After the Outbreak - Oasis of the Seas

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, Trinam2 said:

See you on Sunday, glad your feeling better! That is a major fear for me, getting sick while on vacation. Hopefully this cruise will make it up to you guys. 

 

Thanks...I am hoping so also.  Seems sometimes you have to experience the bad to really appreciate when it is good.  😉  

 

Could be worse.  I broke my foot last year on Brilliance on the very first night.  My luck not running so well lately.  😮 

[Colorado Babe]

2 hours ago, gatour said:

I assume by "did get it" was that you got the flu after the flu shot.  Nora and the flu are totally different beasts and have nothing to do with each other.

 

As an FYI, there are actually three different strains of the flu (with I think a forth one that is very infrequent).  Each year, using indicators they take a guess which strain will be active for that year.  They then make up the vaccine.  If they get it right, great however all is not lost as I believe even if they get it wrong there is some additional protection. 

I haven’t gotten the flu since i retired from the military as i refuse the flu shot. My point is that there are precautions we can all take which decrease our odds of getting sick. Im sorry if you didnt understand my point. 16 years retired and trying my best to remain healthy, active without listening to “big Pharma”.

[brillohead]

6 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

We have sailed many times on ships with the "Noro Virus" and have never gotten sick.  We stay away from the elevators (we will take them occasionally at night with friends who can't take the steps), we don't touch the hand rails, as soon as we get into our room, I get the essential oils out and spray/wipe down the common areas and diffuse. We wash our hands frequently.  We do take pre and probiotics and stay very active.  I am not sure if this helps but in the past 13 years we've avoided getting it.  As a matter of fact, the last time I did get it was in 2001 when the Air Force forced me to take the flu shot.  Haven't had the shot since then and haven't gotten it.  🙂

 
Trying to figure out how come you're talking about the flu when discussing norovirus.  The two have nothing to do with each other.  

 

[Colorado Babe]

44 minutes ago, brillohead said:

 
Trying to figure out how come you're talking about the flu when discussing norovirus.  The two have nothing to do with each other.  

 

I was talking about ways to prevent getting sick. 😘

[brillohead]

45 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

I was talking about ways to prevent getting sick. 😘

But getting sick with norovirus is in no way related to getting sick from influenza, which is the point of this thread....
 

[Colorado Babe]

2 hours ago, brillohead said:

But getting sick with norovirus is in no way related to getting sick from influenza, which is the point of this thread....
 

I guess you dont understsnd the point i was trying to get across. You can take precautuons on a cruise ship to not get sick. 😘

[beachlady80]

Those cleaning products with Hydrogen Peroxide do kill the Noro virus and flu germs.  AND there ARE hand sanitizers that you can get on Amazon with Hydrogen Peroxide.  We just ordered all the cleaning products that they listed on the CDC website for our Oasis cruise in 4 weeks!

[Drock20J]

11 hours ago, beachlady80 said:

Those cleaning products with Hydrogen Peroxide do kill the Noro virus and flu germs.  AND there ARE hand sanitizers that you can get on Amazon with Hydrogen Peroxide.  We just ordered all the cleaning products that they listed on the CDC website for our Oasis cruise in 4 weeks!

I hope by then, the Oasis returns to their normal operation, but I agree, next time we go on a cruise we will probably take extra steps.

 

I also suggest pre-gaming your immune system. My wife and I started to feel a little sinus stuff starting and we both started a regiment of Sambacul and Emergen-C. We feel like having going into the situation really helped prevent us from getting sick on the cruise.

[Iamcruzin]

On 1/15/2019 at 3:13 PM, ramja96 said:

 

Which raises another matter - people not being honest when answering the health questionnaire pre-boarding. Worse - I've seen people ON THESE BOARDS condoning this. 😡

Didn’t they put a stop to that form? Seems like it’s worthless. Honestly do you think people are going to fly to port and take a risk that they won’t be able to board because of the answers on the health form?   Some suffer from seasonal allergies that have the same symptoms of a cold. They still spread germs but don’t consider themselves sick.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[mommamd]

I am heading off on HOTS in 2 weeks and anticipate a similar worry of norovirus, it is the time of year. Thank you for the suggestion for peroxide wipes I will look into this. There are a lot of people who are worried about flu shots causing illness, it is a common idea out there. It is up to individuals to assess their own risk of death from influenza and act accordingly if they have toe option to decline a vaccination.

I am always concerned myself that the common water dispensers might a possible noro source, so I usually get water by a case to avoid a contaminated spigot.  And not surprised the questionnaires are less utilized, they are probably useless as some have proposed.

[brillohead]

16 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

I guess you dont understsnd the point i was trying to get across. You can take precautuons on a cruise ship to not get sick. 😘

 
The part about washing your hands and not touching things is relevant. 

This part is not:

As a matter of fact, the last time I did get it was in 2001 when the Air Force forced me to take the flu shot.  Haven't had the shot since then and haven't gotten it.  🙂

 

The flu shot had nothing to do with getting norovirus, and not getting the flu shot since 2001 has nothing to do with you not getting norovirus since 2001, either.  

[LakeWobegon]

Glad to see such a positive response from RCCL. We are considering sailing on them again soon!

 

Hand washing is paramount. I am glad to see most ships have hand washing stations now or at least the ones we've been on. IF, we eat in the buffet, which isn't often, we make the kids (and oursleves), set the food on the table and go wash their hands before eating commences. My kids will voluntarily wash their hands before eating in the dining room too. I am constantly telling them, keep your hands/fingers out of your mouth and away from your eyes.

 

Does not help when relatives (older ones usually) are sucking their fingers, or picking their teeth with their fingers, after dinner back home or using their dirty eating utensil to scrape food off of the clean serving utensil. That last one kills me and I joke to the kids take a big first portion versus seconds when you go to so and so's house. lol. My BIL thinks I am over the top but I rarely get sick. And my wife has pointed that out to the kids to encourage them to practice proper hygiene. 

 

I would add I would be more concerned with what you might pick up on the airplane versus the cruise ship. I've pointed out to my family that on the dozen plus work trips I take a year, more than half of men leaving the restroom do not wash their hands. I see that consistently. So I always have a travel pack of clorox wipes to wipe down the tray table, arm rests and seat belts. 

[shazza_h]

We are on the Oasis this week and as of today, we've been allowed to self serve at the buffet, ice cream etc again. 

The lengths they have gone to this week to 'washy washy' and clean down surfaces this week has been very noticeable. 

Been a great cruise actually!

 

[tigerxj]

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 11:39 AM, Colorado Babe said:

I haven’t gotten the flu since i retired from the military as i refuse the flu shot. My point is that there are precautions we can all take which decrease our odds of getting sick. Im sorry if you didnt understand my point. 16 years retired and trying my best to remain healthy, active without listening to “big Pharma”.

Just gonna leave this here, from the cdc.

 

No to be confrontational, but you are giving bad advice.  Flu shot is a killed vaccine (unless you get the nasal mist form - which is not available every year). So you cannot catch flu from the flu shot, even if you are immunosuppressed.  Therefore, I can confidently say you did not get flu from the flu shot even in 2001.  You coincidentally contracted a viral illness, maybe even it was flu, after you had the flu shot. 

 

During winter cruise season, it is terrible advice to tell people not to get the flu shot.  Some immunity is better than no immunity. A 20% chance of protection is better than 0% chance.  Furthermore, it reduces deaths, hospitalizations, serious complications (IE respiratory failure from flu), and provides benefit to the community due to herd immunity (like in a cruise ship setting).  A few studies have shown a cumulative effect of flu vaccines. That is, the more you have, the less likely you are to have complications from flu later in life, when your risk is greater.  I think an important point however is the herd immunity - I almost see it as an obligation to the greater public health. At my age and health, I am at low risk of complications, but the young and the elderly are at higher risk. If the population is better vaccinated, there are fewer susceptible individuals, and it is harder for the virus to spread (like the measles mumps outbreaks you see in pockets of anti-vaccinators).

 

However, to your other points, I do agree with.  Its just that your flu shot advice is flat out wrong.  lastly, it takes about 2 weeks after the vaccine before immunity is achieved, so hope everyone got theirs!

 

Oh, and BLEACH wipes kill norovirus.

Edited January 18, 2019 by tigerxj
bleach kills noro

[Colorado Babe]

I did not tell anyone not to get the flu shot. I said i havent gotten the flu shot. 

 

I suggested for everyone to take precautuons on a cruise ship. I noted what i do and stated it works for us as we’ve never gotten sick. Stop making accusations and perhaps read actually what ive said. 

, 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Colorado Babe

[brillohead]

12 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

I did not tell anyone not to get the flu shot. I said i havent gotten the flu shot. 

 

I suggested for everyone to take precautuons on a cruise ship. I noted what i do and stated it works for us as we’ve never gotten sick. Stop making accusations and perhaps read actually what ive said. 

, 

Not sure if you really don't get it, or if you're just not that good with using language to get a point across.

Are you trying to say, "even though I don't get a flu shot in spite of the many benefits of doing so, I've been fortunate to not get the flu in almost two decades, which I attribute to my scrupulous hand-washing habit, which also has prevented me from getting norovirus"???

 

[Colorado Babe]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Not sure if you really don't get it, or if you're just not that good with using language to get a point across.

Are you trying to say, "even though I don't get a flu shot in spite of the many benefits of doing so, I've been fortunate to not get the flu in almost two decades, which I attribute to my scrupulous hand-washing habit, which also has prevented me from getting norovirus"???

 

Not quite. You left out, we avoid the elevators, we dont touch the bannisters, we use essentisl oils and stay active, etc,. 😜😍😘

[ramja96]

On 1/18/2019 at 10:10 AM, Iamcruzin said:

Didn’t they put a stop to that form? Seems like it’s worthless. Honestly do you think people are going to fly to port and take a risk that they won’t be able to board because of the answers on the health form?   Some suffer from seasonal allergies that have the same symptoms of a cold. They still spread germs but don’t consider themselves sick.

 

I don't think the forms ever had anything to do with passenger health and safety - and everything to do with protecting RCI from liability.