Stomach issues on the Pursuit

[trident]

We boarded on Feb. 8 in Cape Town and pool and hot tubs were closed due to some intestinal issues onboard.  
Now, three weeks later, the cause of the issues still has not been found and the pool is still closed, paper menus, no self service and no books.  The captain claims that it is not a norovirus epidemic.

 

We have had officers, the future cruise consultant and cruise staff serving food as crew disappears.

 

Hope they find the cause soon!

[Dynacruiser]

I read somewhere that they make boarding passengers sign a form acknowledging that there is a stomach bug in the ship.   Is it like a legal release of liability, or just an informational sheet?

 

I hope you are safe and don't catch a bug.  They need to find the source (food? respiratory? water? ice? from the ship or from port), so they can properly eradicate this thing.     

 

I wish they kept upcoming passengers informed.   I called their US customer service desk earlier this week and they said they had no information about any problems in Pursuit.

[uktog]

If you’ve flown all the way to Cape Town looks like it’s a heads I win tails you lose situation whatever you are signing 

[Grandma Cruising]

I'm on board too. We did have the pool open and self service food for a couple of days but then it was closed again because cases were rising. It seems to be quite a short lived illness, someone we know had it & was only ill for 24 hours or so so only confined to their cabin for 48 hours or so. You have to be symptom free for 24 hours to be allowed out.

[FlossieC]

We are due to board on the 9th March in Gran Canaria so this a little worrying.

 

Be grateful for any further updates please

[govanguy]

4 hours ago, FlossieC said:

We are due to board on the 9th March in Gran Canaria so this a little worrying.

 

Be grateful for any further updates please

I`m sure this will be reported to the Spanish authorities before the ship arrives in Las Palmas and appropriate action is taken. e.g. deep cleaning, which could delay embarkation for passengers joining in Gran Canaria.

[Grandma Gilly]

We had the same problem last year on Journey on a South Africa intensive trip. At least they are trying to sort the problem. On our sailing it was ignored, despite the long queues outside the medical centre and a trip to the cruise director asking him to stop the self service buffet.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, Grandma Gilly said:

We had the same problem last year on Journey on a South Africa intensive trip. At least they are trying to sort the problem. On our sailing it was ignored, despite the long queues outside the medical centre and a trip to the cruise director asking him to stop the self service buffet.

Wow, that would have been concerning. The captain & crew are doing everything they can, medical consultation and treatment is free, pool closed, served food everywhere, no salt/pepper pots, reminders to wash our hands at every announcement.

[fruitmachine]

17 hours ago, uktog said:

If you’ve flown all the way to Cape Town looks like it’s a heads I win tails you lose situation whatever you are signing 

I'm fairly sure that it won't be worth the paper it's written on for those booking with UK (and probably EU) Ts & Cs.  Even more so if the flights are part of your package by dint of booking through a UK TA.  They can't change their lability part of the way through your holiday.

[FlossieC]

Out of interest do you get any compensation if you do fall ill and confined to cabin please.  Not ever experienced this situation before (thankfully)

[Catchum]

The Norwegian Dawn also had issues during her cruises from Cape Town in February. Reported on CC that disembarkation was not allowed in ?Mauritius? until negative Cholera tests were received. We were on her for the previous South Africa/ Namibia cruise and suffered very mild symptoms which we attributed at the time to too much food and wine. 

[FlossieC]

Ha Well if cause is over eating and too much Vino have no problem.  

[Dynacruiser]

12 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I'm on board too. We did have the pool open and self service food for a couple of days but then it was closed again because cases were rising. It seems to be quite a short lived illness, someone we know had it & was only ill for 24 hours or so so only confined to their cabin for 48 hours or so. You have to be symptom free for 24 hours to be allowed out.

 

G Cruising, have you had any symptoms?  I gather you are not too concerned about this situation, so from your personal observation, it's only affecting a few passengers, and perhaps can be avoided with proper care?

 

Your posts are always reasonable and level-headed.  Based on your experience, what recommendations do you have for folks boarding in the next few weeks?

 

Thanks.

[Grandma Gilly]

3 hours ago, FlossieC said:

Out of interest do you get any compensation if you do fall ill and confined to cabin please.  Not ever experienced this situation before (thankfully)

My husband was given a one day FCC for one person. Hardly worth the paper.

[englishlee]

We are also currently on board the Pursuit and are suffering from the GI issue at the moment and thus confined to our cabin. This is the second time this cruise for both of us.

My wife missed out on going ashore in St Helena as she was in isolation at that time, she was released from isolation that evening and later that night I went down with the bug. I got the 'all clear' yesterday and today we've both gone down with it again so it seems to be lingering on.

It's 50 -50 whether we get to go ashore at Banjul. If we don't then my poor wife will have been at sea for 10 days without being able to go ashore at all. She just wants to get off and go home!

The immodium seems to work at masking / easing the symptoms but doesn't seem to 'cure' it.

I don't think anyone really knows what the GI illness is, nor what is causing it and therefore can't really eradicate it although they do seem to be pointing the finger at South Africa as the likely source. Fingers crossed we don't get isolated for a third time this voyage.

 

 

 

[royallondon]

41 minutes ago, englishlee said:

We are also currently on board the Pursuit and are suffering from the GI issue at the moment and thus confined to our cabin. This is the second time this cruise for both of us.

My wife missed out on going ashore in St Helena as she was in isolation at that time, she was released from isolation that evening and later that night I went down with the bug. I got the 'all clear' yesterday and today we've both gone down with it again so it seems to be lingering on.

It's 50 -50 whether we get to go ashore at Banjul. If we don't then my poor wife will have been at sea for 10 days without being able to go ashore at all. She just wants to get off and go home!

The immodium seems to work at masking / easing the symptoms but doesn't seem to 'cure' it.

I don't think anyone really knows what the GI illness is, nor what is causing it and therefore can't really eradicate it although they do seem to be pointing the finger at South Africa as the likely source. Fingers crossed we don't get isolated for a third time this voyage.

 

 

 

Not a great situation for you to be in but fingers crossed that you’re both well enough to go ashore in Banjul and that you retain good health for the remainder of your cruise.

We board later this month in Portugal and will be hoping for the best 🤞

[Heartfelttraveler]

We were on the January 3 cruise.  We spent one night at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel.  I wiped everything down with Lysol wipes, we only drank bottled water and even brushed our teeth with it, lots of hand washing and sanitizing.  Boarded the Pursuit the next day.  Same drill with Lysol wipes and bottled water and hand sanitizing.  We had stomach issues.  Our friend was about seven post major surgery, so he went to the ship doctor.  They did Covid, flu and RSV tests, as well as analyzing his poop sample.  All negative.  He was given antibiotics because of his surgery history.  We all took Imodium when needed.  We then had eight nights in Victoria Falls, Kruger and Johannesburg.  Our stomach issues persisted.  Finally, after 24 nights, we boarded our Delta flight home, and after my first bottle of Disani water, magically my stomach issues subsided.  (Same for all of us.)  I did notice on the ship and at the resorts that if I drank ginger ale my stomach was better.

If you go on the NCL, MSC, National Geographic (other cruise lines) and Silver Sea CC boards you will find that they have the same complaint.

The bottled water we had the whole trip in SA was from SA.  I think that it has something to do with the purification system used to produce the bottled water.

[lisiamc]

1 hour ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

We were on the January 3 cruise.  We spent one night at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel.  I wiped everything down with Lysol wipes, we only drank bottled water and even brushed our teeth with it, lots of hand washing and sanitizing.  Boarded the Pursuit the next day.  Same drill with Lysol wipes and bottled water and hand sanitizing.  We had stomach issues.  Our friend was about seven post major surgery, so he went to the ship doctor.  They did Covid, flu and RSV tests, as well as analyzing his poop sample.  All negative.  He was given antibiotics because of his surgery history.  We all took Imodium when needed.  We then had eight nights in Victoria Falls, Kruger and Johannesburg.  Our stomach issues persisted.  Finally, after 24 nights, we boarded our Delta flight home, and after my first bottle of Disani water, magically my stomach issues subsided.  (Same for all of us.)  I did notice on the ship and at the resorts that if I drank ginger ale my stomach was better.

If you go on the NCL, MSC, National Geographic (other cruise lines) and Silver Sea CC boards you will find that they have the same complaint.

The bottled water we had the whole trip in SA was from SA.  I think that it has something to do with the purification system used to produce the bottled water.

Yes, I have heard that the load shedding can disrupt the water treatment process in South Africa. Several fellow passengers had this problem on our cruise last year on Journey. As we changed the bottled water supplier in the Canaries, it seemed like everyone felt much better. DH and I didn’t get sick. We drank the tap water on the ship, which I believe undergoes rigorous testing, certainly more so than formerly trustworthy bottled water. 

[FlossieC]

Do you advise buying some bottled water in Gran Canaria to take on board?

 

Normally have ice in G&T's etc so thinking not a good idea?

 

Not paranoid but as only on for a week do not want to be poorly.  Never had any issues before on any cruise Azamara or others.

[englishlee]

FlossieC. There is nothing proven regarding the bottled water so not sure what to advise re that, I probably wouldn't bother, but that's just me. If you feel more comfortable taking your own on board no-one will stop you. As far as ice in the G&T is concerned. That'll be made on board using the ships treated water so no problems there IMHO. You can always get iced water at dinner and at meal times, this is also using the ships treated water.

[trident]

I have had the illness but my husband has not.  We drink both bottled and ship water. At first I thought it was the water but that doesn’t explain why I got it and he did not.  

[Dynacruiser]

The unfortunate part of this is that they haven't been able to identify the bug that is causing these stomach issues.    I don't entirely blame Azamara for that, but I do blame them for not informing their upcoming passengers.

 

I don't think anybody here has the solution, but I am willing to pursue all possible ways to avoid getting infected.  While this may not be Norovirus, the US CDC recommendations here are worth following.   

 

I am also willing to follow other suggestions not explicitly stated in the CDC document, but some do make sense and I am willing to do anything to stay healthy, including avoiding the following:

 

1) ice

2) purified water from the ship

3) water bottles from the ship that may come from South Africa

4) using public bathrooms

5) raw foods

6) contact with travelers and crew members

 

The key term here is "avoid". 

 

I get it, water may not be the culprit, but if we can avoid drinking the ship's water, maybe that's a good idea.

 

As to why some folks didn't get sick but their partner did, I suppose it depends on what surfaces one person touch but the other didn't, what bathroom one person used but the other didn't, etc.

 

Stay safe and good luck to everybody.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, Dynacruiser said:

The unfortunate part of this is that they haven't been able to identify the bug that is causing these stomach issues.    I don't entirely blame Azamara for that, but I do blame them for not informing their upcoming passengers.

 

I don't think anybody here has the solution, but I am willing to pursue all possible ways to avoid getting infected.  While this may not be Norovirus, the US CDC recommendations here are worth following.   

 

I am also willing to follow other suggestions not explicitly stated in the CDC document, but some do make sense and I am willing to do anything to stay healthy, including avoiding the following:

 

1) ice

2) purified water from the ship

3) water bottles from the ship that may come from South Africa

4) using public bathrooms

5) raw foods

6) contact with travelers and crew members

 

The key term here is "avoid". 

 

I get it, water may not be the culprit, but if we can avoid drinking the ship's water, maybe that's a good idea.

 

As to why some folks didn't get sick but their partner did, I suppose it depends on what surfaces one person touch but the other didn't, what bathroom one person used but the other didn't, etc.

 

Stay safe and good luck to everybody.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impossible on our cruise to avoid both ships water and bottled water from SA as that's all that's available. We've drunk both, had raw food (I've had loads of salad and a couple of ceviches) & had drinks with lots of ice and we 're both fine so far (on Pursuit Cape Town to Gran Canaria)

[Dynacruiser]

59 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Impossible on our cruise to avoid both ships water and bottled water from SA as that's all that's available. We've drunk both, had raw food (I've had loads of salad and a couple of ceviches) & had drinks with lots of ice and we 're both fine so far (on Pursuit Cape Town to Gran Canaria)

 

Thanks for the info and glad you and your companion are doing well.

 

Of course, we went through that with COVID.    Folks could go to the same place or do the same thing, and some people got sick while others didn't.  

 

It DOES make me feel better knowing that you have stayed healthy even though some folks have been sick.

[FlossieC]

Personally still feel uncomfortable with this. 

 

Our TA contacted Azamara on our behalf and was told there had been some cases but have been exaggerated on platforms and most likely caused from eating off ship so advise not do so.  There were not enough cases to report to authorities.