norwalk virus concerns

[gbeer424]

we are on the statendam next week (may 19th). i was recently reading the norwalk virus reports and HAL has had an issue on virtually every ship already this year. the outbreaks appear to be spreading and worsening. should i be worried?? (not to start a bad topic thread but have only cruised once before and long before norwalk became an issue)

 

anyone care to chime in on this topic?? the statendam is just recovering from a major outbreak on its asian cruises

[Logoladytcs]

We were on the Volendam thru the Panama Canal the first two weeks in April and thought they were taking extraordinary measures to prevent an outbreak.

 

There were hand sanitizers everywhere, when you got on the ship, before you went in any restaurant and I noticed that when you returned a book to the library that were wiping them down with those Purex clothes.

 

Must have worked, cause I didn't hear of anyone getting sick!

Barbara

[cruisequeen10]

Make sure you wash your hands often and please use the antibacterial stuff they provide around the ship.

[jasl]

I would have been on the ship right now, but unfortunately had to cancel due to health reasons, BUT my friend is on board and has kept me updated via email. Boarding in Osaka the ship was under RED alert due to the virus and on May 8th this was lifted and changed to YELLOW alert. This means among other things that the library is open again as well as the card room. I believe HAL is taking every possible precaution, but it also takes cooperation from the passengers.

So I would think that by the time you board the conditions may have eased and would urge that you adhere to a strict handwashing, etc regime.

Happy sailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[gbeer424]

i of course plan to wash often and use hand sanitizer (its already packed) but was just curious for an update. i could be wrong but the problem seems to be increasing and i was just curoius if i was over reacting to the problem. thanks for the updates and this great board. i could not have booked this cruise without the help of this board. hope your friend is having a great time

[csg99]

we were under code red on the 11/05 Westerdam due to an outbreak on the previous cruise. Extraordinary precautions were taken and the code was lifted on the 5th or 6th day. I think the biggest problem is the people who refuse to use the sanitzer. They had a staff member at the entrance to the gift shop, asking each person to use the sanitzer in the dispenser. One woman got so outraged! The staff member was very polite and told her she couldn't go into the shop without using it, and the woman told her what to do with the dispenser! Her reason was that she'd "already" used it somewhere else, but who knows how many door knobs, hand rails, and faucets she'd touched in between there and the shop. Her husband was so embarassed and finally convinced her to use the sanitizer.

[arzz]

I find it interesting that gbeer424 has "cruised once before and that was before Norwalk became an issue". I am amused because Norwalk is not a recently invented illness -- neither are food poisoning or other intestinal viruses. In the "good old days" no one was either watching or keeping track of illnesses. There was no vessel sanitation program. People got sick. No one heard about it because no one was watching and no one was telling the news media, and in those days, frankly, I think not too many people cared. I remember years ago hearing about how "everyone got sick" aboard more than one ship that my Aunt and Uncle had sailed for vacation cruises (one of the stories I remember had to be from 35-40 years ago). It was not enjoyed but it was accepted as part of the risk. And from what I understand before the sanitation inspections the risks were varied and often serious -- much more than the spread of viruses that people carry on board, but also the risk of food poisoning from improperly prepared and stored food.

 

The vessel sanitation program has been a double edged sword. It has created a very detailed set of standards to be applied to cruise ship sanitation. That is a good thing . But it also highlighted a possible problem and the news media sure like to dwell, especially these days, on cruise ship problems.

 

Go and have a great trip. Just also use the common sense that all travelers should use. Wash your hands frequently. Be careful what you touch, and use the sanitizer dispensers provided for your safety on board. You take a risk of contracting illnesses like Norwalk every time you leave your home as these viruses are not limited to cruising and cruise ships.

[jhannah]

I don't feel you should be worried. Take the precautions noted, but understand there are no guarantees. I've contracted the virus at home. It's just very easy to get. It's common in schools, nursing homes, etc. The real secret, IMO, is to not put your fingers in your mouth or handle food you're going to eat unless you've washed/sanitized your hands. We carry a bottle with us and use it after handling buffet tongs and the like and before we start eating.

[lougee1043]

these bugs are not created by the ship -- in most cases a boarding pax has the bug and is sneezing and touching doorknobs -hand rails etc etc etc---- wash often and that includes after shaking hands with your new dinner partners and before you handle the salt and pepper or any food

[Himself]

I was a bit perturbed to hear a pax got nasty with a crew member when the crew member insisted that one sanitze before going into a shop. Some people are just rather rude and arrogant. There is an old saying that an ounce if prevention is better than a pound of cure. Flu bugs can break out anywhere and if it hits a cruise ship that becomes a big deal. If it hits an offiice or workplace or school it is not a big deal. I don't think any group works as hard to prevent the spread of virus as does the people who work in the cruise industry.

[no_wake]

Yup - best to be safe. Frequent hand washing and sanitizing is the only way to curb the spread of any illness. I conciously wash my hands 10X more at sea than on land.

[hmh]

We were on the Statendam on a cruise prior to the one mentioned above. About five days into the cruise, the "dreaded" announcement about the Norovirus was made and as expected things tightened up: no self-service, special packets of S/P, etc. The ship tried very hard to keep passengers conscious of using the sanitizers, etc. In fact, when on the Great Wall tour, the HM rode one of the busses and as we entered the restaurant for our included meal, he was holding a huge bottle of Purrell and everyone had to take a "serving."

 

I was a bit taken aback, when, in spite of the probition of serving oneself in the Lido, I saw crew members ahead of me reach in and take rolls, jam, butter, etc. although I was told that the attendent would have to do that. You would think that crew members would be even more particular than guests, to have the regulations followed. I did mention this to one of the overseers in the Lido and he said he would report it.

 

I believe that it is true that the virus often comes on with cruisers--we personally know of a man who became ill within hours of boarding. He'd felt fine on his flight, but bang!. He was out of commission for several days. Since there is supposedly an incubation period for the virus, it seems improbable that he got it ON the ship.

 

In spite of the Red Alert, the cruise was enjoyable. One thing that I have done on (this and ) several past cruises, is to take a pump bottle of Dial or other bacterial soap. We keep it in the bathroom and use it whenever we wash our hands. There are many precautions that one can take, but if your number comes up, you could get the virus, no matter what precautions you have taken. hmh

[lougee1043]

I believe that it is true that the virus often comes on with cruisers--we personally know of a man who became ill within hours of boarding. He'd felt fine on his flight, but bang!.

 

an article on another board the other day offered suggestions for pax on a plane trip---------drink water on an ongoing basis -- the air system will dry out your nasal membranes etc and its important to keep your system hydrated --- so continually sip on water thruout the flight--- even the steam from a cup of hot coffee or tea will help keep your nasal membranes moist -- also start using the purell or similar hand cleaner on the flight just as you would on the ship ----- seat backs -- recliner buttons --tray tables -- bathroom handles can all be holding a virus just waiting for you

[CruisinMK]

There are 30 million cases of Norovirus in the USA every year, it is the second most common virus after the common cold. 24-48 hours of vomiting and diarrhea. It's everywhere, wash your hands with soap and water, that's it...

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been on several HAL ships when the Norwalk virus was there. Most recently was the Amsterdam. And neither of us ever got sick.

Just remember not to touch anything - AND WASH YOUR HANDS AND USE THE HAND SANITIZERS!!!

[lougee1043]

here is a link to the article i made mention of in an earlier post regarding what you should do on an airplane to avoid getting sick

 

http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=647&category=13

[gbeer424]

but my previous cruise was 20 years ago and it simply wasent a topic then or because we didnt have the internet or message boards it was not as openly discussed. i am well aware of it being an issue in life in general just wondering the feeling of the board in general to what seems to be a growing issue. nodding of course to the fact that what has probably been stepped up is the reporting of such indicidents

[mrblack]

We've been on 2 HAL cruises and while I was a little worried about illness because it seems like they are always in the news neither my husband nor I nor my mom-in-law got sick. We use the sanitizer every time we are supposed to, wash our hands lots, use the stairs and avoid touching hand rails and our nose and eyes.etc. as much as possible. What amazes me is seeing people who complain about the hand sanitizing. It takes seconds and if everyone does it, it may prevent an outbreak making it a better holiday for everyone. :D

[lougee1043]

What amazes me is seeing people who complain about the hand sanitizing. It takes seconds and if everyone does it, it may prevent an outbreak making it a better holiday for everyone. :D

 

i think that hand santizing is just one item on their list of things to complain about -- some people are just not happy unless they are complaining about something--- their cup is constantly half empty

[Robin7]

What amazes me is seeing people who complain about the hand sanitizing.

 

Do any of you know if there is a hand sanitizer out there that isn't scented? I'm allergic to perfume. All of the hand sanitizers that I have tried have a terrible scent that lingers on my hands and gives me an enormous headache. (Yet I use them occasionally because I'd rather have a headache than be ill.) Are the hand sanitizers HAL uses unscented? Will I be walking around the ship with a headache the entire cruise???

 

Robin

[bepsf]

Has anyone gotten sick after returning home?

 

After returning home from my excursion on Mercury, I'm having all the symptoms - You think I should let X know?

[JmzandJojo]

I think I tend to agree that you can pick up a nasty bug just about anywhere. I teach, so I have a high immunity from working in GERMville everyday. It just seems far more likely that with so many people flying into port that the stale,dry, recycled, SHARED air on the planes if FAR more likely a culprit. The new AIRBORN product is a great addition to pre-flight, as is a nasal steriod such as Flonase. I agree that prevention and caution are the way to go.

[gbeer424]

in the back of my mind i think if i am on my own red alert about it i wont get sick. the power of positive thinking works (when you also follow all the rules of course) i supervise 45 people at work and deal with the public on a daily basis so nothing surprises me when it comes to things people will complain about. its my vacation and i will have a good time red alert or no red alert thats for sure. i am really thankful i found this board. could not have done my cruise without you all. thanks again

[MAPilgrim]

Just got off the Veendam in San Diego, 5-9-06. The ship is on Code-Red

alert, and has been since 4-30-06. Crew and passengers were getting sick, including myself. I thought I took all necessary precautions, but became very ill for two days. Ill passengers and crew were quarantined for 48 hrs. I took the 17-day voyage thru the Panama Canal, with the ship continuing to Alaska. It was a wonderful cruise except for getting ill. Received very good care from the ship's doctor.

[anniecat]

greetings.....we were on the Statendam april 3 to 17. Started off in the yellow zone and rapidly went to the RED zone. Lots of folks sick, the shows were cancelled/changed due to many staff members being sick. I am always fanatical about hand washing/using the purell/not touching public spots like elevator buttons/rails etc. I still got it (mildly happily) on the next to the last day of the cruise. DH and I were both quarantined for 24 hours past my last symptoms (requested to not leave the cabin). Fortunately, I was only sick for a few hours, just tired for a few days afterwards.

Did it ruin our cruise...no. Do we fault HAL...no. Did they handle it well...yes.

Of course, if my excursions had been affected...I'd be really pissed.

BTW...this was the best cruise, great excursions, most interesting places that I've ever been to. LOVED it...recommended highly.