Anyone thinking of canceling IOTS Jan 8 out of FLL?

[MrYellowDuck]

Our very first cruise followed a significant noro outbreak. Boarding was delayed for hours. We were third and fourth passengers on in the end (the advantage of being a foreigner with US immigration wanting to send staff home after a long wait to process passengers) and in talking to a crew member they said that the only people who get sick are passengers who compromise on basic hygiene precautions and that no staff would have an issue. Upon checking a few weeks later the CDC stats showed the crew member had been right - hundreds had been sick but only a couple had been staff. The number of reported cases on the cruise we had taken was tiny.

 

During the wee hours of the morning on that cruise I was up and about as the rest of the passengers slept and everywhere you turned there were staff spraying every imaginable surface. We even got a knock on the cabin door one evening with two staff who were spray cleaning every toilet seat and telephone handset on the ship. Food was served to us in the buffet and tables were sanitised between uses. To get sick here you'd have had to try very hard and even then you'd have been unlikely to succeed. To not ever use a public restroom on a ship was the advice given as a way to cruise heathily at all times.

 

On the other hand whilst in a state of complete delirium almost unable to avoid throwing up over the checkin staff (and it took the limit of my willpower to avoid doing so) I have managed to compose myself to project an aurora of pristine good health so as to get on a ship. Did others get sick from this? Well perhaps. Anyone who thinks all people will complete the health form honestly are living in fantasy land. Getting a little bit sick occasionally is just part of life. In truth those that share drinks packages, wear jeans to formal night, will also take poetic license when completing the health forms if they want to.

 

Go on the cruise - in all likelihood you'll be 100% fine. The ship will definitely be much cleaner than it usually is.

[Clarea]

Went to Jammer at 6...first ones there.

 

No crowds, no lines.

 

Still serving you with gloves.

 

Very good, full now. :D

 

Chatted with folks that heard the 72 hour

restrictions might come off...maybe back

to normal tomorrow.

Excellent, glad to hear it's getting better.

[micmacmissy]

We were on Indy a few years ago when an outbreak hit. I was so worried we'd get sick...but guess what? They were sanitizing EVERYWHERE. And we didn't get sick. And the majority of passengers didn't get sick. Although a small percentage did. (400 out of 5,000 souls onboard)

 

-Get your flu shot before you go if cruising in winter.

-Wash your hands frequently, and don't touch your face or mouth at all.

-Do not touch handrails on stairs or in halls.

-Avoid touching handles when you can.

 

You will notice changes onboard if they are under alert (no self-serve in buffet, which I actually enjoy, no salt/pepper on tables, wet handrails everywhere as they are sprayed) but it shouldn't impact you at all.

 

No need for cancellation, or antibacterial wipes, or Lysol spray. Go and enjoy!

[Vacationdreamer<><]

We were booked on a Princess cruise a few years back where the cruise before us had noro. We had the same trepidation's as you. We called Princess to cancel but told we would lose all of our money so we went.

 

 

We wiped everything down in our room when we finally boarded around 7pm. We were supposed to leave from FLL in the afternoon.

 

These post about the ship being the cleanest it has ever been didn't matter on our cruise. The ship had another outbreak so bad we were ordered back to FLL after 5 days of a 7 day cruise without ever visiting a port.

 

While we personally didn't get sick we didn't leave our cabin much and when we did washed our hands very often.

 

Hopefully within the next 3 weeks there won't be any more outbreaks on the Indy and you'll have a great time.

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

I feel like readers may be skipping by your post. The fact that the subsequent cruise also had an outbreak is concerning.

 

OP - I’m aghast at the snark as well and I would have trepidation myself.

 

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

I am not an overly precautious person about Noro Virus. But we just disembarked Rhapsody today, and the ship is very lax about a frequent sanitizing schedule. We sail pretty often, and I am more used to a several hour (maybe 3-5 hour?) schedule of wiping down the bar, tables and hard surfaces that are touched by passengers. We always keep up our frequent personal hand washing, but during the winter, it is nice to see ships that are more proactive about the virus, rather than reactive. And Rhapsody was not. And we saw the CNN story about Independence onboard. Nothing changed.

How do you know this didn't happen?

[cruisinfanatic]

We were on Indy a few years ago when an outbreak hit. I was so worried we'd get sick...but guess what? They were sanitizing EVERYWHERE. And we didn't get sick. And the majority of passengers didn't get sick. Although a small percentage did. (400 out of 5,000 souls onboard)

-Get your flu shot before you go if cruising in winter.

-Wash your hands frequently, and don't touch your face or mouth at all.

-Do not touch handrails on stairs or in halls.

-Avoid touching handles when you can.

 

You will notice changes onboard if they are under alert (no self-serve in buffet, which I actually enjoy, no salt/pepper on tables, wet handrails everywhere as they are sprayed) but it shouldn't impact you at all.

 

No need for cancellation, or antibacterial wipes, or Lysol spray. Go and enjoy!

That's not a small percentage. Quite large actually

[kbs101]

Thinking of cancelling IOTSeas after this Norovirus scare - anyone else?

 

 

 

I understand your concern. It’s no fun to have that virus.

 

My kids were vaccinated against it. I’m now curious why the vaccine isn’t used more often? Maybe it’s not super effective.

 

Wash wash wash! You’ll be fine.

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

I understand your concern. It’s no fun to have that virus.

 

My kids were vaccinated against it. I’m now curious why the vaccine isn’t used more often? Maybe it’s not super effective.

 

Wash wash wash! You’ll be fine.

 

 

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What? I am not aware of even one vaccine for Noro virus has had made it out of clinical trials. The only intestinal virus, that I am aware of, that children are normally vaccinated against is the rotavirus.

[alfaeric]

No, I would not cancel. Especially that far out.

 

The only thing that would make me double take is if I had some kind of immune deficiency.

 

We were just on the Anthem that had a Noro issue- second cruise in a row that was late leaving due to the ship being fogged for cleaning. And by the end of the week, most of the restrictions were lifted, and everyone was fine.

 

Here's the thing- it was a bug brought on. I was told by one officer that some people had to be denied boarding because they got sick DURING check in. Not that they checked the box that they were sick- I doubt they even did that. But they did throw up in the check in terminal. Sounded like there was a nice out break in the local New York/New Jersey area- not sure where, though.

 

Please do your fellow passengers a favor- if you are sick, don't go. I don't know the compensation if you say you were sick, but do you really want to be miserable on a ship, and likely pass it on in close and closed quarters?

 

Still, I've seen the cleaning in action. I'd go.

[rukkian]

No, I would not cancel. Especially that far out.

 

The only thing that would make me double take is if I had some kind of immune deficiency.

 

We were just on the Anthem that had a Noro issue- second cruise in a row that was late leaving due to the ship being fogged for cleaning. And by the end of the week, most of the restrictions were lifted, and everyone was fine.

 

Here's the thing- it was a bug brought on. I was told by one officer that some people had to be denied boarding because they got sick DURING check in. Not that they checked the box that they were sick- I doubt they even did that. But they did throw up in the check in terminal. Sounded like there was a nice out break in the local New York/New Jersey area- not sure where, though.

 

Please do your fellow passengers a favor- if you are sick, don't go. I don't know the compensation if you say you were sick, but do you really want to be miserable on a ship, and likely pass it on in close and closed quarters?

 

Still, I've seen the cleaning in action. I'd go.

 

This exactly. It is not usually due to poor cleaning on the ships part, it is normally due to inconsiderate passengers bringing viruses onboard. While they can try to be extra vigilant and follow every person around spraying every surface that people touch, in the end, there is little that can be done to completely stop it, outside of forcing everybody to wash their hands. I see so many people not wash their hands after things, I am surprised you don't see more getting sick all the time.

[mommamd]

I have heard about wiping down your room with the chlorox wipes, it is hard not to touch any surfaces but something to keep in mind, such as elevator buttons, and drinking out of private water bottles instead of public water stations maybe would help? Any data concerning buffet vs waiter-served food being safer? Less subject to sneezing or touching?

[twangster]

I just did a B2B on Anthem two cruises after it's recent brush with it. No issues on our cruise other than delayed boarding due to enhanced cleaning. Even with no issues on the cruise before mine they still were doing the enhanced cleaning as a precaution.

 

I'm boarding Indy this coming Thursday with no concern.

 

In the US only cruise ships and nursing homes are required by law to report it. There are far more unreported cases on land than on sea. While some media have dubbed it "cruise ship illness" it would be better named "church illness" or "school illness" but that upsets local officials and churches so they don't. According to the CDC 20 million people in US got it on land last year. That's only the reported cases because there is no legal requirement to report it when an urgent care clinic, doctor's office or emergency ward diagnoses it.

[alfaeric]

I have heard about wiping down your room with the chlorox wipes, it is hard not to touch any surfaces but something to keep in mind, such as elevator buttons, and drinking out of private water bottles instead of public water stations maybe would help? Any data concerning buffet vs waiter-served food being safer? Less subject to sneezing or touching?

On our Anthem cruise- you could see that they were regularly spraying the elevator buttons. While they were spraying the ENTIRE inside surface of the elevator. One certainly did not want to lean against the walls.

 

At times, the cleaning residue looked bad, but when you realize what they were doing, it was just fine to see it.

[shellunderwater]

Well, I re-read my previous reply, and most of the subsequent comments. Yes, I believe my reply was snarky, but I apologize if it offended the OP. It was a poorly implemented attempt at humor.

 

I'm not a medical professional, but I've tried to do some research. Norovirus is not caused by the ship. It is brought onto the ship by passengers and has an approximately 1-3 day incubation period, typically.

 

And, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes are not listed as effective against Norovirus. Neither is the hand sanitizer stations and hand sanitizer gels, typically. They are effective against certain types of bacterial and viral critters, but from the products I've looked at online, norovirus is not one of them.

 

I would expect the delayed boarding and deep cleaning is a result of the need to use specific "professional" products that are most effective at killing norovirus. If simple Lysol wipes worked, you would see them all over the ship.

 

Here is a link to a CDC document about norovirus in a healthcare setting. While some isn't applicable, the cause and effect certainly is useful, I believe.

 

Here is a passage I found interesting: "The ease of its transmission, a very low infectious dose, a short incubation period, environmental persistence, and lack of durable immunity following infection enables norovirus to spread rapidly through confined populations. Healthcare facilities and other institutional settings (e.g., daycare centers, schools, etc.) are particularly at-risk for outbreaks because of increased person-to-person contact. "

 

https://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/norovirus/229110-anorocasefactsheet508.pdf

[shellunderwater]

On our Anthem cruise- you could see that they were regularly spraying the elevator buttons. While they were spraying the ENTIRE inside surface of the elevator. One certainly did not want to lean against the walls.

 

At times, the cleaning residue looked bad, but when you realize what they were doing, it was just fine to see it.

 

Many surface sanitizers I've used require a certain period of time of surface contact to be effective. Its not just wipe-on/wipe-off type thing. Some require the surfaces to remain wet for a period of time and/or until the surface dries on its own.

 

I will take cleaning residue any day. :halo:

[njm5378]

Just remember the biggest risk, statistically, that any of us take when cruising is driving to the port or airport in a passenger vehicle. Noro wouldn't sway me. Wash your hands, wash you hands, and then wash your hands.

 

My first cruise I saw a man leave a bathroom stall on the pool deck. He was barefoot and did not wash his hands. From that point forward I never questioned how these things happen.

[twangster]

And, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes are not listed as effective against Norovirus. Neither is the hand sanitizer stations and hand sanitizer gels, typically. They are effective against certain types of bacterial and viral critters, but from the products I've looked at online, norovirus is not one of them.

 

I would expect the delayed boarding and deep cleaning is a result of the need to use specific "professional" products that are most effective at killing norovirus. If simple Lysol wipes worked, you would see them all over the ship.

This is a good point. I've also researched it and purchased wipes that are designed to kill many viral illnesses. The data sheet state that it requires 10 minutes of wet contact for the wipes I use to kill Noro. Meaning as you wipe any surface it must remain wet for 10 minutes of contact time to be effective against Noro. This means going over surfaces again a few times with fresh wipes to keep them wet for 10 minutes.

 

Most chlorox wipes are not rated for viral although they do have one medical grade product that is but you likely won't find it in most retail stores in the US.

 

As a frequent business traveler I started wiping down my hotel room and airplane seat area a few years ago tired of often getting sick after a business trip. Not noro but just common colds and short lived illness. That TV remote and phone in a hotel room is just nasty.

[2CatsInFlorida]

Just follow the health guidelines the ship recommends and you will b ok. Probably most ships at one time or another had a noro outbreak but it was a one off occurrence.

[grandmarnnurse]

I am a retired RN, and I would not. They are going through the ship doing an extensive thorough cleaning and disinfecting. But as a healthy conscious passenger, I always wipe down door handles, fixtures in cabin, remote, phone, etc with disinfectant wipes that I carry everywhere. I also carry my own small bottles of hand sanitizer to use frequently when touching hand rails, elevator buttons, etc. And I always practice good hand washing technique of at least 30 seconds of hand washing.

 

 

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[Coralc]

How do you know this didn't happen?

Because we frequently sit in the same place for many hours, and I asked them what sanitizing schedule they were using.

[dividedsky]

I'm on this sailing and can't wait to go. This doesn't concern me at all just have to be mindful of washing hands and trying not to touch railings and what not (which I do anyway with or without news like this).

[DebJ14]

Do you really do all these things? If I had to worry about these sterilization procedures, I might not go........Scratch that, I would not go.

 

I do it on every cruise!

I am constantly amazed at the amount of grime the sanitizing wipes pick up off the door handles, drawer pulls, telephone, faucets and remotes. So much for deep cleaning the cabins between passengers.

[Grammajojo8]

Wow, I'd like to thank all of you who posted snarky responses to my honest question. Thanks for making me feel welcome here.

 

Glad most of you who responded AREN'T going on this cruise. Geezzz....

 

 

I feel your pain. For some of us the stomach bug is a BIG deal. I despise it and will normally avoid it like the plague! I don't consider your question to be stupid at all. Who wants to be sick like that holed up on a boat in a tiny cabin? But it is true that you'd lose so much money that you are probably better off taking the gamble. Just wash your hands a lot!! keep your hands away from your mouth. My understanding is all these cruises are subject to the stomach bug due to the close quarters and the number of people.

[Big_G]

Yes I did, used insurance loop hole and got future credit for my flights. I'm sure more folks will stay away until no further outbreaks.

 

What 'insurance loop hole' could you have possibly found? The OP may need it.

[SPacificbound]

You will be getting on a very clean and sanitized ship, with exhausted staff.