Gastro Outbreak on Expolorer of the Seas

[MicCanberra]

It would be a shame to have to give up cruising but I understand wanting new places to go to and finding getting there to do those itineraries so much more expensive.

[NSWP]

It would be a shame to have to give up cruising but I understand wanting new places to go to and finding getting there to do those itineraries so much more expensive.

Thanks for your commiseration Mr Mic, we might be at the end of our extensive cruising career, but we have the memories.

For the first time since retirement in 2003, I have no future cruise bookings, now that is sad. But the boss and granddaughter are on Diamond Princess 23 Jan - NZ. I will just have to check bridgecam every day and cry.

 

Hang on, I can get the Manly Ferry for $2.50 next time I am up in Steak and Kidney, LOL.

Edited December 15, 2015 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for your commiseration Mr Mic, we might be at the end of our extensive cruising career, but we have the memories.

For the first time since retirement in 2003, I have no future cruise bookings, now that is sad. But the boss and granddaughter are on Diamond Princess 23 Jan - NZ. I will just have to check bridgecam every day and cry.

 

Hang on, I can get the Manly Ferry for $2.50 next time I am up in Steak and Kidney, LOL.

 

May as well have a beer at Manly while you are there.:cool:

[Aus Traveller]

Not true from my experience.

What did you feel was not true? Maybe we have cruised with different cruiselines. :)

[lyndarra]

May as well have a beer at Manly while you are there.:cool:

As self funded retirees, that $2.50 excursion fare is the only thing we get that could be called a benefit. We've done the trip to Squidley a few times. E.g. Bus to Newcastle station (that's no longer possible), train to Central then to Circular Quay, next the ferry to Manly and a beer and pub lunch. A great day out.

Edited December 15, 2015 by lyndarra
typos

[MicCanberra]

As self funded retirees, that $2.50 excursion fare is the only thing we get that could be called a benefit. We've done the trip to Squidley a few times. E.g. Bus to Newcastle station (that's no longer possible), train to Central then to Circular Quay, next the ferry to Manly and a beer and pub lunch. A great day out.

 

Yes, lovely day out as long as it is not too hot.:D

[Nelie]

Gastro is actually going around Australia at the moment. I sorta work in the health industry and after just finishing off with the cold, flu and persistent cough season the latest thing to back track us is Gastro. Some a few days others a few weeks. So that combined with a cruise ship and bam

[MicCanberra]

Gastro is actually going around Australia at the moment. I sorta work in the health industry and after just finishing off with the cold, flu and persistent cough season the latest thing to back track us is Gastro. Some a few days others a few weeks. So that combined with a cruise ship and bam

 

Yeah, there is always more gastro off the ship than on, as it is in schools and such.

[cruisine21]

The SMH reported this morning that 182 passengers caught the virus.

[kiwipete]

Not true from my experience.

 

Was definitely correct when we were affected on Dawn Princes. Can't praise the crew highly enough.

[joandian]

What did you feel was not true? Maybe we have cruised with different cruiselines. :)

 

We were on RCI Brilliance. I went to the Dr and was confined to my cabin but no one came and cleaned at all. In fact the sheets felt grotty after laying in bed for 2 days straight so my husband asked the Stateroom attendant if she could get someone to change them. She had to go up the chain and finally received permission to do it. No one special, no special cleaning but finally clean sheets.

 

On another note, we were invited on a kitchen tour the next year on Mariner. We were nearly half way through when the Head Chef received a phone call that noro had been reported onboard. He said special procedures were now in place and we had to leave quickly. They put the code???? in place when .4 or .5% present with noro.

Edited December 15, 2015 by joandian

[MicCanberra]

http://www.9news.com.au/health/2015/12/16/08/16/182-passengers-struck-down-with-gastro-on-cruise-ship

 

Made the news! Was it really almost 200 people? Definitely seems to be going around at the moment. Will be ultra vigilant and take my high power Dettol handsoap with me on Sunday.

 

Yes, I suppose 182 is nearly 200. Considering the size of her though with a capacity for 4000 pax and 1200 crew, then 3.8% is not that many, although IMO, it is still too much.

Edited December 15, 2015 by MicCanberra

[Mike Courier]

My wife and I were recently on Explorer Of The Seas repositioning cruise from Singapore to Fremantle. As a recently retired executive chef I was horrified to witness the first morning at breakfast in the Windjammer buffet the disgusting and unhygienic habits of some of the passengers.

 

One put two sausages on his plate and then decided he didn't want them and put them back on the tray. I reprimanded him for what he had done, he did apologise, but there were many other instances that made my wife and myself decide that we would not dine in the Windjammer ever again.

 

At the hotels where I was an executive chef, the very first thing I expunged in every instance was the buffet where one existed. They are the perfect recipe for the spreading of disease from both the food and the public's handling thereof.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Mike Courier

[Haoie]

News in NZ is reporting it as well - must be fairly serious.

[bazzaw]

a question that never gets answered is -- on a ship of 3000 passengers and 1500? staff, why do ONLY 182 people get the Noro???? What are they doing, have done (or not done) - to get the virus.

 

Personally, I am convinced that the majority of the sufferers are indeed the ones who do not wash their hands enough -- or AT THE RIGHT TIME ( ie immediately before eating) !!!!

[bazzaw]

I have had a dose of Noro --once!!! - even then I don't think it was really Noro as I was not sick at all, just huge bad diarrhea:(

 

We had been ashore in Ko Samui, Thailand on a ship's shore tour. I was TOO LAZY to seek out a restroom to wash my hands before sitting down to the provided lunch at a fancy hotel!!!!

 

Absolutely nobody to blame except myself!!!!

[Hawka]

News just said 180 sick and I saw that you guys also copped a fresh storm that made your ship list

[Aus Traveller]

We were on RCI Brilliance. I went to the Dr and was confined to my cabin but no one came and cleaned at all. In fact the sheets felt grotty after laying in bed for 2 days straight so my husband asked the Stateroom attendant if she could get someone to change them. She had to go up the chain and finally received permission to do it. No one special, no special cleaning but finally clean sheets.

 

On another note, we were invited on a kitchen tour the next year on Mariner. We were nearly half way through when the Head Chef received a phone call that noro had been reported onboard. He said special procedures were now in place and we had to leave quickly. They put the code???? in place when .4 or .5% present with noro.

When the infection rate reaches a certain percentage code red procedures are instituted.

 

I am interested to read what you say happened on RCI. My comments related to Princess where the Hit Squad totally cleans every inch of the cabin. I think they do this twice a day. Your earlier comment that what I said about the Hit Squad cleaning the cabin "was not true" related to your experience on one cruise line. :) The response on RCI does not sound good.:( My experience on a lot of ships is that Noro is usually taken very seriously.

[Aus Traveller]

a question that never gets answered is -- on a ship of 3000 passengers and 1500? staff, why do ONLY 182 people get the Noro???? What are they doing, have done (or not done) - to get the virus.

 

Personally, I am convinced that the majority of the sufferers are indeed the ones who do not wash their hands enough -- or AT THE RIGHT TIME ( ie immediately before eating) !!!![/quote]

I agree with your comment. The Noro virus cannot enter through a person's skin. It can only enter through the mouth (usually on food that may be picked up in the hands), nose or eyes. I don't know about the restaurant you went to :D, but on Princess ships, crew have to go to their cabin immediately if they have symptoms. Failure to do so is a disciplinary offence. I am fairly confident that on a cruiseship you are unlikely to get Noro from crew in the kitchen. Once 'code red' is instituted, passengers cannot serve themselves in the buffet and there are no salt/pepper shakers on the table.

 

We have gone on close to 60 cruises and haven't got Noro on a ship. Years ago we had it while on holiday at a Queensland resort when our children picked it up from other kids. We didn't know what it was and didn't know how to protect ourselves from it. All five of us were very sick. :(

[NSWP]

http://www.9news.com.au/health/2015/12/16/08/16/182-passengers-struck-down-with-gastro-on-cruise-ship

 

Made the news! Was it really almost 200 people? Definitely seems to be going around at the moment. Will be ultra vigilant and take my high power Dettol handsoap with me on Sunday.

And take Uncle's tip, take a daily double tot of OP Rum, strictly for medicinal purposes, kills the noro. LOL.

 

Above all, ENJOY !!

[MicCanberra]

My wife and I were recently on Explorer Of The Seas repositioning cruise from Singapore to Fremantle. As a recently retired executive chef I was horrified to witness the first morning at breakfast in the Windjammer buffet the disgusting and unhygienic habits of some of the passengers.

 

One put two sausages on his plate and then decided he didn't want them and put them back on the tray. I reprimanded him for what he had done, he did apologise, but there were many other instances that made my wife and myself decide that we would not dine in the Windjammer ever again.

 

At the hotels where I was an executive chef, the very first thing I expunged in every instance was the buffet where one existed. They are the perfect recipe for the spreading of disease from both the food and the public's handling thereof.

 

Exactly why I avoid the buffet and will eat nearly anywhere else if the options are there.:D

Edited December 16, 2015 by MicCanberra

[MicCanberra]

And take Uncle's tip, take a daily double tot of OP Rum, strictly for medicinal purposes, kills the noro. LOL.

 

Above all, ENJOY !!

 

Rum is a good way of killing many complaints, even hangovers.;)

[joandian]

When the infection rate reaches a certain percentage code red procedures are instituted.

 

I am interested to read what you say happened on RCI. My comments related to Princess where the Hit Squad totally cleans every inch of the cabin. I think they do this twice a day. Your earlier comment that what I said about the Hit Squad cleaning the cabin "was not true" related to your experience on one cruise line. :) The response on RCI does not sound good.:( My experience on a lot of ships is that Noro is usually taken very seriously.

 

Well things could have changed in the years since then. They did constantly clean the rest of the ship, just not worry about the cabins. As I mentioned in my other post I go to the extreme now to make sure I don't catch it again. Even through I was already a constant hand washer, I still caught it back then.

[Vegasthriller]

We just disembarked the Explorer. We were told there were only 13 affected at the half way mark of the cruise, whether that was staff trying not to alarm other cruisers or whether the number then blew out to the 187 I'm not sure.

 

Also I made a post about the ship listing on another thread. It really wasn't more than 10 degrees, but the time it went on for was the scary part. I've never experienced a 2 minute list before. In saying that though, weirdly she still felt quite stable and I personally didn't think we were ever going all the way over lol. Although we were on deck 6 on the "higher" port side. Starboard side towards the water might have been scarier!

[Vegasthriller]

I should also add that the ships cleaning staff are an absolute tribute as to why it didn't spread to more of the 3,000+ guests. Every inch of the ship was disinfected and re-disinfected at least 3-4 times per hour. I saw one girl on our level who I witnessed from 8am to 6pm with a bucket and sponge just going up and back all the stateroom door handles, doors and railings constantly. She never stopped. Every time I walked to the room all day she was there.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Vegasthriller