On Marina now...

[RJB]

We are just on the marina - with the changed route = Monaco tomorrow.

In that certain roll-call we posted an offer to our cruise-mates for this destination. So if you are with us on the marina in the moment and interested in a private excursion with a taxi or local TA-Minivan to share with us from Monte Carlo - give us a call to our room/8046 rolleyes:

Rita + Andreas

How have they changed the route and why? Noro? :confused:

[KrautAIDA]

How have they changed the route and why? Noro? :confused:

 

No - it is about the stormy weather/heavy sea = they expected a too rough sea for the (night) way to livorno/florence, so we skipped and went directly to monaco instead.

Very sad, we wanted to go to florence as one of the highlights of this cruise!

Greetings-

Rita + Andreas

[RJB]

No - it is about the stormy weather/heavy sea = they expected a too rough sea for the (night) way to livorno/florence, so we skipped and went directly to monaco instead.

Very sad, we wanted to go to florence as one of the highlights of this cruise!

Greetings-

Rita + Andreas

Too bad about the route change but I am sure you will have a great time as long as the ship is clean of any sickness.

[JimandStan]

Very sad, we wanted to go to florence as one of the highlights of this cruise!

 

This is seldom offered as advice on Cruise Critic, but one of the reasons why off season Mediterranean Cruises, such as yours, are less expensive is that the weather is poorer and generally not as predictable as it is in Spring and Summer.

 

Perhaps this Post will save someone else from similar disappointments.....

[Cruiser Jane]

Here is my story. We just got home this morning and it's hard for me to write this because we looked so forward to this cruise and it was ruined by Norovirus.

 

We boarded Marina on Nov. 1 at about noon. We were having a great time until about 8pm at Jacques while waiting for our entrée to arrive. I began to feel nausea. I waited 5 min. then realized I had to go up to the room. I told Bill who said he’d come with me. I stood to leave and fainted. I came to on the floor in a pool of vomit. I’ve never fainted before in my 65 years. I was wheeled to the Medical center where they gave me a drip of glucose and an EKG! They pricked my finger to check my glucose level. I vomited again. Too weak to stand. The very nice nurse helped me out of my soiled clothing and put them in a bag. Said she’d send them to the laundry. I never saw them again. I was released with a diagnosis of dehydration. Back in the cabin an hour, the nurse came and gave me a shot of Phenergan for the nausea. I didn’t vomit again but felt very sick the whole next day. That night – 5:45 am, I began diarrhea. Lasted until about 8am. I thought it had stopped but then started up again, so I called the nurse to see what I should take. 2 nurses showed up, talked to me, then quarantined me and Bill, who was on a shore excursion that I had to miss (one of the included O tours). The nurse said it would only be for one day. We’d still be able to make the already paid for tour Bill had booked with 8 other CC members. Next day, both nurses came and told me we’d be quarantined for another day! So we both missed Bill’s tour and one I booked the next day. Room service was always missing something important. I ordered oatmeal, cinnamon, raisins, and truvia and 2 bran muffins. We got everything but the oatmeal and only 1 bran muffin. Oatmeal came another half hour. Life cooped up in a cabin is no fun! At least, thank GOD, we had a veranda. We finally got out and had 3 days left of our cruise. I had missed 4 shore excursions (Bill missed 3) and 4 days of fun. Bill never did get sick. You had to be symptom free for 2 days before you were released.

 

The nurse told me the ship didn’t have a noro virus, only a milder case of a virus and that’s why we were quarantined. This was not true as we all know now. They also wrote that I had overeaten, but I got sick before the entrée arrived and had hardly eaten anything. And what kind of diagnosis is dehydration? That BTW came with a price tag of $1500 plus which we had to pay because it didn’t have a diagnosis of norovirus. I hope insurance thinks dehydration is a good diagnosis.

 

The ship only had 20+ known cases of this “virus” because people who got sick didn’t go to sickbay. I talked to many people after we got out who also had the same symptoms I had and were never quarantined. My guess is there were more like 300 cases on board but not reported.

 

I called the General Manager. He knew me because I had arranged the M&G. I told him I’d like to know what compensation they would give me due to our ruined cruise and that I was going to post on Cruise Critic, the whole tale.

 

The day before we disembarked, we got a letter giving us future cruise credit equal to 2 days for both of us prorated for this cruise. This went to all 20 of the people who were quarantined for 2 days. But I actually missed 4 days of a 10 day cruise. The GM also gave me $230 SBC for the lost clothing. This was not enough because I realized I also had an expensive bra and underclothing in that bag. I went back to report that and was told it wouldn’t change the price.

 

Norovirus can happen on any ship and even the most clean ones have the problem from time to time. We had not encountered it before this, our 13th (unlucky) cruise with Oceania.

 

And by the way, we were told there was a virus on board when we got on the ship and that’s why the library was closed and other precautions were taken. The nurse told me the incubation period is 48 hours. That means when I first vomited in Jaques the 48 hours occurred AFTER I boarded the ship. We washed hands so often my nail polish was peeling off and always used the hand sanitizer system.

 

This is an honest account of my experience.

 

Janelle

[Paulchili]

Janelle,

I am truly sorry about your terrible experience. I have never had Noro and hope never to have it but I can certainly imagine how that would ruin one's cruise.

I am confused about one thing. You describe getting sick at 8 PM of the day of embarkation. If that is so, you (and perhaps some others?) came on the ship already sick rather than getting the Noro between noon and 8 PM? It would be too soon to have full blown Noro after just being exposed to it for a few hours.

Did I misunderstand you?

Adding - while dehydration is a true diagnosis I doubt very much that it was your diagnosis. Perhaps they were not ready to call it Noro/gastroenteritis just yet (for some reason) - but I would guess that that would have been a more correct diagnosis with vomiting (and diarrhea soon to follow).

Edited November 13, 2016 by Paulchili

[bitob]

Here is my story. We just got home this morning and it's hard for me to write this because we looked so forward to this cruise and it was ruined by Norovirus.

 

 

 

We boarded Marina on Nov. 1 at about noon. We were having a great time until about 8pm at Jacques while waiting for our entrée to arrive. I began to feel nausea. I waited 5 min. then realized I had to go up to the room. I told Bill who said he’d come with me. I stood to leave and fainted. I came to on the floor in a pool of vomit. I’ve never fainted before in my 65 years. I was wheeled to the Medical center where they gave me a drip of glucose and an EKG! They pricked my finger to check my glucose level. I vomited again. Too weak to stand. The very nice nurse helped me out of my soiled clothing and put them in a bag. Said she’d send them to the laundry. I never saw them again. I was released with a diagnosis of dehydration. Back in the cabin an hour, the nurse came and gave me a shot of Phenergan for the nausea. I didn’t vomit again but felt very sick the whole next day. That night – 5:45 am, I began diarrhea. Lasted until about 8am. I thought it had stopped but then started up again, so I called the nurse to see what I should take. 2 nurses showed up, talked to me, then quarantined me and Bill, who was on a shore excursion that I had to miss (one of the included O tours). The nurse said it would only be for one day. We’d still be able to make the already paid for tour Bill had booked with 8 other CC members. Next day, both nurses came and told me we’d be quarantined for another day! So we both missed Bill’s tour and one I booked the next day. Room service was always missing something important. I ordered oatmeal, cinnamon, raisins, and truvia and 2 bran muffins. We got everything but the oatmeal and only 1 bran muffin. Oatmeal came another half hour. Life cooped up in a cabin is no fun! At least, thank GOD, we had a veranda. We finally got out and had 3 days left of our cruise. I had missed 4 shore excursions (Bill missed 3) and 4 days of fun. Bill never did get sick. You had to be symptom free for 2 days before you were released.

 

 

 

The nurse told me the ship didn’t have a noro virus, only a milder case of a virus and that’s why we were quarantined. This was not true as we all know now. They also wrote that I had overeaten, but I got sick before the entrée arrived and had hardly eaten anything. And what kind of diagnosis is dehydration? That BTW came with a price tag of $1500 plus which we had to pay because it didn’t have a diagnosis of norovirus. I hope insurance thinks dehydration is a good diagnosis.

 

 

 

The ship only had 20+ known cases of this “virus” because people who got sick didn’t go to sickbay. I talked to many people after we got out who also had the same symptoms I had and were never quarantined. My guess is there were more like 300 cases on board but not reported.

 

 

 

I called the General Manager. He knew me because I had arranged the M&G. I told him I’d like to know what compensation they would give me due to our ruined cruise and that I was going to post on Cruise Critic, the whole tale.

 

 

 

The day before we disembarked, we got a letter giving us future cruise credit equal to 2 days for both of us prorated for this cruise. This went to all 20 of the people who were quarantined for 2 days. But I actually missed 4 days of a 10 day cruise. The GM also gave me $230 SBC for the lost clothing. This was not enough because I realized I also had an expensive bra and underclothing in that bag. I went back to report that and was told it wouldn’t change the price.

 

 

 

Norovirus can happen on any ship and even the most clean ones have the problem from time to time. We had not encountered it before this, our 13th (unlucky) cruise with Oceania.

 

 

 

And by the way, we were told there was a virus on board when we got on the ship and that’s why the library was closed and other precautions were taken. The nurse told me the incubation period is 48 hours. That means when I first vomited in Jaques the 48 hours occurred AFTER I boarded the ship. We washed hands so often my nail polish was peeling off and always used the hand sanitizer system.

 

 

 

This is an honest account of my experience.

 

 

 

Janelle

 

 

Sorry for your experience.

 

Dehydration is a real diagnosis. It caused me to faint and I ended up in a coma and nearly died. Staying hydrated is critical

 

 

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[Camelhoof]

We had a fabulous time aboard Marina from Venice to Rome, despite the code red. It was my first cruise so I had nothing to compare it with, but definitely noticed the changes in procedure as our trip progressed. I don't believe the illness was Norovirus, not only because the captain announced that it was not, but also based on my own experience and others I talked with who had been ill. It was a very short-lived stomach bug that came on quickly and was gone by the next day. People were not falling ill all over the place, the rest of my family did not even get sick. There were 22 cases reported including crew, and according to our housekeeper there was only one case still active on the penultimate day of the cruise. So, it seems like the measures they took were effective.

 

Janelle, I'm so sorry that the experience ruined your cruise, though. :mad: Luckily, you have another one to look forward to in a few months, at least.

 

For those worried about future Marina cruises: the rooms and all restaurants and public spaces were completely fumigated in Rome after we disembarked. Our housekeeper showed us one of the empty rooms she had just prepped for fumigation--mattresses propped up, umbrella opened, life jackets on the bed springs under the raised mattresses, all cupboards opened, etc. When we got off the ship at 7:00 a.m. the specialty restaurants were sealed closed for sterilization.

 

As far as contamination by crew, the crew members serving food at the buffet were wearing food service gloves the entire time, so even if any of them were harboring a virus, it should not have been spread that way.

 

The medical center was most definitely making cabin calls, by the way. The instructions over the loudspeaker were to stay in your cabin and call the medical center if you experienced symptoms. I saw the doctor and one of the nurses walking up the stairs with their list of cabins to visit.

 

To the person who inquired, the current cruise director is Peter Roberts.

 

I would sail Marina again in a heartbeat. Terrific food, beautiful ship. The worst thing about the situation to me was how overworked and stressed the amazing crew was, due to the health situation. I sure hope they got the extra help they were promised in Rome for the transition, and that Rome to Lisbon goes smoothly for everyone on board.

[LHT28]

Sorry you got sick

I think Noro can take more than a few hours to manifest itself but if you were dehydrated maybe it came on sooner

I had it last yr

we left the ship at 2pm flew home no problem about 4am it struck

First I thought is was food poisoning from airport food but when I was able to get out of bed 2 days later I checked here & found out the ship had noro

I have had food poisoning before also & it also takes several hours before it strikes

 

Maybe people getting on already had the virus/bug ..this is how it starts

[Paulchili]

Camelhoof,

I am glad you had a good cruise despite the less than ideal circumstances.

Whether it's Noro or some other bug, it's a nuisance and makes life unpleasant for everyone - passengers and crew.

Let's hope the next segment will be "virus free"

[Tansy Mews]

Janelle, sorry you had a hard time. Just to reassure you, we suffered no ill effects from the wonderful wine and cichetti tour in Venice the night before embarkation. And escaped the gastro onboard.

Hope you are recovered. If you aren't satisfied with the mysterious diagnosis definitely see your family at doctor at home. Follow up seems warranted.

 

Frances

[Cruiser Jane]

Janelle,

I am truly sorry about your terrible experience. I have never had Noro and hope never to have it but I can certainly imagine how that would ruin one's cruise.

I am confused about one thing. You describe getting sick at 8 PM of the day of embarkation. If that is so, you (and perhaps some others?) came on the ship already sick rather than getting the Noro between noon and 8 PM? It would be too soon to have full blown Noro after just being exposed to it for a few hours.

Did I misunderstand you?

Adding - while dehydration is a true diagnosis I doubt very much that it was your diagnosis. Perhaps they were not ready to call it Noro/gastroenteritis just yet (for some reason) - but I would guess that that would have been a more correct diagnosis with vomiting (and diarrhea soon to follow).

 

OOPS thanks for asking Paulchili, I forgot to put the date in when I got sick. CHANGES EVERYTHING! Like I said, this was hard to write. I got sick on Nov. 3 after the 48 hour incubation period (according to the nurse) so I got it from someone on the ship or from the ship. I did not bring it on board. I know the diagnosis of Norovirus is painful for the ship to make because they have to report it to the CDC. So they were avoiding that I'm sure.

 

Camelhoof: FYI, the ship didn't tell people that it was a norovirus, but my friends who were staying on the ship got a letter in their stateroom about the procedures for disembarkation day and it said the ship had a NOROVIRUS! They had to tell these people because they had to repack all their belongings and get off the ship or go to Horizons for 6 hours. But they had told us differently so I guess they didn't want to change their previous statement! I think that's wrong. They should have made an announcement about it being a Norovirus.

 

bitob: Thank you for the confirmation about the diagnosis of dehydration. That is exactly what happened and that's probably why the ship's doctor assumed that I had dehydration. I drink water like a fish so I have a hard time believing this. As long as insurance pays, I'm good.

 

Janelle

[LHT28]

I know the diagnosis of Norovirus is painful for the ship to make because they have to report it to the CDC. So they were avoiding that I'm sure.

Janelle

That is a ridiculous thing to say

They take it seriously

If the ship/passengers have Noro they would not be avoiding reporting it to the proper authorities

Not sure who they report to in Europe but they will follow the CDC guidelines/protocol for containment no matter where they are

 

There are tests the doctor can do to confirm NORO but if people do not report they have it how can they be tested

 

Some people have a problem but do not think it is noro so just carry on their merry way ...

[Cruiser Jane]

That is a ridiculous thing to say

They take it seriously

If the ship/passengers have Noro they would not be avoiding reporting it to the proper authorities

Not sure who they report to in Europe but they will follow the CDC guidelines/protocol for containment no matter where they are

 

There are tests the doctor can do to confirm NORO but if people do not report they have it how can they be tested

 

Some people have a problem but do not think it is noro so just carry on their merry way ...

 

I thought like you, Lyn but this is what happened. Fact. And they did take it seriously once they realized they did have the problem. They have to according to CDC rules. The nurse said it was not noro because they tested some of the people. But they didn't test me. You do that by a stool sample and I had none to offer. Then in the end, they didn't tell everyone we had a Norovirus, but they wrote this in a letter to the people staying on board. Fact. I saw the letter.

[janecambridge]

So sorry to read this thread.

How can the diagnosis be made without a stool check? It may be campylobacter..that incubation period can be 2-5 days...in which case brought on the ship at embarkation.

[LHT28]

I thought like you, Lyn but this is what happened. Fact. And they did take it seriously once they realized they did have the problem. They have to according to CDC rules. The nurse said it was not noro because they tested some of the people. But they didn't test me. You do that by a stool sample and I had none to offer. Then in the end, they didn't tell everyone we had a Norovirus, but they wrote this in a letter to the people staying on board. Fact. I saw the letter.

 

How do you know they were not in contact with CDC ?

If they tested people were the results NORO?

 

There are many viruses & other bugs that have the same or similar symptoms as NORO

I am not saying it was or wasn't I was not there

 

It is quite possible it was NORO but as another poster said they thought they had food poisoning & did not report it right away ...

 

If not reported then the housekeeping staff come in clean as normal ..no special cleaning solutions or bio-hazard suits & masks

..then go to the next cabin possibly contaminating it ..then the unsuspecting occupants touch something that had the virus on it

Then they go around the ship & contaminating the rails, elevators & so on

So not reporting it has other consequences to those around you

Edited November 13, 2016 by LHT28

[Paulchili]

OOPS thanks for asking Paulchili, I forgot to put the date in when I got sick. CHANGES EVERYTHING! Like I said, this was hard to write. I got sick on Nov. 3 after the 48 hour incubation period (according to the nurse) so I got it from someone on the ship or from the ship. I did not bring it on board. I know the diagnosis of Norovirus is painful for the ship to make because they have to report it to the CDC. So they were avoiding that I'm sure.

Janelle

 

Thanks for the explanation. That makes it much more likely that you indeed picked up the bug (whatever it was) on the ship.

Also, why would they even think that you were dehydrated? You were on the ship and it is November - not like you had just spent the day off the ship in July in the desert with temperatures over 100 :D

[RJB]

Thanks for the explanation. That makes it much more likely that you indeed picked up the bug (whatever it was) on the ship.

Also, why would they even think that you were dehydrated? You were on the ship and it is November - not like you had just spent the day off the ship in July in the desert with temperatures over 100 :D

So where are we today? Is the ship still on red alert? Are there still people getting sick? Sure hope not, but let us know so no one has to speculate.

[Cruiser Jane]

So where are we today? Is the ship still on red alert? Are there still people getting sick? Sure hope not, but let us know so no one has to speculate.

 

I just asked this of a couple we are friends with who are still on board. I'll let you know.

 

Janelle

[jecuyer]

On Marina now and things appear to have settled a bit. Menu covers and salt and pepper shakers have even returned to tables. Precautions seem adequate and service has been fine. No worries at the moment. Just use common sense.

[bitob]

Thanks for the explanation. That makes it much more likely that you indeed picked up the bug (whatever it was) on the ship.

 

Also, why would they even think that you were dehydrated? You were on the ship and it is November - not like you had just spent the day off the ship in July in the desert with temperatures over 100 :D

 

 

Paul. I got severely dehydrated in March. Not just about hot weather

 

 

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[Paulchili]

Paul. I got severely dehydrated in March. Not just about hot weather

 

 

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OK

Where were you then and what did you do that day to become dehydrated?

Did you vomit and have diarrhea?

Edited November 14, 2016 by Paulchili

[bitob]

No vomit. No diarrhea. Pure dehydration. I was home. I fainted. Not first time.

 

 

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[jbevans12345]

Janelle,

My husband got violently sick too. Seems it was a 24 hour thing but our experience was similar to yours. Room service was always delivered wrong and was cold. I think the statement that only 20 people were sick was absolutely false. We were on deck 11 and I counted 10 rooms with quarantine stickers, and this was only 1 deck. While we were seeing the doctor, several crew members walked up and received the same medicine my husband was given. I am writing a long letter to Oceania. This was our 25th cruise but only the 1st on Oceania. Sorely disappointed.:(

[Cruiser Jane]

How do you know they were not in contact with CDC ?

If they tested people were the results NORO?

 

There are many viruses & other bugs that have the same or similar symptoms as NORO

I am not saying it was or wasn't I was not there

 

It is quite possible it was NORO but as another poster said they thought they had food poisoning & did not report it right away ...

 

If not reported then the housekeeping staff come in clean as normal ..no special cleaning solutions or bio-hazard suits & masks

..then go to the next cabin possibly contaminating it ..then the unsuspecting occupants touch something that had the virus on it

Then they go around the ship & contaminating the rails, elevators & so on

So not reporting it has other consequences to those around you

 

Yes, Lyn, many people didn't report their illness. And that further complicated the problem. But I think I probably had Noro when I first got sick and the ship dr. said I had dehydration which was not a lie, but just not the whole truth. When you lose everything in your system, you do become dehydrated. But I stayed in my cabin anyway because I felt so sick. Then that night I started with diarrhea. So I was actually cabin bound for almost 4 days.

 

The fact that they had locked the library book cases, and had people stationed at each entrance to the restaurants to make sure people used hand sanitizers, tells that they knew they had a problem from the previous cruise. We had heard this from a CC member who was on that cruise. They had no proof at that time that it was NORO. And right, how could they say I had a virus that I had to be quarantined for if they didn't test me - couldn't because I couldn't provide a sample. I think they were hopeful that they didn't have Noro and wouldn't have to contact CDC. But I think there is a certain number of cases allowed before this must be reported. As the cruise went on, more and more people got sick, so then they had to report it. I had to complete a form to the CDC about my illness which I didn't receive until the last day of the cruise. So half-way through the cruise, they did have to report to CDC.

 

And I mention again that our friends who stayed on the ship for the following cruise, received a letter saying they had to pack up everything and move out of their cabin for 6 hours so it could be thoroughly cleaned because the ship had a NORO VIRUS! The rest of us were not told this. I wrote to them yesterday asking if there were any further cases. I'll let you know.