Just come off Iona sickness bug on board

[solentsam]

HI just returned from two weeks in Canaries on Iona was hearing quite a few pax had sickness/tummy bug on board. lucky we never had it. So anyone joining today remember to wash your hands frequently.

Edited February 10 by solentsam

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 hours ago, solentsam said:

HI just returned from two weeks in Canaries on Iona was hearing quite a few pax had sickness/tummy bug on board. lucky we never had it. So anyone joining today remember to wash your hands frequently.

We faced it on azamara - it was happening the cruise before us and happened to our cruise (tummy bug) despite loads of hand washing protocols and buffets all beings served by staff

 

Happened to my parents recent cruise on saga (norovirus)

 

I think it's rife at the moment tbh

 

And it's hard to avoid even if you follow the protocols

[jeanlyon]

Happens everywhere, schools, hospitals and cruise ships.

[9265359]

16 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Happens everywhere, schools, hospitals and cruise ships.

 

Or to be more accurate, it happens in places that people are in close contact with each other, and an awful lot of people are not in those circumstances until they take a cruise.

[peajay]

I also got off that Iona cruise yesterday and I did come down with the bug on Thursday, I presume it is noro virus. Certainly that is what my symptoms were. First time in 21 cruises that I have been affected. Being a rough sea day and at the stern did not help my recovery. Almost nobody washes their hands entering food areas and very few use the gel, although apparently gel does not kill the noro virus anyway.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

Or to be more accurate, it happens in places that people are in close contact with each other, and an awful lot of people are not in those circumstances until they take a cruise.

If people are concerned that they are likely to fall ill on a cruise, or be disturbed by people coughing, then they have the option not to cruise.

[showingdiva]

16 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If people are concerned that they are likely to fall ill on a cruise, or be disturbed by people coughing, then they have the option not to cruise.

 

Working in the emergency department of a hospital and on cruise ships as well as a passenger myself, I completely concur with this.    Life as an adult is a balance of risks

 

However, why don't people wash their hands?     For their own sake as well as that of other people.   It won't solve  norovirus in its entirety, but it would certainly be a start.

 

 

[Camberley]

It happens almost anywhere: schools, crowded shops, theatres….….. It’s about being as careful - and as hygienic - as you possibly can (whether or not food is involved).
 

True, you can’t do much about the dubious sanitary habits of others, esp. at a buffet or if folk are coughing and sneezing in lifts and corridors without covering their mouth etc…..but life is like that. Otherwise you would never leave the house.

[kalos]

2 hours ago, showingdiva said:

However, why don't people wash their hands?     For their own sake as well as that of other people.   It won't solve  norovirus in its entirety, but it would certainly be a start.

 

Its weird how some folk avoid washing their hands and work to the mantra ...

"It's not me" ,blame everyone else .

 A week ago when on the Azura we used to go down for breakfast to the MDR Peninsular 

5 -10minutes before opening . One morning.one guy sneezed into his hands and just laughed

about it ,despite him stood 3 ft away from a washroom .

Another guy stood coughing into his hands between lecturing us on the perils of the buffet .

As for the buffet ,we saw some folk who on spotting the gel guy started rubbing their 

hand vigorously making out they had just used one of the other gel dispensers .

These folk are too busy "spreading the love "  all over the ship .

We just have to keep washing our hands and hope for the best unfortunately.

[Fionboard]

On Arcadia at Xmas they had staff at the buffet entrances asking people to use the washbasins. Unfortunately they were getting a fair bit of abuse from some individuals. Felt sorry for them. 

[janny444]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

If people are concerned that they are likely to fall ill on a cruise, or be disturbed by people coughing, then they have the option not to cruise.

Quite so....but I do think that people who maybe have compromised immune systems aren't fully aware of the potential " risks" of cruising and especially if they are new to cruising don't always realise the close crowded proximity they  are to other people

[terrierjohn]

Thinking back to my youth, the pubs we frequented on weekends were far more crowded than any cruise ships, and I doubt that the guys selling shrimps, cockles etc were maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness. So whether it was Noro or too much beer that left us feeling unwell the following morning we will never know.😯😇

[kermchem]

I teach at a university, and I can tell you that the youth of today are not capable of drinking beer and eating dodgy food - many of them don't seem to have the stomach (or the immune systems) for the job. Or perhaps they have not been exposed to the bugs to build that immune system.

[kalos]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Thinking back to my youth, the pubs we frequented on weekends were far more crowded than any cruise ships, and I doubt that the guys selling shrimps, cockles etc were maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness. So whether it was Noro or too much beer that left us feeling unwell the following morning we will never know.😯😇

 

Not forgetting the nights we used to end up in the Indian for a Ruby Murry and I can 

tell you that gave any Noro a run for it's money the next morning .😱 🙃

[JeanieC,Aston]

Don’t wonder Noro spreads on Iona,,,you spend half the cruise standing in queues!.😏

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Don’t wonder Noro spreads on Iona,,,you spend half the cruise standing in queues!.😏

I think P&O could make a significant dent in Noro outbreaks if they followed the Princess lead of serving tea, coffee and juice at the tables in the buffet. The queues at the coffee stations, coupled with all the spillage and handling of crockery and cutlery, must make the stations a veritable bug breeding ground.

[Interestedcruisefan]

15 hours ago, showingdiva said:

 

Working in the emergency department of a hospital and on cruise ships as well as a passenger myself, I completely concur with this.    Life as an adult is a balance of risks

 

However, why don't people wash their hands?     For their own sake as well as that of other people.   It won't solve  norovirus in its entirety, but it would certainly be a start.

 

 

On azamara South Africa recently we only had 517 guests

 

Buffet was served by staff wearing gloves

 

Even someone on the ice cream machine and coffee machines etc all day

 

Pools closed various days and emptied and refilled more than once

 

Cabins deep cleaned (defumigated) twice during the cruise (12 night cruise)

 

Staff positioned at every entrance to buffets to ensure everybody washed hands on entering AND leaving the buffet and entering and leaving the ship

 

We got daily messages from the captain warning everyone and urging everybody to take every precaution possible etc

 

We washed our own hands way over the top compared to normal

 

On a cruise with so few guests despite all the efforts neither of us avoided catching the tummy bug

 

I would hazard a guess most passengers and crew caught it at some stage

 

It was clearly a problem on the cruise before us and on our cruise based on all the efforts that were going on and the daily messages from the captain

 

If it's like that with 517 guests then what chance with more guests?

 

Despite all those efforts there weren't enough automated doors on the ship compared to Iona and Arvia now.

 

So you had to touch far too many door handles (perhaps would take gloves next time we cruise on an older ship)

 

That's one advantage Iona and Arvia ships have - automated doors -open especially toilets etc

 

Edited February 12 by Interestedcruisefan

[Snow Hill]

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I think P&O could make a significant dent in Noro outbreaks if they followed the Princess lead of serving tea, coffee and juice at the tables in the buffet. The queues at the coffee stations, coupled with all the spillage and handling of crockery and cutlery, must make the stations a veritable bug breeding ground.

That would be a start, but what are P&O doing about dealing with Norovirus that can survive on carpets and curtains for up to 12 days, I assume they already wash bedding, towels etc at high temperatures with the appropriate detergents. 
 

As I have said previously my brother runs a cleaning business and he can take him and his team 48 hours to deep clean a building where there has been an outbreak and P&O try to do it in few hours. 

[Mostonian]

Do what I do, wear a plastic glove I. The buffet and wash my hands when leaving the buffet area, as well as gelling-up.

[zap99]

15 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Thinking back to my youth, the pubs we frequented on weekends were far more crowded than any cruise ships, and I doubt that the guys selling shrimps, cockles etc were maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness. So whether it was Noro or too much beer that left us feeling unwell the following morning we will never know.😯😇

In a London pub many years ago the Youngs sea food man came around . My friend purchased a tray of grey muscles.  Your not eating them are you? My other friend ( hard to believe Zap had 2 friends) ate a few. They we both very ill next day. We had been to the diving club so we're quite clean.

[zap99]

14 hours ago, kalos said:

 

Not forgetting the nights we used to end up in the Indian for a Ruby Murry and I can 

tell you that gave any Noro a run for it's money the next morning .😱 🙃

We went for a curry on Saturday night. We went to a new restaurant.  Flipping eck. Noro would stand a chance. Noro 0: Chilli 3.🤣

[zap99]

4 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

On azamara South Africa recently we only had 517 guests

 

Buffet was served by staff wearing gloves

 

Even someone on the ice cream machine and coffee machines etc all day

 

Pools closed various days and emptied and refilled more than once

 

Cabins deep cleaned (defumigated) twice during the cruise (12 night cruise)

 

Staff positioned at every entrance to buffets to ensure everybody washed hands on entering AND leaving the buffet and entering and leaving the ship

 

We got daily messages from the captain warning everyone and urging everybody to take every precaution possible etc

 

We washed our own hands way over the top compared to normal

 

On a cruise with so few guests despite all the efforts neither of us avoided catching the tummy bug

 

I would hazard a guess most passengers and crew caught it at some stage

 

It was clearly a problem on the cruise before us and on our cruise based on all the efforts that were going on and the daily messages from the captain

 

If it's like that with 517 guests then what chance with more guests?

 

Despite all those efforts there weren't enough automated doors on the ship compared to Iona and Arvia now.

 

So you had to touch far too many door handles (perhaps would take gloves next time we cruise on an older ship)

 

That's one advantage Iona and Arvia ships have - automated doors -open especially toilets etc

 

I always take a paper napkin for opening doors etc. Not too wasteful as you can keep it dry and make it last the whole cruise.😁

[zap99]

39 minutes ago, Mostonian said:

Do what I do, wear a plastic glove I. The buffet and wash my hands when leaving the buffet area, as well as gelling-up.

I always wear me marigolds in the gents. Can't be too careful. 🤔

[Grandad John]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

I always wear me marigolds in the gents. Can't be too careful. 🤔

And watch all the men run like hell because they were half expecting you to carry out a prostate examination😳.

[doog442]

Sadly we saw no one using the wash basins on Arvia, so that encouraged us to also use them on the way out of the buffet as well . Staff were enforcing the hand gel in the MDR's. The toilet door sensor buttons are also a great idea.