Explorer Virus Breakout

[Nliedel]

I figure there's alot of these stories, even though so many people swear by it -- even Oprah endorses it by gum! I wondered if Airbourne is very similar to Zicam... I've tried that twice at the start of getting sick and I just got as sick as I would be without it.

 

Also I know its not for the norovirus -- sorry if I've hijacked the thread :o

 

I can never ever say a word about every hijacking a thread since I seem to be an expert at it. In normal conversation there is ebb and flow. Airborne working or not seems to be on topic for this conversation but then again I reach a mighty long way in conversation for such a short person! :rolleyes:

[ga-shel]

I went to the doctor over the weekend, didn't ask about Airborne, but I did ask about the Zicam. She said if used at the first sign Zicam will effectively reduce the cold. She is a big advocate of it.

 

Good luck everyone with your upcoming cruises. Remember good ole fashioned hand washing. When I would go and visit a friend in the hospital the doctors would make you rub the antibacterial foam on your hands to touch the door handle then you proceeded directly to the sink to wash your hands and used 2 squirts of soap and suds up to the toon of Happy Birthday, when finished with the song you rinsed off and you were then considered clean. It was a long 2 months visisting him as he had stem cell transplant. It is amazing some of the stories you hear.

[nrdsb4]

But seriously, how do you guys feel about that Airbourne stuff they sell at drugstores... anyone have good or bad experiences with it?

 

There is not a lot of research on airborne yet. Early studies are not that encouraging. Placebo effect has been documented, but there's nothing wrong with that if it works.

 

Unfortunately, it would have no bearing on Norwalk, it's intended use is to prevent/lesson the duration/severity of respiratory ailments/colds.

[SuzieQ123]

maybe I can get compensated from the airlines when the person sitting near me is coughing and vomitting the whole flight. :rolleyes:

 

 

Or 1/2 of your co-workers who you are exposed to on a daily basis......those of us that work in an office......

 

I still don't understand why people think this is so out of the ordinary 200 people out of 3700 passengers and 1100 crew, thats 4800 people ....now my office has about 75-80 people in it, on any given day there are at least 20 people with hacking coughs, sneezing, blowing there noses....probably a few others with worse then that judging from the looks of the ladies room

 

If I had a days pay for everday co-workers around me were sick I'd be a very rich person---

[skeezix]

I've been on 3 cruises, and have yet to get sick. I wash my hands constantly and have doctor's orders not to eat at the buffet. I will say that I have been on immune suppression therapy for years and will be on for the rest of my life, I must be aware of sickness around me and use some caution. I will not quit cruising, or traveling as this is the one thing I can lool forward to. I think people could stop the spread by some common sense and hand washing. No need to be paranoid, just careful!

[wrp96]

Just flew home today with a couple that was on the Explorer. They were quarantined for almost the entire cruise. They did say that when they came out they met several people that refused to go see the nurses because they would be quarantined so they just kept going out and about. They said the 2 nurses onboard stayed up for 45 hours straight treating people that were sick.

 

However, they actually felt that it was handled well by Royal Caribbean, even though they were quite miserable the entire time.

 

On a side note, when I boarded the plane, there was a gentleman in the row in front of me asking if somebody would give up their aisle seat for his girlfriend who wasn't feeling well, thinking you know maybe it's a cold. As she sat down, she said she thought she had the stomach flu!! Thankfully, they found her a seat at the back of the plane near the bathrooms - far away from me! And they were leaving on vacation not headed home!

[saw777]

:) Im just back from Explorer of the Seas which docked in Miami on Sunday Morning. When we boarded the ship on Sunday 26th Feb we noticed that there was no hand sanitizing machines beside any of the food areas.

 

We were on Legand of the Seas last September for a two week cruise when shes was sailing from Southampton around Europe and you had to sanitize your hands before entering the dinning rooms or the windjammer areas.

 

We contacted guest relations late on sunday night to ask what had happened to the sanitizing washes and to say that Legand had them last year. Guest relations informed us that someone would contact us early on monday morning.

 

On monday morning we received a call from the person in-charge of hyiene on board the ship (cant remember his name but he came from New Zealand) and was informed that the ship was at a very low risk at present and the hand sanitizing machines only kill a percentage of the gems anyway. We were also informed what the hand sanitizing does and the body does need some gems anyway. He also said that if we were to see another passenger touching the food up in the windjammer or that with there hands, we had to inform a member of staff would would replace the dish. We were happy with the info which RCL gave us on that day.

 

As the week went on, however the hand saniziting machines came out, in the windjammer the food was served to us by staff. All the rails, deckchairs, keyboards etc were getting washed down.

 

Even at the Crown and Anchor Party we could not have any hand shakes with the staff. The only real issue was when we were in Grand Cayman. We were meant to dock at 9am however the tendering never started until 10.30am. The only info which we were given was that the authorities would not pass the ship yet. It wasnt until Saturday night that we discovered the reason for it was due to the sickness that was going around. 213 passengers were affected by the bug.

 

Im back on Legend at the end of april when shes sailing from southampton again so will see if the hand sanitizing machines are out then.

:)

[newhampshiregirl]

We returned on Saturday from our cruise on the Voyager. Stopped in Cozumel on Thursday and met up with our friends from the Explorer for lunch. They told us then that many, many people were sick on their ship & confined to their cabins...but that RCCI had kept it very quiet until that point.

 

A nurse from our ship got off in Cozumel & boarded the Explorer to assist with all of their passengers.

 

It has been all over the news here in New Hampshire as there were about 50 passengers from this state. RCCI offerred them a 50% credit on a future cruise.

 

By the way, the only hand sanitizers I saw on our entire cruise were at the beginning of the buffet line on Labadee. Never saw one on the ship.

 

Was thinking last night about washing hands, then touching the hand rails, elevator buttons....and how about touching those buttons on the slot machines---must be tons of germs too!

 

Someone, on another thread posted a link to the CDC (center for Disease Control site) where they report outbreaks of Norwalk, Salmonella, e coli virus's. It would shock you as to how many outbreaks on how many ships this has happened.

[javalina]

Oy! We're leaving in a few weeks, and will bring alcohol gel with us. As you all say, it doesn't kill everything, but....

 

I live in St. Paul, where the Ecolab headquarters is. I know they are contracted to sanitize some of the cruise vessels, but not RC. They provide all kinds of supplies--gels, wipes, solutions the cleaning staff uses. It's interesting to hear the differences between the cruise lines' approach to sanitizing.

 

Finally, a quote from Lucy van Pelt "Ack! Dog germs! Dog germs!":eek:

[threeofus]

We returned on Saturday from our cruise on the Voyager. Stopped in Cozumel on Thursday and met up with our friends from the Explorer for lunch. They told us then that many, many people were sick on their ship & confined to their cabins...but that RCCI had kept it very quiet until that point.

 

A nurse from our ship got off in Cozumel & boarded the Explorer to assist with all of their passengers.

 

It has been all over the news here in New Hampshire as there were about 50 passengers from this state. RCCI offerred them a 50% credit on a future cruise.

 

By the way, the only hand sanitizers I saw on our entire cruise were at the beginning of the buffet line on Labadee. Never saw one on the ship.

 

Was thinking last night about washing hands, then touching the hand rails, elevator buttons....and how about touching those buttons on the slot machines---must be tons of germs too!

 

Someone, on another thread posted a link to the CDC (center for Disease Control site) where they report outbreaks of Norwalk, Salmonella, e coli virus's. It would shock you as to how many outbreaks on how many ships this has happened.

 

The fact that cruisers might consider slot machines a home for germs may encourage RCL to install handsanitizers all over the ship!!!!!! That may do it. Thanks for bringing up that point.

[tootsieh]

We were on the Explorer Feb 12-19. The first two days the hand sanitizers were everywhere and then they disappeared which we thought was very strange. We did not hear of anyone being sick. My husband was very sick with the virus on our trip last June to Europe on the Jewel--he had to be taken to the doctor on the ship in a wheel chair and was given IV's--we were told the ship was under code red. He contacted it on the tenth day of our cruise. We never received any compensation--not that we expected it, but you wonder why some people are offered a discount on the next cruise and others are not offered anything.

[BaltiGator]

OK, I know I'm very new to this community, and I don't mean to come across like a know-it-all, but...

 

As a couple of people have pointed out in this thread, norovirus (and most other gastrointestinal viruses and bacteria) is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. This means that the virus (or bacteria) is shed in the feces, and when someone doesn't wash their hands thoroughly after pooping, they can pass that bug along to other people.

 

Now, it is true that you can get a GI infection by touching a knob or button that some already-infected person who didn't wash their hands has touched, if you then stick your fingers in your mouth.

 

But the fact of the matter is that most adults DON'T put their fingers in their mouth all that much (kids do). We do sometimes eat with our hands, or handle our food with our fingers, so it is certainly important to wash your hands before eating. But nevertheless most fecal-oral transmission among adults is NOT hand-to-mouth. It is food-to-mouth.

 

What happens is that someone who HANDLES FOOD for a living (in other words, a crew member) doesn't wash their hands after pooping, and then handles food that ends up on your plate. And you know what? In that scenario you could wash your hands from here to Kingdom Come and it won't protect you. And since people are usually shedding virus/bacteria in their feces BEFORE they have symptoms, an infected crew member with bad hand-washing practices can infect lots of other people before they get sick themselves.

 

Moreover, it matters not one bit whether the infected food comes from the buffet or is served to you at a table. It only matters whether you are one of the unlucky ones who eats food that was handled by the infected, unwashed person.

 

When the CDC says handwashing is the best way to prevent transmission of norovirus, they mean that people who handle food need to wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, not that every healthy passenger on the cruise needs to be washing their hands a hundred times a day. Yes, people should wash up before handling the serving devices on the buffet line, but that's a much smaller risk than the one created by the infected food handler.

 

It is interesting that RCCL (and every other cruise line, I suppose) insists that it is passengers who spread these diseases on board because they don't wash their hands enough or whatever. A passenger might very well be "case zero" but most big-time outbreaks probably occur only after a food-handling crew member gets infected, after which no one is really safe...unless you fast! (And THAT'S no fun on a cruise!)

 

So...wash your hands before you eat, yes. Be vigilant, yes. But also understand that you may get sick anyway. On a cruise, in a restaurant, or anywhere else where someone else serves you food you didn't prepare yourself. The risk with any single meal is tiny, but over a lifetime we will all experience GI infections, food poisoning, and other diseases related to eating prepared food.

 

Deal with it, accept it, and enjoy life anyway.

 

Sorry for the long post.

[bubbadog]

oh brother:rolleyes:

[Staysail]

I just came off the Explorer. They put out the sanitizers all around the ship, after the virus was out. The problem that I have is that they did not inform the passengers of the problem of the virus. If they did then people would have been more diligent about avoiding any problems. At the end of the cruise they instituted different policies like no passengers were allowed to serve themselves food at the buffet. Evereything was put on your plate for you. At dinner the waiter wasn't allowed to touch your water glass. Rumors were circulating that we were not allowed to get off the ship in Miami. When we did get off the ship, we happened to pass by sickbay, and saw all the people lined up for services. Our room attendant told us that if he saw or heard of anyone that was sick, that he had to report it to security. If you were sick, then you and anyone else that was in your cabin were to be isolated to that cabin. When we stopped in Costa Maya, we bought a bottle of alcohol to wash our hands frequently. When I was on the Adventure of The Seas last year, they had sanitizers everywhere. As far as who is to blame is not the issue. RCL should have been more informative about the problem. Maybe they coul have averted some of the problem. Not being offically informed of the virus until the night before departure was not in anyonews best interest.

[dr.evil]

This is exactly why I use my feet and toes everywhere I go onboard the ship.........

 

To push the elevator buttons, handle the tongs in the buffet line, open doors, turn on faucets, ......everything!

 

I even lay out my towel on the deck chair at 7AM with my feet to save my chair for later in the day.

 

Dr. Evil :)

[The Grumpus]

BaltiGator, thank you for your detailed analysis of the food service industry, it just brightens my day right up. Just knowing that at some point I will be or have been eating someones feces in my food just makes my day. Yummy!

 

Mints anyone??

 

I do get a laugh out of it though 'cause you're right, anywhere you eat prepared foods, there's always a chance something will get on it but until I move into a big plastic bubble, I'm not going to worry about it.;)

[megessey]

What happens is that someone who HANDLES FOOD for a living (in other words, a crew member) doesn't wash their hands after pooping, and then handles food that ends up on your plate. And you know what? In that scenario you could wash your hands from here to Kingdom Come and it won't protect you. And since people are usually shedding virus/bacteria in their feces BEFORE they have symptoms, an infected crew member with bad hand-washing practices can infect lots of other people before they get sick themselves.

 

 

What?!? [/url]

 

This post gets my vote for the TMI of the Year Award! Some things are better left unsaid, dude. I don't wanna know about crew workers doing their duty and then .... doing their duty..... catch my drift?

 

Ignorance is bliss....

[erisajd]

Interesting - does RCCL not bear some responsibility for encourging sick people to sail with its' no refunds policy for any reason?

 

They should make an exception for people with contagious active illness - it is simply against human nature to expect someone to walk away from $3000 simply because they have a cold, flu or whatever.

 

I know, its' theoretically not RCCL's 'fault' I have a cold, but they do bear some responsibility to the OTHER people on the cruise, A cold is simply not worth 3 grand to people, so they'll come.

 

The stupid gel is everywhere and like Homeland Security, it is there to make people feel better, not actually do any good. I saw the ships Dr. one day standing at the gangway on my cruise and I got on board with bothering with the gel and he told me to back and I looked him right in the eye and asked him if in his medical opinion this stuff did any good.

 

He just looked at me back, there was enough of a pause to completely answer the question and then I stated, i'm happy to wash my hands in a rest room, however everyone else is using the gel - so whats the point? I did not say the last and just raised an eyebrow and kept walking.

 

The 'hand sanitizer' is uttterly worthless - it will not affect a virus [which is not alive and thus cannot be 'killed] and after 2 years of the cruise lines using this stuff, any bacteria onboard is so completely resistant it is completely meaningless to use it any longer.

 

The major risk on board is food borne illness - which is probably 80% of the actual illness - the afternoon buffet puts meats and condiments outside in the sun for hours in a warm climate- there is probably more active illness causing microbes in the afternoon buffet [which does NOT have hand cleaning station] than in the entire shipborne environment.

 

So, ANY time you are on a pressurized aircraft or a cruise, wash those hands OFTEN, stay warm, and well hydrated, and use a zinc containing nasal spray for a couple days after the trip to interrupt the growth of noro and rhinoviruses. There is little you can do about strep, but if you are warm, in good health, exercise and eat and drink well, there is little chance you will get strep even if exposed - bacteria require a compromised immune system to get going, and if you eat and drink healthy and dont get a chill or have some other compromise to your system like insuffucient sleep, you will not likely get a bacterial infection. Docs and nurses are exposed to bacteria all day every day and rarely get sick.

[titleistpro1963]

6 of us are scheduled to leave Miami on March 12th on Explorer of the Seas, this will be my 8th cruise and I haven't had any problems with Norovirus in the past. However, I'm very concerned this trip, will RCCL do everything possible to ensure a clean, safe ship for our cruise?? How can they thoroughly clean the ship before each departure? What I was thinking was now that it's been out in the news, RCCL will do everything in their power to ensure a clean, healthy ship...! Any thoughts would be appreciated, we are all very excited and I just hope everything will be OK...!

[thepog]

I am also sailing on the Explorer March 12th and am curious on how the current cruise is doing in respect to illness. I went to the CDC website to check the status of the outbreak and they have updated it with current info but left out the last and most important information. I have emailed them and asked them to finish the last sentence. The website is

www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm if you want to send them a note. I am guessing things have cleared up but who knows!!

[thepog]

I talked with the CDC and they say the CDC page will be updated by 1:00 today..................

[BaltiGator]

:eek: Sorry if I grossed anyone out. I agree it's not a pleasant topic. But I don't agree that "ignorance is bliss." Misinformation leads to panic, inappropriate actions, and erroneous blame.

 

And besides, if you've really never thought about this, then let me ask you...haven't you ever wondered why restaurant bathrooms all have big signs (required by law) stating that EMPLOYEES MUST WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE LEAVING RESTROOM...???

 

:p

[thepog]

Talked to a official at the CDC to clarify the comments on the CDC site, here is what he sent me (It pays to be a pest);

 

The medical staff aboard the ship have reported that gastrointestinal illnesses are still being reported to the medical facility. However the illness levels are less than 3% of the total passengers or crew and is less than previous voyage. The Vessel Sanitation Program continues to monitor the ship and provide guidance to keep illness levels down.

[Firefighterhoop]

2 Thoughts - 1) The CDC update has been corrected on their website, and it does state that the levels are still above normal, but does not state how above normal it is.

 

2) It is stomach flu season still around much of the country. I work for a Fire Department that also runs the Ambulance, and have seen a recent increase in medical calls for "flu like symptoms".