Marina now

[RJB]

I don’t have those answers. Others may reply. We board on Saturday. The ship will be cleaner than ever.

Sure hope it will be cleaner than ever, but don't count on it. Takes time to get there but it will be in a few weeks. Probable start out in code red until they are sure the cleaning worked. Little steps.

[janecambridge]

My husband and I are well,thank you all for your wishes.

Yesterday they ran out of bottled water,replaced later that day and we haven’t had fresh lemons for a while.

Today we returned to cabin to find silver trays removed and baskets from the bathroom.

If this ship isnt clean for you all when you embark,I will be very upset.

I am observing staff in some bars,using their whole hand to put small straws in drinks.Yuk!

The wi fi is ok and once connected,it is a bit slow but works ok.I can FaceTime my children ok.

[lgarely]

My husband and I are well,thank you all for your wishes.

Yesterday they ran out of bottled water,replaced later that day and we haven’t had fresh lemons for a while.

Today we returned to cabin to find silver trays removed and baskets from the bathroom.

If this ship isnt clean for you all when you embark,I will be very upset.

I am observing staff in some bars,using their whole hand to put small straws in drinks.Yuk!

The wi fi is ok and once connected,it is a bit slow but works ok.I can FaceTime my children ok.

 

Are you sure you are on Marina not Carnival??

[lgarely]

Has anyone been told that at LAX you have to retrieve your own luggage and get to Terminal B and start the check in process all over again to board Tahiti Nui?

[JimandStan]

Has anyone been told that at LAX you have to retrieve your own luggage and get to Terminal B and start the check in process all over again to board Tahiti Nui?

 

 

Getting to Polynesia is a nightmare and always has been.

 

Eventually, the complaints will pile up and Oceania will take the Islands off of their Cruise Calendar, after which there will immediately be an avalanche of pleas to reinstate them.

 

It's a hopeless, helpless, never ending cycle.

[vaitape]

Shouldn't happen if you have booked a code share airline.

[tvmovielover]

When we went to Papeete in 2014 MCO-LAX-PPT with O air, MCO to LAX was Delta not a code share with Air Tahiti Nui. Our luggage was interlined without a problem. Some did report lost luggage but most did not.

[Cruiser Jane]

We board Marina in May. I have talked my siblings into joining us on this cruise. Their first with Oceania. I sure hope all these problems are solved by then.

 

I was on Marina about 2 years ago when there was a virus on board. I caught it. I know now it WAS norovirus. My doc. confirmed it when I returned home. But the ship did not test me (and there is a test for it) because they didn't want to have to report it. I fault Oceania's medical doctor for this. They quarantined me and my husband for 2 days after I was well. It only lasts 1 to 2 days but is violent. I was dining in Jacques waiting for my dinner. Ate half of my appetizer. Suddenly I felt nausea and by the time I got up to leave, I fainted and came to in vomit. The next night I started with diarrhea. Lasted for 5 hours. 2 nurses came to my room next morning and quarantined us. No test ever done. I washed my hands after each bathroom visit. But that was not enough.

 

Lesson learned: I did research on this when I got home. Sanitizers not effective. Have to wash hands BEFORE you eat and before you brush teeth. Before you eat a piece of bread, before you put your hands to your mouth for any reason. It is transmitted by ingesting, not by air. Just remember that before you put your hands to your mouth. And be mindful of anything you touch. On the cruise we just left, we tried to go back to our cabin to use the bathroom.

 

Good luck to those of you boarding now. Hope problem resolves itself. Oh and BTW, all ships, no matter the class, are having this problem now. No fun to deal with.

[bellevuecruiser]

We're on the Marina Cruise Feb 25th..First time cruisers.. would any of you experience cruisers recommend a Norovirus precaution kit? I see the hand-wipes and purell.. What about any prescription medication or over the counter to preempt or if first sign of it?

[Cruiser Jane]

You might want to ask your doctor for a PX to help with diarrhea or vomiting. The ship gave me Bactrim for the diarrhea. Drink lots of water if you have the vomiting problem to rehydrate your body. But really if you do get sick, you will be contagious for 2 days after you are well. Be mindful of getting others sick. And if it's something contagious, the ship will wave the medical fee.

 

But keep in mind that purel and other hand sanitizers are not effective against viruses. The best way to protect yourself is by doing what my last post suggests.

 

Stay well!

[janecambridge]

Cruiser Jane,you are exactly right.

 

I was told by a trustworthy member of the crew,that Saturdays embarkation will not before 4 or 5 at the very earliest.Everything has to be removed from everywhere,totally gutting the ship ready for sanitising,Every statreoom has to be completely emptied of everything.Those staying on have to pack up as if leaving for good.

I am glad to be getting off now.Everyday we return the cabin to find something taken away and housekeeping has deteriorated (probably because they are busy).

[wombatjoey]

Wow, sounds like a very trying time for all. Has O offered any consolation?

[Cruiser Jane]

Wow, sounds like a very trying time for all. Has O offered any consolation?

 

On the cruise where I got Norovirus and was quarantined for 2 days, I made several calls to the GM. I demanded that he offer some sort of compensation for the days we missed of our 10 day cruise. I told him I'd like to know this before we disembark.

 

He did follow through and give those who were quarantined the 2 days prorated back in FCC (Future cruise credit). He said he also gave each cruiser something - I can't remember what. Maybe like $200 FCC towards their next cruise? But they should compensate those who have been inconvenienced.

[marylizcat]

On our Regatta cruise in Code Red with norovirus, all the compensation we got was an hour of free drinks. Worthless to those like us with the drink package!

[bitob]

I am not unsympathetic to the misery of a cruise where Noro takes over but I do not think anyone is owed compensation.

 

The risk of Noro on a cruise is well known especially in winter months. No different from rough seas or missed ports. These are risks you take when you take a cruise and they are not the fault of the cruise line.

 

If they want to offer something then that is a good business practice but no one is owed anything imo

 

 

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[janecambridge]

I never thought about compensation and probably wouldn’t ask for it.

I’m not sure we would do Oceania again,the way things have been handled.Last night we got back to our suite and all the books and information folders are wrapped in white bin bags,dumped in our lounge.Today we have all our glasses removed..

Our suite hasn’t been hoovered for at least 3 days.

I may do a review on cruise critic and included in that will be my utter shock of infection control in the medical centre.

[Sea42]

I wonder if some of the problems being encountered are the result of the crew being incredibly overworked and short staffed. It's a good bet the crew have been infected at a rate close to that of the passengers.

[jamesnmphs]

I wonder if some of the problems being encountered are the result of the crew being incredibly overworked and short staffed. It's a good bet the crew have been infected at a rate close to that of the passengers.

 

 

 

That's a good point. The crew is very overworked and they live in such tight quarters.

 

 

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[marylizcat]

I am surprised that they have only stopped hoovering for the past three days. Normally ships cease hoovering cabins as part of the effort to prevent the spread of infection. Seems to be standard practice from what I have read. Marina is a little slow off the mark!

 

 

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[Cruiser Jane]

I am not unsympathetic to the misery of a cruise where Noro takes over but I do not think anyone is owed compensation.

 

The risk of Noro on a cruise is well known especially in winter months. No different from rough seas or missed ports. These are risks you take when you take a cruise and they are not the fault of the cruise line.

 

If they want to offer something then that is a good business practice but no one is owed anything imo

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

To clarify, In my situation, the Medical staff totally handled the whole illness wrong. They lied about my condition on my medical records which I paid $1500 for treatment of. I demanded a copy of my whole file since I was paying for it. The ship dr. wrote that I had overeaten when our main course had not yet come when I got ill. So I hadn't hardly eaten at all. The diagnosis was dehydration when I drink water like a fish. Yes, after losing everything in my body, I was probably dehydrated. But I didn't know what was wrong so I trusted what they said. They didn't quarantine me until the next night when I started with diarrhea. I later learned others had the same experience. It was norovirus confirmed when I got home from my dr. I think the ship doc didn't want to deal with the reporting problem.

 

So this is why I demanded something back.

[Noxequifans]

There are products containing bleach that are advertised as appropriate for Norovirus. A google search will show them.

[Shawnino]

To clarify, In my situation, the Medical staff totally handled the whole illness wrong. They lied about my condition on my medical records which I paid $1500 for treatment of. I demanded a copy of my whole file since I was paying for it. The ship dr. wrote that I had overeaten when our main course had not yet come when I got ill. So I hadn't hardly eaten at all. The diagnosis was dehydration when I drink water like a fish. Yes, after losing everything in my body, I was probably dehydrated. But I didn't know what was wrong so I trusted what they said. They didn't quarantine me until the next night when I started with diarrhea. I later learned others had the same experience. It was norovirus confirmed when I got home from my dr. I think the ship doc didn't want to deal with the reporting problem.

 

So this is why I demanded something back.

 

I am very sorry to read of your experience.

Good for you for requesting compensation.

 

An earlier post tried to equate the risk of norovirus with experiencing rough seas or missing ports.

That is an extremely false equivalence.

There is absolutely nothing a ship can do about the seas.

There is plenty a ship's crew can try to do to minimise the spread of norovirus.

 

Reading of a case of 'well, everything's closed, well, except the Casino" does not instill confidence.

[ORV]

I never thought about compensation and probably wouldn’t ask for it.

I’m not sure we would do Oceania again,the way things have been handled.Last night we got back to our suite and all the books and information folders are wrapped in white bin bags,dumped in our lounge.Today we have all our glasses removed..

Our suite hasn’t been hoovered for at least 3 days.

I may do a review on cruise critic and included in that will be my utter shock of infection control in the medical centre.

 

Sounds like it might have worn you down. The tone of your posts have changed since this started. I certainly understand the feeling. Lot's of folks can set back and say it's not too bad, part of cruising blah, blah, blah, until they actually go through an extended cruise where everything is focused on sanitizing and noro prevention. No fun at all.

[RJB]

I am very sorry to read of your experience.

Good for you for requesting compensation.

 

An earlier post tried to equate the risk of norovirus with experiencing rough seas or missing ports.

That is an extremely false equivalence.

There is absolutely nothing a ship can do about the seas.

There is plenty a ship's crew can try to do to minimise the spread of norovirus.

 

Reading of a case of 'well, everything's closed, well, except the Casino" does not instill confidence.

A very bad way for a company to treat it's guests. Needs to have a much different policy where the ship is above board with the true conditions on board . No more false reporting. :(:(

[UDSpud]

To Cruiser Jane

 

Regarding your Norovirus infection

 

Was a US port involved? If so, your comments should have been reported to the CDC.

 

If not your comments should have, and may have been, reported to Oceania corporate along with the name of the ship's doctor. Report even now, as that doctor may still be on an Oceana ship.

 

Did you have Trip insurance? Did it cover this problem?

 

My wife got sick (on an Oceania Caribbean cruise) and I was quarantined (never got sick). She was convinced that it was food poisoning. With a Miami stop, the CDC investigated ( was supposedly on board) and confirmed many cases of norovirus. I later went to their website and read their report.

 

Does any reader know if ginger ale or the stronger ginger candy helps with the stomach issues once you get the norovirus? We use it for rough seas motion issues.

 

One other tip, after washing you hands in the public bathrooms, use the little papers which are dispensed by the door so you do not have to directly touch the door handle AFTER washing your hands. From what is have directly observed, most men on board do not do this.

 

Lets cross our fingers as we are on a May 2018 Oceania cruise together.