Oh Dear.. Norovirus hits Ovation Of The Seas

[welshy74]

After force 12 Gales this is probably the next thing I dread about a cruise. I can imagine its a total nightmare and would completely ruin that dream holiday. Having just come off the Ovation I was impressed by the numerous hand wash facilities around the ship and the automatic toilet doors, thus minimizing spread. However once its out there even the most state of the art ships succumb.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5146111/Gastro-outbreak-Ovation-Seas-cruise-ship.html

 

Has anyone been unfortunate to be on a cruise when sickness spreads?

[hancock]

Scanned the article. Wasn't impressed. 200 isn't a large number. I was on the 'disease of the seas' cruise on the EOS a few years ago. There were 800-1000 sick with noro. That was a nightmare! Cruise was cut short and we were returned to NJ days early. Noro had been on the ship before we ever boarded. It spread rapidly through the ship once we boarded as it became a breeding ground for the already present virus.

[ellie1145]

Trust the Daily Mail to come up with a sensational headline claiming the sickness is caused by the 'bottomless brunch.' It shows a complete misreading of the situation. If the sickness was caused by food poisoning there would be no need to spray corridors etc. It is obviously an outbreak of noro.

 

What RCI are saying is that the part of the Bottomless Brunch, which included a visit to the galley, has been cancelled, quite rightly so. This is to prevent those with norovirus, from walking round the food prep areas. We all know there are people who don't admit to having noro and who don't wish to be confined to their cabins, who then walk around the ship infecting all and sundry, so it seems a sensible course of action to keep passengers out of the galley.

 

It's a precaution, not the cause of the outbreak.

[welshy74]

Oh this is very trashy Daily Mail for sure. I am certainly not a Daily Mail reader, in fact I am usually a Daily Mail target!

[atanac]

I'm convinced that the Norovirus is brought on board from passengers picking it up from dirty airplanes

and not from dirty cruise ships.

[Andyinmacksville]

Given the total number of people on the ship it works out to be around 2.5% which have it. While not pleasant for those with it, it’s hardly a massive outbreak

 

 

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[The_Big_M]

I'm convinced that the Norovirus is brought on board from passengers picking it up from dirty airplanes

and not from dirty cruise ships.

 

Not everyone comes by plane, and many cases of norovirus occur elsewhere where the sufferers are not likely to have travelled by plane.

 

 

Thus, on balance, I'd say it's an unlikely source.

[cb at sea]

I'm convinced that the Norovirus is brought on board from passengers picking it up from dirty airplanes

and not from dirty cruise ships.

 

You are 100% correct. The ship is simply an "enclosed" space where passenger and crew germs can spread readily. Noro is VERY prevalent in schools...and that's probably where it starts. This is the time of year for gastro-illnesses. As long as YOU wash your hands before touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth), you will probably avoid this. Just having germs on your hands will NOT make you ill, unless you give the germs ENTRY into your system.

[bonsai3s]

Currently sailing on the Ovation (been on since Hong Kong) and having a wonderful time inspite of the noro virus. The correct number of ill passengers (and crew members), we will truly never know.

The fact is all passengers are being asked to disembark early, and new passengers were asked to check-in later in the day so they can completely sanitize the ship.

Another fact, it's "all hands on deck", as no crew members are allowed to leave the ship (unless they are going home.)

Before the outbreak of noro virus, a crew member had to be helicoptered off near Albany...for a ruptured appendicitis. In addition, there were several announcements of "Alpha, Alpha, Alpha". We observed passengers (and crew members) being transported by ambulance in Freeport (Perth), in Adelaide, and in Hobart.

Note: Passengers boarded in Singapore, 300 disembarked in Freemantle and 300 new passengers replaced them...200 more disembarked in Adelaide and 200 new passengers replaced them...and again in Hobart.

Thank you to the great and hard working crew members!

[TBone2K]

Just off Anthem recently where they were on an elevated sickness alert. Aside from our usual caution, there were a few noticable changes... crew were handing out drinks in places where pax would normally pour their own. Anything that involved using a tablet (such as the internet room and customer service) were gone. Stores kept their doors closed down forcing anyone going in to walk past a hand santizer. There was probably much more behind the scenes that we couldn't see.

[Txpa23]

I got the norovirus once...so happy we had splurged for the suite with two bathrooms! My husband never got it, and I self quarantined. There were never any warnings out, so who knows how many people had it.

[time4u2go]

I'm convinced that the Norovirus is brought on board from passengers picking it up from dirty airplanes

and not from dirty cruise ships.

It could be brought on by crew members as well, after a shore visit. And as stated before, many passengers board cruise ships without having flown on airplanes. Undoubtedly some of those passengers could bring it on as well.

[cruzrman]

You are 100% correct. The ship is simply an "enclosed" space where passenger and crew germs can spread readily. Noro is VERY prevalent in schools...and that's probably where it starts. This is the time of year for gastro-illnesses. As long as YOU wash your hands before touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth), you will probably avoid this. Just having germs on your hands will NOT make you ill, unless you give the germs ENTRY into your system.

 

 

 

I agree with clean hands, especially in a buffet setting. It’s that reason why I don’t frequent the Windjammer. I’d like to see gloved kitchen staff serving out all the food in the Windjammer. Also, more insistence that diners use hand sanitizer before entering dining areas would help imo. I see many people just walk on past the hand sanitizer dispensers.

 

 

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[bingo3]

The CDC says hand sanitizers are ineffective against noro. Need to use soap and water for your best bet.

 

 

Also,

The verdict is in, and it looks like hand sanitizer is at least as effective in protecting against some germs. ... However, hand sanitizers do not kill some common germs such as salmonella, e. Coli, MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and norovirus.Sep 30, 2016

So, I would not rely on hand sanitizers. And a bleach solution is the cleaner that kills it.