Noro Code Red on World Cruise

[kuldalai]

OMG...i'm on the RTW cruise and I assure you that the sky is not falling.

 

Please remember that our Souls on Board count is approximately 1000 so we're talking 20+ passengers/crew might be ill.

 

We are still going on excursions and lectures, we are still dining with great pleasure, and we are all doing everything they tell us to do to try and stay healthy for ourselves and others.

 

At every food station, at every coffee urn, at every snack place there is a nice crew person with gloves on and holding tongs. We passengers touch nothing.

 

Salt and pepper and everything else has been removed from the tables; the silverware is wrapped in a napkin and the glasses we need are brought to us with the beverages requested.

 

We have been kept informed by the Captain and he stated that he is following the protocols set up by the CDC. We are encouraged to call on the doctors and their visits are free.

 

All of the buses we take, including the shuttle buses, are being disinfected before we are allowed to enter.

 

Ship's staff accompanied us on our flight to Amboseli National Park and they all sprayed our hands as we boarded and left various means of transportation.

 

The crew is cleaning all handrails, elevator handrails, buttons, door handles, and everything they think we all might handle.

 

Good luck finding any place humans congregate that does not have the potential to share germs.

 

We're all having a great time today, and if some of us get sick, well....that's all part of travel. Let's not blame the ship or the cruise line.

 

If you want to get upset over something, our cabin attendant who was rejoicing 2 days ago over the birth of his first born, just told us the baby died.

 

Well stated . Cruise after cruise I have to tell pax NOT to touch food in buffet with their hands and use tongs provided. Last cruise on Princess the offender retorted "but I have sanitized my hands at the door", what hope have we got ? Little wonder we have so many noro outbreaks . Very sad for your cabin steward away from home and his wife . Sort of brings things back to reality .

Edited February 24, 2016 by kuldalai

[SellaVee]

I would second that. If Betsy were able to rejoin the cruise she'd certainly be among friends. I do remember, though, that Don was reluctant to do a long haul flight, which is why the Miami - Miami RTW was so appealing.

[Emma Chisit]

You on another cruise?

 

Yes indeed, and it would seem from early discussion in this thread that we must somehow be living dangerously.....

We too, just had lunch in Terrace restaurant (though not with cbb) which was packed with lots of people energetically sanitizing, and enthusiastically eating- LOTS. Then we walked along the deck (filled with lots more people sunning themselves on this glorious day at sea) to get back to our cabin.

Then I instituted my new Norovirus routine - which is to use one knuckle to press the lift buttons and then ride down to our deck - rather than holding the handrail and walking down the stairs. The one knuckle routine minimizes exposure to potentially germy surfaces. It is a sacrifice not to walk down the stairs, but one does what one must.

 

More seriously, I hope we don't get Noro, but if we do - it isn't the end of the world. We have had such bugs before in the dodgy places where we've lived, and have been OK after a couple of days. As cbb has so poignantly reminded us, there are those who have had much more pain visited upon them recently ....I sure do miss Hondorner and his voice of reason...

[buggins0402]

now that really is a tragedy, all the more so for the cabin attendant being so far from home. I remember you posting about the joy he felt on hearing of the baby's arrival. I expect, too, that you're also thinking about don, and betsy, every day. I know i am and we never even met.

 

Thanks, cynthia, for posting a balanced view of life on board and keep up the good work.

 

Sella

 

+ 1!

[2552phxcrzr]

OMG...i'm on the RTW cruise and I assure you that the sky is not falling.

 

Please remember that our Souls on Board count is approximately 1000 so we're talking 20+ passengers/crew might be ill.

 

We are still going on excursions and lectures, we are still dining with great pleasure, and we are all doing everything they tell us to do to try and stay healthy for ourselves and others.

 

At every food station, at every coffee urn, at every snack place there is a nice crew person with gloves on and holding tongs. We passengers touch nothing.

 

Salt and pepper and everything else has been removed from the tables; the silverware is wrapped in a napkin and the glasses we need are brought to us with the beverages requested.

 

We have been kept informed by the Captain and he stated that he is following the protocols set up by the CDC. We are encouraged to call on the doctors and their visits are free.

 

All of the buses we take, including the shuttle buses, are being disinfected before we are allowed to enter.

 

Ship's staff accompanied us on our flight to Amboseli National Park and they all sprayed our hands as we boarded and left various means of transportation.

 

The crew is cleaning all handrails, elevator handrails, buttons, door handles, and everything they think we all might handle.

 

Good luck finding any place humans congregate that does not have the potential to share germs.

 

We're all having a great time today, and if some of us get sick, well....that's all part of travel. Let's not blame the ship or the cruise line.

 

If you want to get upset over something, our cabin attendant who was rejoicing 2 days ago over the birth of his first born, just told us the baby died.

 

Very well put -- your last statement puts it all in perspective.

[m1k2s3]

OMG...i'm on the RTW cruise and I assure you that the sky is not falling.

 

Please remember that our Souls on Board count is approximately 1000 so we're talking 20+ passengers/crew might be ill.

 

We are still going on excursions and lectures, we are still dining with great pleasure, and we are all doing everything they tell us to do to try and stay healthy for ourselves and others.

 

At every food station, at every coffee urn, at every snack place there is a nice crew person with gloves on and holding tongs. We passengers touch nothing.

 

Salt and pepper and everything else has been removed from the tables; the silverware is wrapped in a napkin and the glasses we need are brought to us with the beverages requested.

 

We have been kept informed by the Captain and he stated that he is following the protocols set up by the CDC. We are encouraged to call on the doctors and their visits are free.

 

All of the buses we take, including the shuttle buses, are being disinfected before we are allowed to enter.

 

Ship's staff accompanied us on our flight to Amboseli National Park and they all sprayed our hands as we boarded and left various means of transportation.

 

The crew is cleaning all handrails, elevator handrails, buttons, door handles, and everything they think we all might handle.

 

Good luck finding any place humans congregate that does not have the potential to share germs.

 

We're all having a great time today, and if some of us get sick, well....that's all part of travel. Let's not blame the ship or the cruise line.

 

If you want to get upset over something, our cabin attendant who was rejoicing 2 days ago over the birth of his first born, just told us the baby died.

 

 

Thank You for your positive attitude and for putting this into perspective. My heart goes out to your cabin attendant. I feel overwhelmed with the number of posts on Noro and reading your post was refreshing. I think I'm going to focus more on reading other threads and stop reading anything more on noro.

[cbb]

m1k2s3--

 

I think not reading any more about Noro is an excellent idea. The folks I've talked to on the RTW are joking about the noro threads they're reading here.

 

ccritic is filled with great threads and excellent advice--read those and ignore this other stuff.

Edited February 24, 2016 by cbb

[Mura]

No, they are living through it and surviving. Just because their experiences and perceptions are different from yours doesn't make them wrong.

 

It doesn't make those people who are extremely unhappy wrong either.

 

Our biggest complaint with Noro on Marina last year was that we had to have meat cooked longer than we like. That wasn't such a great trial. We were lucky that we didn't endure worse and we realize that.

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

Mura - +1

[LHT28]

If you want to get upset over something, our cabin attendant who was rejoicing 2 days ago over the birth of his first born, just told us the baby died.

OMG Cynthia

how sad for him please express our deepest sympathies to him & his family

Very hard to lose a child

 

Lyn

[newlondon]

cbb, What a tragedy! We always get close to our butler/attendant and an event like that is so devastating. We were amazed when an Indian butler on SS was returning to his town to marry a woman he had never seen. Not a tragedy, but a commentary on what other cultures experience.

[buggins0402]

I hope the RTW'ers realize that my "sky is falling" comment was just exasperation at yet another Noro thread started by the same person.

Edited February 24, 2016 by buggins0402

[SellaVee]

I hope the RTW'ers realize that my "sky is falling" comment was just exasperation at yet another Noro thread started by the same person.

 

I certainly did and you added a smilie but I think some have taken it seriously :(.

[Mura]

OMG Cynthia

how sad for him please express our deepest sympathies to him & his family

Very hard to lose a child

 

Lyn

 

#1 Lyn. And even harder when you are away from home and cannot be with your wife and other family. My heart breaks for him.

 

Mura

[RJB]

Well, I'd give anything to be on that ship, experiencing the world...Noro and all!

 

They are experiencing the world in all it's glory!

Not a lot of glory when noro is on the ship. The cleaning and all the problems with even going to eat are stressful, but we put up with them and still and a good time. But NO GLORY..

[buggins0402]

Not a lot of glory when noro is on the ship. The cleaning and all the problems with even going to eat are stressful, but we put up with them and still and a good time. But NO GLORY..

 

I was on the fire cruise. I could have looked at things that weren't delivered that would have made things nice. But, instead I saw all the ways the cruise line delivered under extreme duress. You choose your viewpoint. You choose your contentment with life.

[RachelG]

So sorry to hear about your cabin steward's loss. I know he is heartbroken, especially worse since he can't be with his family.

 

As far as the Noro is concerned, it was brought aboard from outside the ship well after the world cruisers embarked in Miami. This sort of virus spreads rapidly and easily when people are in close quarters.

[Mura]

Too bad that some people do not want to live in the real world and ignore the stuff they do not like. Have to face up to what is real in their lives and deal with it. Like it or not Noro is with us and we will need to live with it.

 

 

I don't understand why you insist that everyone react the way you have to the problem. I'm not saying you didn't have a miserable experience; I wasn't there, I don't know. (I take your statements about your experience at face value.)

 

I do know that my experience with a similar problem was really not that bad. And it appears that at least SOME who are on the RTW cruise haven't had a problem either. That does NOT mean that they are not living in the real world.

 

I have been on trips (very rarely) that were difficult -- for other reasons, not Noro. My experience on Oceania, even with the Noro outbreak on Marina last spring, was not all that difficult. We were quarantined for one whole day and then released -- probably because DH had an ordinary intestinal problem, not Noro. We agree that this was not a prime experience on Oceania but it was NOT horrible.

 

You are very unhappy with your experience. Okay, that is your right. But please don't insist that everyone else have the same reaction.

 

(I might well have a future cruise where I could be as upset you are ... but that hasn't happened yet. I like to think that it will not.)

 

Mura

[TrulyBlonde]

I am rather Noro'd out...too many blogs and posts

[Travelcat2]

Mura - once again I agree with you. Also want to mention that RachaelG is a physician and knows what she is talking about.

[cbb]

"Not a lot of glory when noro is on the ship. The cleaning and all the problems with even going to eat are stressful, but we put up with them and still and a good time. But NO GLORY.."

 

 

I'm sorry, but I disagree with you this morning. I just finished walking, the sun is out, the seas are flat, people are nodding good morning at each other.

 

Yes, there is Noro on board and no, I'm not making light of it, but this isn't like some plague ship and we're all hanging over the sides.

 

We're rational adults who know that people get sick and we're trying to take precautions and the ship's crew is doing all that they can.

 

the day is absolutely glorious.

Edited February 25, 2016 by cbb

[smoothsailors]

SO glad that you are having a wonderful day...hope the next 4 months will be only smooth sailing and wonderful adventures! You have the best attitude and we've truly been enjoying all your adventures...except for the reptiles. (I'd handle a little Noro much better than the sight of a large python. Won't even stop at the gas stations on Alligator Alley anymore because of what's multiplying in the Everglades!!!)

 

Really quite an amazing journey you're on and you first have exciting stops ahead!

[RJB]

I don't understand why you insist that everyone react the way you have to the problem. I'm not saying you didn't have a miserable experience; I wasn't there, I don't know. (I take your statements about your experience at face value.)

 

I do know that my experience with a similar problem was really not that bad. And it appears that at least SOME who are on the RTW cruise haven't had a problem either. That does NOT mean that they are not living in the real world.

 

I have been on trips (very rarely) that were difficult -- for other reasons, not Noro. My experience on Oceania, even with the Noro outbreak on Marina last spring, was not all that difficult. We were quarantined for one whole day and then released -- probably because DH had an ordinary intestinal problem, not Noro. We agree that this was not a prime experience on Oceania but it was NOT horrible.

 

You are very unhappy with your experience. Okay, that is your right. But please don't insist that everyone else have the same reaction.

 

(I might well have a future cruise where I could be as upset you are ... but that hasn't happened yet. I like to think that it will not.)

 

Mura

Never said this cruise was horrible. In a previous post I called our other Oceania cruises home runs and this one a double or a single. NOT a strike out. About the same thinking as most of the people we talked to on board.