Neptune GI Outbreak

[PasadenaDave]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:32 AM, longterm said:

I'm glad to hear you say that; after watching a couple of videos about Nile river cruising, we definitely were left with the opinion that, between the crowds and risk of illness, we were better off not doing one of those river cruises. Your post makes me rethink it--I'd love to see the Egyptian sites. 

Cairo was chaotic, but an amazing experience.  Giza wasn’t all that crowded, less than say Athens.  Most of the many other temples and sites were at times empty it seemed.

 

I think about 6 or 8 of our 52 passengers had a stomach issue which impacted their cruise to some extent.  I would estimate that most of us felt some impact from the food, including me, but it didn’t keep me from participating in all of the excursions, even night excursions after full days exploring.

 

 I was impacted at Petra, but that was due to allergies as the wind was strong and the olive trees to which I am allergic were in high pollen time.  I had this impact in Turkey and Greece the year before.  My impact limited my full exploration at Petra, I did walk beyond the Treasury so I saw the major areas and I took a golf cart out due to my exhaustion level from allergies as well as the length of the trip with no sea days 

[st5310]

On 6/20/2023 at 1:08 PM, Selion said:

The pandemic is over.  Why should I bother washing hands?

Is this a serious question or are you being sarcastic?

[st5310]

On 6/22/2023 at 4:45 AM, JollyJacqTar said:

Our last cruise was during the time when there was still daily testing and a great emphasis on hand washing and general hygiene to prevent Covid infection and we both saw a disturbing number of people not washing their hands after using the public loos. I despair! 

Can't tell you how many times I observed an individual in the bathroom whose idea of washing hands was to place 3 fingers of each hand under running water for 2 seconds.  No soap.

[stephenandrew]

1 hour ago, st5310 said:

Can't tell you how many times I observed an individual in the bathroom whose idea of washing hands was to place 3 fingers of each hand under running water for 2 seconds.  No soap.

Frankly, it is rather remarkable that given the hygiene habits of many individuals there isn’t more illness on ships than what is currently experienced.  Obviously one can only do so much before life becomes too difficult to navigate, but whenever practical, I avoid using public bathrooms, eating at buffets that are self serve, etc.  

[st5310]

5 minutes ago, stephenandrew said:

Frankly, it is rather remarkable that given the hygiene habits of many individuals there isn’t more illness on ships than what is currently experienced.  Obviously one can only do so much before life becomes too difficult to navigate, but whenever practical, I avoid using public bathrooms, eating at buffets that are self serve, etc.  

Indeed.  Self-serve buffets are among the worst.  I always try and get there when it opens before the crowd pounces.  Think of all the hands that touch the spoons and tongs.  The Buffet on Summit and other ships have gone back to self-serve, but at least they still dish out the ice cream (I once caught a little kid about to place his mouth directly on the ice cream dispenser).

[sugarside]

Some advice I saw about using the tongs in the buffet was to use a paper towel of some kind to handle them and to have some hand sanitizer on you to use back at your table.

[MELSMOM47]

This is why we always carry our own wipes. 

[stephenandrew]

38 minutes ago, st5310 said:

(I once caught a little kid about to place his mouth directly on the ice cream dispenser).

Yuck.  I am now forever doomed to bypass the self serve ice cream dispenser.  Ha.

[stephenandrew]

30 minutes ago, sugarside said:

Some advice I saw about using the tongs in the buffet was to use a paper towel of some kind to handle them and to have some hand sanitizer on you to use back at your table.

 

18 minutes ago, MELSMOM47 said:

This is why we always carry our own wipes. 

I’m no scientist, but from the reading I have done, there seems to be a fair amount of skepticism from knowledgeable sources that alcohol-based gels and wipes are effective “weapons” against the novo virus.  After making your selection from the buffet, it might be prudent to wash your hands with soap and water before picking up your utensils and enjoying your meal.  Of course this likely means using a public bathroom…….and round and round we go.  Using a towel/wipe to pick up the serving utensils on the buffet sounds like a sensible idea to me.

[MELSMOM47]

6 minutes ago, stephenandrew said:

 

I’m no scientist, but from the reading I have done, there seems to be a fair amount of skepticism from knowledgeable sources that alcohol-based gels and wipes are effective “weapons” against the novo virus.  After making your selection from the buffet, it might be prudent to wash your hands with soap and water before picking up your utensils and enjoying your meal.  Of course this likely means using a public bathroom…….and round and round we go.  Using a towel/wipe to pick up the serving utensils on the buffet sounds like a sensible idea to me.

All of the above. 👍🏻

[millybess]

47 minutes ago, stephenandrew said:

 

I’m no scientist, but from the reading I have done, there seems to be a fair amount of skepticism from knowledgeable sources that alcohol-based gels and wipes are effective “weapons” against the novo virus.  After making your selection from the buffet, it might be prudent to wash your hands with soap and water before picking up your utensils and enjoying your meal.  Of course this likely means using a public bathroom…….and round and round we go.  Using a towel/wipe to pick up the serving utensils on the buffet sounds like a sensible idea to me.

I don't think I would like to repeatedly use alcohol-based gels and wipes on my hands, but at the door to the World Cafe there is a wash basin which would be handy to use after placing your plate on the table.  A wipe would be good to clean your placemat after you choose your table.

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, MELSMOM47 said:

This is why we always carry our own wipes. 

Just don’t flush them down the toilets on the ship! Lots of clogging a year ago or so from too many people flushing wipes! 😝

[Meander Ingwa]

2 hours ago, sugarside said:

Some advice I saw about using the tongs in the buffet was to use a paper towel of some kind to handle them and to have some hand sanitizer on you to use back at your table.

Saw someone mention that they bring those disposable food service gloves.  The secret is knowing how to take them off without contaminating your hands.  Hand sanitizer does not go far with Noro, but does help with other contamination .

[Meander Ingwa]

39 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Just don’t flush them down the toilets on the ship!

Or anywhere for that matter, they are the bain of urban sewer industry 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Meander Ingwa

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, st5310 said:

Indeed.  Self-serve buffets are among the worst.  I always try and get there when it opens before the crowd pounces.  Think of all the hands that touch the spoons and tongs.  The Buffet on Summit and other ships have gone back to self-serve, but at least they still dish out the ice cream (I once caught a little kid about to place his mouth directly on the ice cream dispenser).

We just got off Viking Saturn to Iceland.  We are now 12 days past the ship and 10 days past flying and are still healthy!  Yeah!

We observed a very religious regime:  when we got to World Cafe, we washed our hands (most did not).  But here is the key.  We would go to the buffet counters, get our food, use the tongs, bring the plates back to the table we had already put our things at.  And then we would go back to the WC wash sinks and thoroughly wash our hands with soap and water for a long time.  

Then we would go back to the table and have dinner!   A little inconvenient, but it may have worked for us.  We also would try to pick our table nearer the sinks, and avoid the mob scenes at the buffet lines by being either very early or very late.

In the end, it really wasn't that much of an effort and we felt it definitely helped!

Note:  we also avoided the Star Theatre which is a petri dish of germs and spreading!!

[Pushka]

For the first 2.5 weeks of our 3 week cruise in May, there was a crew member at the entrance to the buffet ensuring people washed their hands. Couldn't avoid them, which was good. In the last few days  - no one there. Port Intensive segment with long days. We figured if people got sick by then it wouldn't be a Viking problem. 

[CCWineLover]

4 minutes ago, Pushka said:

For the first 2.5 weeks of our 3 week cruise in May, there was a crew member at the entrance to the buffet ensuring people washed their hands. Couldn't avoid them, which was good. In the last few days  - no one there. Port Intensive segment with long days. We figured if people got sick by then it wouldn't be a Viking problem. 

Pushka -

We had zero Viking people at the buffet. No one reminding anyone to wash their hands.  This was June.  Sadly, I think Viking has moved on as well.  Also sadly, passengers have moved on and back to their old bad habits of not washing and picking at food at the buffet with their hands.

We won't change these people's habits, so best to just keep ourselves safe by washing constantly!

[HUNKY]

I’m surprised to hear that Viking’s buffet is self serve.

[uktog]

2 hours ago, HUNKY said:

I’m surprised to hear that Viking’s buffet is self serve.

I agree

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, sugarside said:

Some advice I saw about using the tongs in the buffet was to use a paper towel of some kind to handle them and to have some hand sanitizer on you to use back at your table.

 

Just so that you know, hand sanitizer does NOT kill norovirus.  If you read CDC and other sites, the only way to kill it is to wash with soap.  Don't make yourself believe that after serving yourself at the buffet and a quick squirt of hand sanitizer you are ok... you are NOT.

[DGHOC]

7 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Pushka -

We had zero Viking people at the buffet. No one reminding anyone to wash their hands.  This was June.  Sadly, I think Viking has moved on as well.  Also sadly, passengers have moved on and back to their old bad habits of not washing and picking at food at the buffet with their hands.

We won't change these people's habits, so best to just keep ourselves safe by washing constantly!

We had a fab cruise on Jupiter just weeks ago but there was no-one manning the hand washing stations at the entrances to the World cafe. It was far better policed before Covid. We saw few people washing their hands upon entering, someone occasionally took a swipe at the hand sanitiser with one hand and wiggled their fingers through it, it would have done nought!

 

It does not surprise me that Noro so easily does the rounds, especially when you see people leaving the lavatories without washing their hands. Those folk aren't going to be washing their hands as they enter the World Cafe!

 

You're right CC, we have to try to look after ourselves by taking the best precautions we can.

[May B]

18 minutes ago, DGHOC said:

We had a fab cruise on Jupiter just weeks ago but there was no-one manning the hand washing stations at the entrances to the World cafe. It was far better policed before Covid. We saw few people washing their hands upon entering, someone occasionally took a swipe at the hand sanitiser with one hand and wiggled their fingers through it, it would have done nought!

 

It does not surprise me that Noro so easily does the rounds, especially when you see people leaving the lavatories without washing their hands. Those folk aren't going to be washing their hands as they enter the World Cafe!

 

You're right CC, we have to try to look after ourselves by taking the best precautions we can.

I disembarked Jupiter this past Sunday. Most everybody going in before or after me actually did use the sinks and soap.

 

Of course, one woman then was observed coughing ferociously unto her hand, waiting at one of the stations to get her food. 😳

[DGHOC]

1 minute ago, May B said:

I disembarked Jupiter this past Sunday. Most everybody going in before or after me actually did use the sinks and soap.

 

Of course, one woman then was observed coughing ferociously unto her hand, waiting at one of the stations to get her food. 😳

It just shows how every group is different.

 

Yep we had a lot of coughing on the ship too, some not even attempting to cover their mouths. If those folk don't know enough by now, how to prevent viral spread, then there's no hope of better educating them.

[May B]

9 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

We just got off Viking Saturn to Iceland.  We are now 12 days past the ship and 10 days past flying and are still healthy!  Yeah!

We observed a very religious regime:  when we got to World Cafe, we washed our hands (most did not).  But here is the key.  We would go to the buffet counters, get our food, use the tongs, bring the plates back to the table we had already put our things at.  And then we would go back to the WC wash sinks and thoroughly wash our hands with soap and water for a long time.  

Then we would go back to the table and have dinner!   A little inconvenient, but it may have worked for us.  We also would try to pick our table nearer the sinks, and avoid the mob scenes at the buffet lines by being either very early or very late.

In the end, it really wasn't that much of an effort and we felt it definitely helped!

Note:  we also avoided the Star Theatre which is a petri dish of germs and spreading!!

It sounds like you had a true devotion to staying as healthy as possible! Congrats on your success.

 

Our story is quite different, but since I’ve only been home for two days, I’ll save it. I’ll start by saying that our cruise had virtually no itinerary changes and for my own particular sightseeing schedule, only about five drops of rain. We are particularly fortunate in the weather that follows us around the globe. Of course, that could change at any minute! The one and only true rain (and chilly) day we had was in Bruges in 2011. Luckily we were able to dress appropriately. We did our own walking tour, almost definitely Rick Steves, made a few beautiful purchases, and enjoyed moules frites at a sidewalk cafe on the main square (very nicely under cover). Great day for us! 
 

PS: sorry for going off-topic!

Edited July 4, 2023 by May B

[May B]

1 minute ago, DGHOC said:

It just shows how every group is different.

 

Yep we had a lot of coughing on the ship too, some not even attempting to cover their mouths. If those folk don't know enough by now, how to prevent viral spread, then there's no hope of better educating them.

I said to Mr B later, should I have told her that my grandson taught me how to cough into my arm?