacruiser]

When are people going to learn to WASH their hands PROPERLY

 

 

They're obviously not logging in here, as we're all aware of the problem.

[MicCanberra]

Agree about people's hygiene but the best you can do is protect yourself by keeping yourself clean and being careful not to transmit anything from hand to mouth.

Enjoy your cruise Waydago.:D

[windsor26]

Also take sanitation wipes and wipe down your whole room including the telephone and the TV remote control light switches and door knobs Do not forget the life jacket and when you get the suitcases wipe them before you open them They have been everywhere and loads of people have handled them

 

We do this always and have NEVER in 45 cruises had noro

[Aus Traveller]

Agree about people's hygiene but the best you can do is protect yourself by keeping yourself clean and being careful not to transmit anything from hand to mouth.

Enjoy your cruise Waydago.:D

I believe many people get Noro after they touch an infected hand rail, door knob, lift button etc then go to eat without thoroughly washing their hands. The virus cannot enter through the skin, but if the person with the virus on their hands picks up food to eat (bread rolls etc), they will put the virus into their body via their mouth. If there is code red for Noro, we do not handle our food. :)

[tangogulf]

Use "wet ones". They have benzalkonium chloride in them that kills noro. Plain alcohol wipes and/or the sanitizer on the ship does not. Helps with most other nasties but not noro.

 

The tip about wiping luggage handles, zips etc is a good one.. Hadn't thought of that before.. We do wipe down all the other things on first entering our cabin. Takes a bit of time but it's worth it..

 

I often wonder if the cabin stewards don't unwittingly also contribute to the issue. Unless they are cleaning their hands and cleaning tools between cabins aren't they just a mode of transmission? Though how you sanitize a vacuum cleaner is beyond me.

Edited December 13, 2015 by tangogulf

[Aus Traveller]

I often wonder if the cabin stewards don't unwittingly also contribute to the issue. Unless they are cleaning their hands and cleaning tools between cabins aren't they just a mode of transmission? Though how you sanitize a vacuum cleaner is beyond me.

Immediately noro is reported by a passenger, that person's cabin is not cleaned by the regular steward. They have a special 'Hit Squad' that cleans the cabin a couple of times a day and takes away the linen in a special 'bio hazard' marked bag. Before a person reported the noro, the steward would come into contact with infected surfaces, but unless he/she eats with his/her hands, he/she will not get the disease. MAYBE the steward could pick up the virus in an infected cabin and transfer it to another cabin, but that passenger is not at risk unless they lick the infected surfaces (yuck!) or eat with their hands. It all comes down to that. :)

[MicCanberra]

Some great advice, I also avoid the buffet most of the time and this limits exposure to so many other germs as well.:D

[Vegasthriller]

On board explorer now. The cleaning team have done well to restrict it to 13 at last count. They are sanitizing EVERYTHING around the clock 24/7, and restricting self serve soft drink machines and limiting handling options at the eateries.

 

After having seen my share of unhygienic behaviour on the first day at Windjammer I refused to eat there again. Disgusting.

 

I don't think they scare people enough over speakers because I witnessed the same behaviour again yesterday. I don't want to put everyone in the same basket but while you have some cultures on board cruise ships you will never avoid noro outbreaks.

 

Otherwise we have had quite the eventful cruise. Unfortunately we had a death, condolences to all, on the 2nd port day at Tauranga. And 4 evicted in two separate incidents involving nudity.

[cheznandy]

On board explorer now. The cleaning team have done well to restrict it to 13 at last count. They are sanitizing EVERYTHING around the clock 24/7, and restricting self serve soft drink machines and limiting handling options at the eateries.

 

After having seen my share of unhygienic behaviour on the first day at Windjammer I refused to eat there again. Disgusting.

 

I don't think they scare people enough over speakers because I witnessed the same behaviour again yesterday. I don't want to put everyone in the same basket but while you have some cultures on board cruise ships you will never avoid noro outbreaks.

 

Otherwise we have had quite the eventful cruise. Unfortunately we had a death, condolences to all, on the 2nd port day at Tauranga. And 4 evicted in two separate incidents involving nudity.

 

OMG, our Xmas /New Year on Exporer is looking.....interesting:p

 

I saw a dad with his daughter at Windjammer on Voyager pick up a bread roll off the floor when the daughter dropped it, put it back in the pile and picked her another one with his bare hands:eek: disgusting!!

Were had trouble just getting a table in Windjammer, will try the dining room on Explorer for all meals.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise, thanks for the update

 

Chez

[Vegasthriller]

OMG, our Xmas /New Year on Exporer is looking.....interesting:p

 

I saw a dad with his daughter at Windjammer on Voyager pick up a bread roll off the floor when the daughter dropped it, put it back in the pile and picked her another one with his bare hands:eek: disgusting!!

Were had trouble just getting a table in Windjammer, will try the dining room on Explorer for all meals.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise, thanks for the update

 

Chez

 

OMG, our Xmas /New Year on Exporer is looking.....interesting:p

 

I saw a dad with his daughter at Windjammer on Voyager pick up a bread roll off the floor when the daughter dropped it, put it back in the pile and picked her another one with his bare hands:eek: disgusting!!

Were had trouble just getting a table in Windjammer, will try the dining room on Explorer for all meals.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise, thanks for the update

 

Chez

 

 

Ok. At the risk of grossing everyone out I will list only a couple of instances on this cruise right now.

 

A lady coughed/sneezed in the direction of the buffet covered her mouth (bless her lol) but in the same motion grabbed the tongs with the same hand without as much as a wipe!

 

Another woman picked her nose while standing at the buffet then used that hand to grab a handful of mini croissants.

 

A woman I was following out of the bathroom refused to wash her hands and when I suggest she should she claimed to not understand English. The same woman was I front of me in the dinning room line brushed off the guy offering the sanitiser. Glad she wasn't sitting anywhere near us!!!

[Bodogbodog]

Glad she wasn't sitting anywhere near us!!!

The comments on peoples behaviour are pretty worrying - but sadly not surprising

I wouldn't be worried about whether she was sitting near you - more the point where is she eating from at the buffet - and spreading her germs around at the same time :eek:

We much prefer to eat our means in the MDR when cruising - nothing I've read here suggests that's a bad decision ;)

[MicCanberra]

On board explorer now. The cleaning team have done well to restrict it to 13 at last count. They are sanitizing EVERYTHING around the clock 24/7, and restricting self serve soft drink machines and limiting handling options at the eateries.

 

After having seen my share of unhygienic behaviour on the first day at Windjammer I refused to eat there again. Disgusting.

 

I don't think they scare people enough over speakers because I witnessed the same behaviour again yesterday. I don't want to put everyone in the same basket but while you have some cultures on board cruise ships you will never avoid noro outbreaks.

 

Otherwise we have had quite the eventful cruise. Unfortunately we had a death, condolences to all, on the 2nd port day at Tauranga. And 4 evicted in two separate incidents involving nudity.

 

OMG, exactly why I avoid the buffet. Some People are pigs.

Shame about the death, condolences to their family and friends.

As for the incidents, evicting people off the ship happens more than you think, not always with the nudity though.:(

[The_Big_M]

I can only hope there aren't a lot of B2Bers on your current cruise. Erk!

[Cabansail]

Get used to seeing this all the time.

 

[YOUTUBE]6d4vDOR_atM[/YOUTUBE]

[MicCanberra]

It is good advice and would go a long way to stopping the spread of disease.

[waydago]

Thanks for all the advice about wiping over all the various things in the room with wet ones. Also to Vegasthriller for the up to the minute report. Dining room sounding like the place to go.

[megsie]

On the Voyager when the MDR is not open, we use the cafe promenade as everything is served and is ok for a light snack or lunch.

We are on Radiance (4N to Tas) with 2000+ first timers or first timers with RCI.

Some of the behaviour in the buffet is similar and have seen the waiters with the sanitisers stop and insist to some the need to use it.

A small child rearranging all the apple display - no parent in sight, tongs placed in the half empty tray of watermelon, picking up sliced cheese, bread, scones etc without tongs etc. We only went there a couple of times and that was enough.

Otherwise a nice little cruise with grandson.

Radiance is still ok despite some scathing reviews of late and is going to dry dock in April-May according to Captain.

[stingau]

Get used to seeing this all the time.

 

[YOUTUBE]6d4vDOR_atM[/YOUTUBE]

 

A greatconceptbut goes out the window as soon as you put your hand on the toilet door to exit. I also use my foot to open these doors or if it opens inwards towards me my left hand pinkie finger as high up the rail type handle as possible.

 

Oops now that I've told you lot that you will all start contamination,y area of the handle

[joandian]

When are people going to learn to WASH their hands PROPERLY

 

Ok, I'm here to tell you that you can WASH your Hands properly and still catch Noro. I'm a hand washer, always use paper to open the toilet doors, a wash and sanitise before I eat person and I still caught it on a Med/Venice cruise. I was so sick for 3 days I thought I was going to dye. Seriously!

 

Since then I have decided there are so many places on a ship I could have picked it up and possibly transferred it by just moving a hair from across my face. Now I never hold on to handrails on the steps, just sort of lean against them as I walk down stairs, never press the elevator button if I can help it, use a napkin in the buffet to handle any serving utensils and so on.

 

Maybe it's overkill but I'd rather do that than have noro again.

 

And as a further note, my husband watched people more closely after I had caught the noro (he didn't) and he was horrified at some of the things he saw people do around the ship that could spread any illness.

Edited December 14, 2015 by joandian

[joandian]

Immediately noro is reported by a passenger, that person's cabin is not cleaned by the regular steward. They have a special 'Hit Squad' that cleans the cabin a couple of times a day and takes away the linen in a special 'bio hazard' marked bag. Before a person reported the noro, the steward would come into contact with infected surfaces, but unless he/she eats with his/her hands, he/she will not get the disease. MAYBE the steward could pick up the virus in an infected cabin and transfer it to another cabin, but that passenger is not at risk unless they lick the infected surfaces (yuck!) or eat with their hands. It all comes down to that. :)

 

Not true from my experience.

[happysnapper]

Suffered from it on Sea Princess during a Pacific Island cruise. Being a nurse I knew to stay put in my cabin from the onset, and medical team came to me. The cleaning team did exactly what the above post said. Came in masked and gloved, Cleaned the room top to bottom including phone, hair dryer, remotes and other sundries. Removed all the clothes I had being wearing in the previous 24hrs. Yellow contaminated bags everywhere. I was confined to my cabin until symptoms free. Most of us are great at washing our hands it's the ones that don't who spoil our holidays.

[MicCanberra]

A greatconceptbut goes out the window as soon as you put your hand on the toilet door to exit. I also use my foot to open these doors or if it opens inwards towards me my left hand pinkie finger as high up the rail type handle as possible.

 

Oops now that I've told you lot that you will all start contamination,y area of the handle

 

I use a paper towel to open the door, then discard the towel in the bin. Some ships have these instructions at the door as well.:D

[NSWP]

Beware on P&O UK, on Aurora/Oriana recently it was common to see pax (99.99% pax were Brits) pick up bread rolls, sandwiches, cakes etc with their hands/fingers. The Rugby World Cup was shown in the bars and lounges on Aurora/Oriana and P&O UK put on complimentary snacks at half time, yes, the Poms were at the tucker, ignoring the tongs, napkins and even plates, scoffing the sausage rolls, meat balls, samosas and sambos down straight from the serving table and of course 'double dipping' into the tomato sauce, I kid you not.

 

But then you see it on other cruise lines too and on the Explorer of the Seas to which this thread originally relates, I have no doubt majority of pax are Australians, we are supposed to have high hygiene standards, but some grubs let us down. I have even see grub pax standing at the buffets picking at their plate with their fingers, putting food in their gobs and reloading the plate with their hands, true story.

 

I often wonder about crew hygiene too, you don't see their hygiene standards in their washrooms.

 

I copped noro real bad on Arcadia 3 years ago Sydney to Southampton and also on Golden Princess last year around South America, Brits and Americans comprised most of the pax lists on the respective ships. I did the right thing, went to the ship's Dr and was confined to cabin for 3 days, the Hit Squad arrived en masse. Being a Coeliac I have a low immune system and catch most things going around, even taking care.

 

I am starting to think about my future cruise career, think it might be at an end, seen just about everything I want to and the noro risks these days are not nice. We are not people to go on a ship just for the ship, like doing the Pacific Islands all the time, like many Aussies do, not for us, has to be new places.

Edited December 14, 2015 by NSWP