Marina now

[KonaJo]

Thank you JudiK..this is good to know

 

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[Millhoney]

We are sailing on the Marina in April and agree with one who said that the sanitizers are a reminder as they have always been for us who regularly head for our cabin to use hot soapy water to washhands and avoid hand to mouth contact. (yn)

Noro is a “Virus” and there are many other contagious “bacterial” gastric illnesses that sanitizers may help in the prevention of spreading.

I cant imagine anyone with any sort of gastro symptoms hitting the hot tub – but agree with another- the idea of a public hot tub/spa has never appealed to me for all these reasons.:p

 

I am sailing on Marina later in the year and am disappointed in hearing the problems and agree that sanitizers are a great reminder. We know they don't kill all germs but it has served me well while traveling. I just decided to take the cruise, and it is my first time on Oceania. Hopefully the ship will be clear of the issues soon. Like they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". :)

[janecambridge]

I am sailing on Marina later in the year and am disappointed in hearing the problems and agree that sanitizers are a great reminder. We know they don't kill all germs but it has served me well while traveling. I just decided to take the cruise, and it is my first time on Oceania. Hopefully the ship will be clear of the issues soon. Like they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". :)

 

Welcome.Sorry you have had to read all this before your first cruise with Oceania.There are so many good points,hence the reason we booked an Oceania suite for my 50th birthday and our 40th anniversary on Marina..Holiday of a lifetime and that is why it has been so painful after the first amazing pampered week to endure the inadequacies that followed.

[chelseabelsea]

Honest to God, people need to have a balanced view of the situation. I am NOT an Oceania cheerleader, but I was on the same cruise as Jane, and I have a very different perspective: I am angry at fellow passgengers for NOT using their brains, please see my post just now; I am APPALLED at individual’s poor hygiene. Money does not buy hygiene, class, common sense, nor perspective on blaming other people for the outbreak.

For the love of God, people need to own their role in transmitting the germs. I observed a MULTITUDE of passengers who left restrooms without washing their hand, who coughed and hacked into napkins left for the staff to handle, who refused to contain their coughs and hacks. This was AFTER we had been to,d their was a problem. I was DISGUSTED by my fellow passengers and the ONLY hope we had was watching the fine O staff taking the extraordinary sanitation steps. I am exceedingly appalled at all who blame the cruise line. The passengers do NOT do their part in containing an outbreak. For us, this was a once in a lifetime cruise. We made the best of it- as did Oceania- despite those who refuse to accept responsibility for maintaining health onboard.

[jamesnmphs]

Honest to God, people need to have a balanced view of the situation. I am NOT an Oceania cheerleader, but I was on the same cruise as Jane, and I have a very different perspective: I am angry at fellow passgengers for NOT using their brains, please see my post just now; I am APPALLED at individual’s poor hygiene. Money does not buy hygiene, class, common sense, nor perspective on blaming other people for the outbreak.

 

For the love of God, people need to own their role in transmitting the germs. I observed a MULTITUDE of passengers who left restrooms without washing their hand, who coughed and hacked into napkins left for the staff to handle, who refused to contain their coughs and hacks. This was AFTER we had been to,d their was a problem. I was DISGUSTED by my fellow passengers and the ONLY hope we had was watching the fine O staff taking the extraordinary sanitation steps. I am exceedingly appalled at all who blame the cruise line. The passengers do NOT do their part in containing an outbreak. For us, this was a once in a lifetime cruise. We made the best of it- as did Oceania- despite those who refuse to accept responsibility for maintaining health onboard.

 

 

 

Thank you Chelsea. You said what I was thinking. How can Oceania be blamed for the lack of hygienic irresponsibilities of the passengers?

 

 

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[Paulchili]

Honest to God, people need to have a balanced view of the situation. I am NOT an Oceania cheerleader, but I was on the same cruise as Jane, and I have a very different perspective: I am angry at fellow passgengers for NOT using their brains, please see my post just now; I am APPALLED at individual’s poor hygiene. Money does not buy hygiene, class, common sense, nor perspective on blaming other people for the outbreak.

For the love of God, people need to own their role in transmitting the germs. I observed a MULTITUDE of passengers who left restrooms without washing their hand, who coughed and hacked into napkins left for the staff to handle, who refused to contain their coughs and hacks. This was AFTER we had been to,d their was a problem. I was DISGUSTED by my fellow passengers and the ONLY hope we had was watching the fine O staff taking the extraordinary sanitation steps. I am exceedingly appalled at all who blame the cruise line. The passengers do NOT do their part in containing an outbreak. For us, this was a once in a lifetime cruise. We made the best of it- as did Oceania- despite those who refuse to accept responsibility for maintaining health onboard.

 

Well said!

[janecambridge]

Yes I agree too about the passengers and as I said we pointed it out before the known outbreak.We predicted this past problem.After one visit to the gym I was convinced But...we can’t deny the bodged attempts at containing it once it became a problem.

From what I saw it wasn’t handled well.One day the powers that be,decide to remove condiments from tables,leaving us surprised that table mats stayed another 5 days..

We noticed the staff in the terrace,the girls dishing up bakery products had gloves on.They went back and forth between the station they were working at,touching the half door with their gloves on.Then other staff,having handled soiled serviettes and crockery ( with goodness knows what in) touched the same doors. Time after time...The gloved ones then passing us spreads and butter.

No hand wash stations in terrace for staff,therefore staff continually clearing soiled plates etc and the returning with ‘clean’ teapots,glasses etc.

No one that we saw ever cleaned the continually used slot machines,outdoor sports equipment or umbrellas.

Staff,right up until last bar service,handling open small straws and putting them in cocktails ( also removing all coverings from large straws).

The clinical centre was a shock.When we went in to register,everyone was given the same pen,same clipboard and the machines used to take blood pressure were not cleaned between use. The patients were laid down on beds used by others,no clean sheet (paper or otherwise).chairs never cleaned between use.

When bloods were taken the nurse used the same tray with no change of covering or cleaning for everyone,her long hair dangling whilst putting in intravenous cannulas.

I had three visits (unrelated to gastric virus) and never once saw the hand sanitiser used by patients,visitors or staff on entry.It needs to be put in a more prominent position due to passengers inepadequacy of use.

We were with someone who is an environmental health officer and myself a trained cross infection nurse.From our eyes Oceania must take responsibility somewhere too.

I ask,why was the casino left open and the gym?

Why were procedures set in place to prevent further cross contamination at such random intervals?

Why were umbrellas used daily by passengers and not cleaned between use?

Why don’t they have hand wash stations in restaurants?

Why was the hand wash station in Waves continually covered?

Why were the staff still shaking hands and embracing passengers?

Why don’t the clinic staff have regular cross infection updates or inspections.?

Why were ice cubes removed from cabins,yet fresh fruit replenished daily?

Why were staff eventually stationed outside terrace to encourage use of sanitisers but nowhere else?

The hand wash lesson on the TV,was poor,When washing hands,let the water drip away from the wrist,not the fingertips as shown.

I can go on and on,but if you read Riviera 2015 posts on Noro virus,you will see that they haven’t learnt a thing.

I have been very upset about this Oceania trip.It too was a once in a lifetime trip,saving up for two years to spoil ourselves in a suite,the chance of having again is nil.

We too,did the best we could and met some wonderful people and enjoyed what we could,but my concerns right from the beginning were for the frail and disabled.

Edited February 10, 2018 by janecambridge

[bellevuecruiser]

Jane

Curious if you disembarked at all the ports during this situation. Was it easier to be off the ship?

[janecambridge]

Jane

Curious if you disembarked at all the ports during this situation. Was it easier to be off the ship?

 

We did disembark at all planned ports.Including 2 days on Easter Island,where the crew worked incredibly hard to make sure we could enjoy the island.

It made a huge difference to us to be off the ship.The only change to the norm,was the constant sanitisation of the tenders as soon as emptied,both by the ship and at port.It was necessary,but some people found it tough with the long wait in the lounge with their tender tickets.

[Travelcat2]

Just read this entire thread thread because Regent's Mariner just got off of Code Red and I have a few comments.

 

1. Most sanitizers do not kill Norovirus but there are some that do - do a Google search on this. We were able to get the same type of wipes from Amazon.com that hospitals use. We use them on the ships, on airplanes (especially the filthy food trays) and might start using them on buses (arm rests, etc.)

 

2. I wondered about the self serve buffet on Regent vs. the way you are served on Oceania. If you check out the CDC website, you will see that Oceania has had many more "reportable" outbreaks of Norovirus than Regent (last reportable one that I saw was in 2007).

 

It seems that ships in South America have more illnesses than in other parts of the world. The Mariner seems to have upper GI issues almost every time they are in that part of the world. I have no idea why. Perhaps there are bacteria that people that do not live in that area area not used to -- it could come onto the ship in the food or ???

 

The Mariner had some real problems from September - early February. We we onboard going out of Alaska in September when the ship went Code Red (flu - not surprising since there are so many cases in the U.S.). They had two more incidents of Code Red when they were on the East Coast of the U.S. (no cases of Norovirus). The ship was deep cleaned before our 25 night Miami to Miami cruise that went to the Amazon in Brazil.

 

The Captain of the ship put a policy in place where there was no handshaking. We did fist bumps and elbow bumps and it actually became natural and a bit of fun. Cleaning on the ship remained the same as when they were in Code Red but everything was "normal" for passengers. Utensils on the help yourself buffet were changed out every 15 minutes - the buttons outside and inside the elevators were typically wet as they were constantly being wiped down.

 

Bottom line - no illnesses on the 25 night cruise! Note: Regent will now go into Code Red if there is a certain percentage of passengers that have any communicable illnesses (even colds).

 

Sorry to be long winded ...... almost done. Before disembarking the ship in Miami (in December), the replacement Captain came onboard as well as the replacement General Manager as both were going on vacation. The G.M. said that he will recommend to the Captain on all future cruises that there be no handshaking. So, we all left the ship and the ship headed towards South America (Lima I think).

 

As soon as the Captain was off of the ship, handshaking began. There is even a photo on a Regent thread of the "new"

Captain shaking a passengers hand. Result? Gastrointestinal illnesses causing Code Red on most of the cruise (that will end in a couple of days).

 

Note: Captain Serena said that many germs live in the part of your hand where you fingers meet the palm. So, handshaking is really an issue.

 

P.S. Remember that Norovirus is everywhere - as most of you know, at the Olympics, there is/was a horrendous outbreak of Norovirus affecting hundreds of people.

[marylizcat]

Some cruise lines, for example, Fred Olsen, have permanent ‘no hand-shaking’ rules in place. It is obviously a good idea!

 

 

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[robbie21]

Welcome.Sorry you have had to read all this before your first cruise with Oceania.There are so many good points,hence the reason we booked an Oceania suite for my 50th birthday and our 40th anniversary on Marina..Holiday of a lifetime and that is why it has been so painful after the first amazing pampered week to endure the inadequacies that followed.

 

Jane, every time I skim through this thread the above post catches my eye. If I am understanding you correctly and doing the math correctly you were married at age 10 :eek:. Is that correct?

[bellevuecruiser]

Interesting post regarding the handshaking.... were you able to find any hand disinfectant that would kill noro from a handshake?

[janecambridge]

Jane, every time I skim through this thread the above post catches my eye. If I am understanding you correctly and doing the math correctly you were married at age 10 :eek:. Is that correct?

 

Oop.sorry.60th birthday.At least someone reads my posts.😂😂

[Jay23]

Freudian slip there Jane methinks!!!!

[Travelcat2]

Interesting post regarding the handshaking.... were you able to find any hand disinfectant that would kill noro from a handshake?

 

Assume that these wipes kill norovirus on any surface. Here is a link to what is available on amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/wipes-that-kill-norovirus/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awipes%20that%20kill%20norovirus

[jamesnmphs]

Jane, every time I skim through this thread the above post catches my eye. If I am understanding you correctly and doing the math correctly you were married at age 10 :eek:. Is that correct?

 

 

 

I thought the same thing, but did not want to mention it. [emoji14]

 

 

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[Cruiser Jane]

Is anyone who is on the cruise now, able to tell us if the ship still has a problem with virus?

 

Many thanks as we're traveling in May on Marina.

[njhorseman]

Yes I agree too about the passengers and as I said we pointed it out before the known outbreak.We predicted this past problem.After one visit to the gym I was convinced But...we can’t deny the bodged attempts at containing it once it became a problem.

From what I saw it wasn’t handled well.One day the powers that be,decide to remove condiments from tables,leaving us surprised that table mats stayed another 5 days..

We noticed the staff in the terrace,the girls dishing up bakery products had gloves on.They went back and forth between the station they were working at,touching the half door with their gloves on.Then other staff,having handled soiled serviettes and crockery ( with goodness knows what in) touched the same doors. Time after time...The gloved ones then passing us spreads and butter.

No hand wash stations in terrace for staff,therefore staff continually clearing soiled plates etc and the returning with ‘clean’ teapots,glasses etc.

No one that we saw ever cleaned the continually used slot machines,outdoor sports equipment or umbrellas.

Staff,right up until last bar service,handling open small straws and putting them in cocktails ( also removing all coverings from large straws).

The clinical centre was a shock.When we went in to register,everyone was given the same pen,same clipboard and the machines used to take blood pressure were not cleaned between use. The patients were laid down on beds used by others,no clean sheet (paper or otherwise).chairs never cleaned between use.

When bloods were taken the nurse used the same tray with no change of covering or cleaning for everyone,her long hair dangling whilst putting in intravenous cannulas.

I had three visits (unrelated to gastric virus) and never once saw the hand sanitiser used by patients,visitors or staff on entry.It needs to be put in a more prominent position due to passengers inepadequacy of use.

We were with someone who is an environmental health officer and myself a trained cross infection nurse.From our eyes Oceania must take responsibility somewhere too.

I ask,why was the casino left open and the gym?

Why were procedures set in place to prevent further cross contamination at such random intervals?

Why were umbrellas used daily by passengers and not cleaned between use?

Why don’t they have hand wash stations in restaurants?

Why was the hand wash station in Waves continually covered?

Why were the staff still shaking hands and embracing passengers?

Why don’t the clinic staff have regular cross infection updates or inspections.?

Why were ice cubes removed from cabins,yet fresh fruit replenished daily?

Why were staff eventually stationed outside terrace to encourage use of sanitisers but nowhere else?

The hand wash lesson on the TV,was poor,When washing hands,let the water drip away from the wrist,not the fingertips as shown.

I can go on and on,but if you read Riviera 2015 posts on Noro virus,you will see that they haven’t learnt a thing.

I have been very upset about this Oceania trip.It too was a once in a lifetime trip,saving up for two years to spoil ourselves in a suite,the chance of having again is nil.

We too,did the best we could and met some wonderful people and enjoyed what we could,but my concerns right from the beginning were for the frail and disabled.

 

Janecambridge:

 

Having been on the same cruise, as well as the preceding Miami to Lima segment I fully concur with your observations and comments.

 

Both the disgusting lack of good hygiene habits by all too many passengers and the sometimes brain dead, illogical, inconsistent, and insufficient response by ship management were big contributors to the problem.

 

I'd just like to add a few observations of my own.

 

Having been on the Miami to Lima segment I knew that trouble was brewing about halfway into that cruise. One night we went to Terrace Cafe for dinner and noted that the table setting had changed. Until then tables had been preset with silverware for three courses, salad/appetizer, main course and dessert/coffee as it would be in the dining room. Suddenly that was changed to having two forks, a knife and a spoon rolled up in a cloth napkin. As I recall, some other service items were missing from the table also, although the details have escaped me by now. I asked one of the headwaiters about the change and he said they were done because of "concern" about GI illness. Presumably that was the first public sign of a growing problem.

 

Unfortunately my wife and I were victims of the GI problem. We only had relatively mild lower GI symptoms and really didn't feel ill, but went to the infirmary in order to get medication to lessen the symptoms...I had brought some meds from home but was concerned that we might run out, so we went downstairs, got more medication and were quarantined...spending about 72 hours confined to our cabin.

 

I have no problem with the quarantine decision...but I have a huge problem with how we were treated during that time. You have to order food from room service of course, and your diet is greatly restricted...again I understand that, but the food we were given was always cold. Some of the items, such as high fiber barely steamed vegetables were inappropriate for that type of lower GI problem. Most orders we placed were not properly filled, with permitted items we ordered being omitted and items we should not have been allowed to have, such as milk, (which we didn't ask for) being added.

 

You could never tell how long it would take to have your food tray delivered. Sometimes it took up to two hours to get our order. Sometimes trays were not collected after meals despite repeated calls to room service . Once everything remained in our room overnight. It wasn't until the next day's breakfast delivery that we were able to return the previous night's tray.

 

In summary we felt we were treated like prisoners who had slop thrown at them three times a day by guards who would just as soon see you suffer, rather than being treated as valued guests who unfortunately were ill but at the same time were quite willing to abide by the rules imposed by Oceania in an attempt to limit any further spread of the illness.

 

We've cruised 58 days on Oceania in the past 13 months, but at this point I can't see ever cruising with them again. We spent too much money to be treated like dirt. In more than 30 years of cruising...probably about 60 cruises on 9 or 10 different cruise lines from mass market up to "luxury light" such as Azamara and Oceania. I don't recall ever encountering ship management that was as arrogant and less forthcoming with passengers, and as laughably clueless in a crisis.

[ORV]

Who was the General Manager on this cruise?

[janecambridge]

njhorseman,thanks for your contribution.Its interesting, because the Maitre de who resigned,told us it had started before the ship reached Lima.It was a big concern of his how nothing was done about it..

I too felt like we were treated like a secondhand passenger whose travel was treated with indignantion and no respect.If they had only had the respect to tell us each time they were going to creep into our suite behind our backs and take something away,with an explanation,it may have helped.I haven’t put it as strongly as you but I feel it.

[ORV]

I'd like to see handshaking discouraged at all times on cruise ships. It's a sticky wicket. I really don't mind shaking hands, but I don't want any illnesses. I don't want to offend anyone, but on the other hand I don't really think people should stick their hand out to shake on a cruise. I do understand that for many people it's second nature in their lives or jobs.

 

At the repeater's party when they do the reception line I always hold my hands behind my back and nod at the Captain, GM, etc. I think they should do away with the handshaking tradition at these functions.

[njhorseman]

Who was the General Manager on this cruise?

 

Claudio Melli.

[Paulchili]

I'd like to see handshaking discouraged at all times on cruise ships. It's a sticky wicket. I really don't mind shaking hands, but I don't want any illnesses. I don't want to offend anyone, but on the other hand I don't really think people should stick their hand out to shake on a cruise. I do understand that for many people it's second nature in their lives or jobs.

 

At the repeater's party when they do the reception line I always hold my hands behind my back and nod at the Captain, GM, etc. I think they should do away with the handshaking tradition at these functions.

 

I believe that it is on Azamara that they “fist bump” routinely instead of shaking hands,

[Sea42]

I'd like to see handshaking discouraged at all times on cruise ships. It's a sticky wicket. I really don't mind shaking hands, but I don't want any illnesses. I don't want to offend anyone, but on the other hand I don't really think people should stick their hand out to shake on a cruise. I do understand that for many people it's second nature in their lives or jobs.

 

At the repeater's party when they do the reception line I always hold my hands behind my back and nod at the Captain, GM, etc. I think they should do away with the handshaking tradition at these functions.

 

I agree. I don't think anyone would be offended if your greeting is pleasant and accompanied by a smile. I'm sure the ship's officers would understand exactly why you're doing it.