Noro on Riviera again

[LHT28]

Both my husband and I noticed several people leaving the washrooms and not washing their hands or using the hand sanitizers.

It is people like that they are part of the problem

We are suppose to be adults do they need to have someone at the door to tell people to wash their hands after using the w/c

Makes you wonder if they were raised in a barn :eek::eek:

[bitob]

I don't recall Noro on the R ships. Curious

[ORV]

Have a great cruise Norm. No reason to worry, since there is nothing you can do about it. We board the Riviera in 5 weeks.

 

Norm? Is that because everybody on board knows my name?

[Mura]

Marina had it on the May cruise from Montreal to Southampton

The Maasdam came in the day before Marina & the ship was sick some passenger were staying at the same hotel & could have still been contagious so spreading the virus to others ashore

 

 

Remember that the problem on Marina started two cruises before yours with the Lima-NY cruise (in between was the NY-Montreal cruise). It had seemed that the problem had been solved after our Lima-NY cruise but then it rebounded. I don't discount your theory about a sick passenger possibly bringing it back on board in Montreal. But I have not heard any problems of Noro returning to Marina since your cruise, Lyn. (Which doesn't mean it hasn't happened.)

 

But the repeated problems on Riviera for several or more months is concerning.

 

Mura

[Keith1010]

Seems to be the norm on most ships given that people are on together for a long time and it gets reports rather than at a hotel where people come and go.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

Remember that the problem on Marina started two cruises before yours with the Lima-NY cruise (in between was the NY-Montreal cruise). It had seemed that the problem had been solved after our Lima-NY cruise but then it rebounded. I don't discount your theory about a sick passenger possibly bringing it back on board in Montreal. But I have not heard any problems of Noro returning to Marina since your cruise, Lyn. (Which doesn't mean it hasn't happened.)

 

But the repeated problems on Riviera for several or more months is concerning.

 

Mura

 

I think Marina continued to battle the virus to the Baltic

 

I have not heard of any problems on Riviera since early Dec cruises

so whatever the problem was it seemed to be absent for a a month or more

Just hope they get it under control quickly

 

My biggest complaint is they do not tell people there is a problem until it is well underway

DH noticed a problem a few days after Quebec city by day 6 (in Sydney) they started to wipe the chairs down in the Terrace & stopped people from entering unless they used the gel

 

We got off that afternoon to head home DH was was sick not from Noro

Another couple got off in the morning & i suspect because he had the virus ...they had the Hazmat bags outside his cabin when we passed by

 

We were fine until we were not ...thank goodness we made it home before it struck me down :eek:

 

It is people who spread the bug

[MVPinBoynton]

Norm? Is that because everybody on board knows my name?

 

I can't believe I called you Norm, Orv. I can always blame it on age. :D Have a great one.

[SkystheLimit]

We just disembarked from the Riveria this morning. Yes, we noticed something going on three or four days ago. I first noticed a lot of cleaning going on at first, then our ice bucket disappeared. Then about two days ago the captain announced their were several passengers were experiencing gastro intestinal issues - see the doctor on board (complementary) if necessary and wash your hands and use the hand sanitizers. At dinner, they served you bread and butter rather than leaving it on the table and salt and pepper shakers had been removed. Then yesterday, in Key West, the captain announced that there were now 2% of passengers and crew affected and the CDC had been informed.

We were fine but then again, we washed our hands regularly and used the hand sanitizer all the time. Both my husband and I noticed several people leaving the washrooms and not washing their hands or using the hand sanitizers.

 

Just off the Riviera this morning also. There was a huge

effort by the crew to keep this virus under control. We were some of the last off the ship this AM. Many people involved in a sterilization process all over the ship as we were leaving.We have not been on a cruise this

time of year in the last five years that has not had an outbreak. I just wander if the cruise cards are one of the culprits? I admit I am obsessive about washing my hands and I do avoid the public rest rooms.

 

We had a nice cruise. Food was fantastic with wonderful service in all areas. The ship is beautifully maintained and was one of the cleanest we have been on in recent years.

Found drinks to be expensive. We sailed mostly all inclusive the last couple of years and missed the ease of not signing for everything.

 

Key West was a great last port of call. Docked right in town with most things in walking distance. Beautiful sail away.

 

Hope all goes well for those on the next cruise.

[GeezerCouple]

Seems to be the norm on most ships given that people are on together for a long time and it gets reports rather than at a hotel where people come and go.

 

Keith

 

This is certainly true ^

 

People staying at hotels scatter rather quickly, and unless there is some horrendous health issue requiring the investigative capacities of agencies like the CDC, no one will link the disparate cases.

(Worse, one sick kitchen worker, for example, in a hotel could continue to infect others over time, and it would take quite an outbreak to be "detected" and traced back. It might be different at a resort where most guests stay an extended time.)

 

Case in point (perhaps): Last May, we were in Italy for 3 weeks and spent the first 5 nights in Venice. This was a land-only trip, but of course, there are lots of cruise passengers coming off a variety of ships in Venice.

 

We then took a train to Milan, and very early the next morning, I became viciously ill, and after a few days, I ended up in hospital.

They never tested for Noro, but what I had was certainly *like* Noro, including all of the assorted nastiness.

[bTW, I did indeed self-quarantine of necessity; I was literally unable to leave the room until I was carted off by ambulance.:(]

 

We've assumed that I caught something at the Venice hotel, probably from the self-serve breakfast buffet.

Obviously, I caught "something, somewhere" in Venice, but it was never documented back in Venice as far as we know.

 

We will not again use self-serve buffets.

And we VERY much appreciated the "served buffets" on the Riviera over the holidays, probably more than most of the other passengers...

 

Also, those hand sanitizers are not effective against Noro, although they may be effective against other agents.

The CDC has a list of sanitizers that are effective against Noro, and most can't be used directly on the skin.

(We now travel with wipes that are effective against Noro - and many other agents - and wipe down door knobs, light switchs, remotes, telephones, etc., in our accommodations on land or sea. But that won't be effective against contaminated surfaces like handrails or public doorknobs...)

 

Washing well with soap and water can do a lot to minimize the contagion.

 

We had been very worried about the Riviera holiday cruise after all of the reports of lingering Noro on earlier cruises, but thank goodness, all went well on the ship then.

[kitty9]

I cannot agree with this statement as the Dec outbreak started in Europe on the Atlantic crossing and has never left the ship.

 

Incorrect. We were on Riviera on the Jan 23 sailing and absolutely nothing about Noro on our cruise. Some friends were on the cruise before ours and again, no Noro.

 

We had two schools and a private daycare facility close this week due to Noro. It's everywhere and not just on cruise ships. I've been on many ships that had Noro outbreaks, from Celebrity to Royal Caribbean to Regent and Princess. No line is immune.

Edited February 12, 2016 by kitty9

[TJSinCT]

Just got off of Riviera. Yes, it has Noro. We were notified 7 days into the cruise of the problem but they knew the day before because sanitizing had begun. My guess is the virus is contracted at a port of call because the incubation period of 48 hrs would lead one to believe everyone got on healthy unless trying to hide symptoms.

[Noxequifans]

We leave on the Riveria in a month and we hope we haven't made a mistake booking this cruise.

 

We recently have been concerned about the Zika virus. We really don't want to now worry about Norovirus.

 

Hopefully top management is paying attention to Norovirus on the Riveria.

 

This is our ninth O cruise and Norovirus on this upcoming cruise would end our travel with O.

[MVPinBoynton]

We leave on the Riveria in a month and we hope we haven't made a mistake booking this cruise.

 

We recently have been concerned about the Zika virus. We really don't want to now worry about Norovirus.

 

Hopefully top management is paying attention to Norovirus on the Riveria.

 

This is our ninth O cruise and Norovirus on this upcoming cruise would end our travel with O.

 

Since most cruise lines have Noro outbreaks, you might want to look at land based vacations. Of course, since people are the ones that bring Noro onboard, you could have issues there to.

[ORV]

I can't believe I called you Norm, Orv. I can always blame it on age. :D Have a great one.

 

Mike, I've been called worse;). As I type my wife is reading your review of Auckland to Sydney.

 

We will not again use self-serve buffets.

And we VERY much appreciated the "served buffets" on the Riviera over the holidays, probably more than most of the other passengers...

 

Oddly enough I've recently read a review that noted the lack of self service buffet as a con on Oceania. I see it as a BIG pro.

[MVPinBoynton]

Mike, I've been called worse;). As I type my wife is reading your review of Auckland to Sydney.

 

That must mean that you are looking at going Down Under next year. We have been wanting to return, especially since we have friends that live outside Auckland. If I didn't already have a different January cruise, that is when we would have gone.

[eddmel]

I don't think most cruise lines have Norovirus. We are going to be on the Riviera soon and are looking forward to our Oceania suite. I hear about Norovirus on lower priced cruise lines, not cruise lines like Oceania. Oceania should do what they need to do so we don't have to face Norovirus.

[shedridt]

The announcement on Riviera Feb 11 was that '2% of passengers' had reported gastro-intestinal distress in the last 24 hours. No confirmation of norovirus was made at all! The captain said that when more than 2% of the passengers report with gastro-intestinal problems they launch into disinfection mode in a big way, & to be sure, they did.

 

They were swabbing decks & tabletops & railings to a faretheewell, & oddly enough part of the protocol for this sort of thing means that table tops are left wet-swabbed with no attempt to dry them. On wet tabletops were perched little signs that said "Disinfection in progress". Apparently allowing the disinfectant to air dry is part of the disinfecting process. Set tables had no condiments of any kind - no salt/pepper/sugar/milk for tea or coffee. You had to ask for each item & they were delivered to you individually. This must have placed incredible demands on the crew.

 

Several thoughts on this ---- on other cruise ships they have posted crew at entrances to dining facilities to insist that passengers use hand sanitizers before entering the facility. Surely this is a good preventive measure & I was surprised Oceania did not do this until after the horse had bolted the barn, so to speak. BUT this outbreak occurred after docking at the very attractive port of Costa Maya & surely folks were eating at local restaurants - perhaps without considering whether local sanitation was up to American standards.

 

My own husband did get sick & he wouldn't touch local food with a barge pole in places where there could be any question of contamination, so draw your own conclusions. He DID have orange juice on a local beach & on reflection wondered if perhaps it had been diluted with local water. Twelve hours after disembarkation he remains 'weak & pale', asking for a bit of thin soup to build up his system. Sarah Bernhardt here we come! I will deliver the thin gruel, however! The poor guy is not feeling all that sporty!

[shedridt]

There were no plans at all to delay boarding the cruise that was to leave Miami Feb 12. Only about 20 passengers reported gastro-intestinal problems - this was in no way a panic by any stretch of the imagination!

[roberts2005]

I think Marina continued to battle the virus to the Baltic

 

I have not heard of any problems on Riviera since early Dec cruises

so whatever the problem was it seemed to be absent for a a month or more

Just hope they get it under control quickly

 

My biggest complaint is they do not tell people there is a problem until it is well underway

DH noticed a problem a few days after Quebec city by day 6 (in Sydney) they started to wipe the chairs down in the Terrace & stopped people from entering unless they used the gel

 

We got off that afternoon to head home DH was was sick not from Noro

Another couple got off in the morning & i suspect because he had the virus ...they had the Hazmat bags outside his cabin when we passed by

 

We were fine until we were not ...thank goodness we made it home before it struck me down :eek:

 

It is people who spread the bug

 

The Marina still had it in June on our Baltic cruise

[Mura]

That is distressing to hear. So it continued almost a year (at least) after our NY-Lima cruise in April/May '15 on MARINA.

 

That would suggest that "steam cleaning" in port when no passengers come on is *not* sufficient.

 

OTOH, when you have schedules depending on arriving in port one day and leaving for another cruise the next, what happens when they eliminate a cruise and do a thorough cleaning?

 

I suppose that could be done! But they'd have to compensate the passengers who suddenly don't have a cruise, many of whom who have booked their own air, etc.

 

Not easily done. (But should they do so anyway? It would appear so.)

 

Mura

[roberts2005]

It is not only the Noro. By the end of many cruise on HAL, a large number of passengers have bad coughs.

 

It is a problem any time large groups trave together.

 

Spent two weeks on a river cruise last July, no Noro but a fair number of people with bad coughs

[LHT28]

That is distressing to hear. So it continued almost a year (at least) after our NY-Lima cruise in April/May '15 on MARINA.

 

Mura

It was there for about 2 mths

it was clear when she left NYC for Montreal as no one reported being ill on that cruise & some passengers had done NYC to Southampton route

It was reported on the june cruises

hardly a year but for those that had it may seem like it ;)

Edited February 13, 2016 by LHT28

[LHT28]

It is not only the Noro. By the end of many cruise on HAL, a large number of passengers have bad coughs.

 

It is a problem any time large groups trave together.

 

Spent two weeks on a river cruise last July, no Noro but a fair number of people with bad coughs

I have had that cruise cough on several cruises ..it is hard to get rid of

Got sick on our river cruise also with the cough

sometimes you cannot win

[LHT28]

Several thoughts on this ---- on other cruise ships they have posted crew at entrances to dining facilities to insist that passengers use hand sanitizers before entering the facility. Surely this is a good preventive measure & I was surprised Oceania did not do this until after the horse had bolted the barn, so to speak. BUT this outbreak occurred after docking at the very attractive port of Costa Maya & surely folks were eating at local restaurants - perhaps without considering whether local sanitation was up to American standards.

 

My own husband did get sick & he wouldn't touch local food with a barge pole in places where there could be any question of contamination, so draw your own conclusions. He DID have orange juice on a local beach & on reflection wondered if perhaps it had been diluted with local water.

 

Even if he did not eat on shore .... once someone brings it on the ship & touches something then you come along & touch the same thing & touch your mouth or eyes etc...your done for :eek:

 

As for posting someone at the entrances ..we are adults & should know enough to use the gel & wash our hands after using the toilet but somehow this practice of hygiene seems to be a foreign concept to some

I hope he feels better soon

 

Been there, done that & do not want to go there again :eek:

[ORV]

That must mean that you are looking at going Down Under next year. We have been wanting to return, especially since we have friends that live outside Auckland. If I didn't already have a different January cruise, that is when we would have gone.

 

I leave Monday for Sydney.

 

I don't think most cruise lines have Norovirus. We are going to be on the Riviera soon and are looking forward to our Oceania suite. I hear about Norovirus on lower priced cruise lines, not cruise lines like Oceania. Oceania should do what they need to do so we don't have to face Norovirus.

 

Apparently germs are no respecter of income level.