Just back from Glory- just getting over NoroVirus

[JStarbrite]

I was always the first to defend the cruise lines when it came to NoroVirus scares, but the third night into the cruise I got a deep gut wrenching pain deep in the abdomen, followed up by vomiting that did not make me feel any better, followed by days of explosive diarrhea. I have been hung over before, I have been sea- sick before, this was nothing like either. A few days later, my better half developed the same symptoms. I am no doctor, but I'm pretty sure it was NoroVirus. While getting sick was no fun, I did not let it ruin the entire cruise. Here is my review:

 

Pre cruise- stayed in Cocoa Beach at Best Western Suites. Not a bad deal $150 for 5 people- Myself, the better half, and her three grown daughters. Web site said right on beach, but was actually a short walk. Adjacent to Cocoa Beach Pier with restaurants and shops. Also Walgreen's (that sells liquor) and souvenir shops within walking distance. I like this locations better than Radisson because there is much to do. We ate on the pier, went swimming in the ocean (the water was warm!) walked to Walgreen's for supplies, lounged on our private balcony overlooking the ocean, and had a nice dinner.

 

Cruise day we caught a shuttle from the hotel for $4 pp at 12:30 and were on the ship by 1:30. Lunch on Lido Deck O.K. I recommend carving stations or pasta stations where food is prepared in front of you. I ate at the Fish and Chips counter where I was surprised to find a good bouillabaisse, fried oysters, octopus salad and a sushi like tuna, seared and on top of a cube of watermelon. Yum! Repeat. Yum!

 

Got a drink of the day and checked out our staterooms before muster which happened at 4:00. Muster was over and we sailed away at 4:30.

 

Our staterooms were on Panorama Deck 10. You could walk right out into a jacuzzi, down one flight of steps to Lido, or one flight up for the gym and spa. I loved the location. I took a dip in the jacuzzi before getting cleaned up for dinner.

 

Dining room food was above average, and service was excellent.

 

Played craps for awhile. Won $500. Feeling good, I found my way to the Cinnabar- Glory's piano bar. Robert the piano player was very entertaining, interacted with the crowd well, and was very talented. Most of my S&S charges were from the piano bar!

 

Day 2 coming soon!

[caribbean dreams]

Sorry to hear you got sick, i have had it also, thank goodness it didn't hit me until the last sea day.

 

Glad the rest of your cruise was good:)

[kkw1043]

I have heard of this virus. How do you get it? Did alot of people on the Glory get sick also? Sorry you got sick :( and I hope you did manage to have some fun on your cruise!:)

[seafun]

While sorry to hear you got sick, I was impressed by your positive attitude ("not gonna let this ruin my trip..").

I'm another one who will be enjoying the Glory on the Panorama Deck -- I've got a back to back planned in November in 1042. 7 days Western, then 7 days Eastern, starting Nov. 3rd.

I'm looking forward to it (heck, aren't we all just panting in anticipation of our next cruise?!?!). I look forward to the rest of your review.

[JStarbrite]

You get it by coming in contact with it- usually by touching it. The virus can exist for a long time on surfaces. Carnival did have tissue like dispensers on doors where you were supposed use one to open/close the door (Adrian Monk style) then throw away. I did not do this, nor did I see anyone else do it. I paid the price.

 

I did not hear of anyone else getting sick. I did not report it in fear of being quarantined. Cruise line don't like this kind of info getting out. If you go to the infirmary, they must report any more than 2 as an outbreak.

[caribbean dreams]

I did not hear of anyone else getting sick. I

 

Thats lucky, I'm not sure what kind of stomach bug was going around our ship but the last sea day, was very mellow because lots of people were sick in bed. I ordered a banana from roomservice, after 2 hours i called to see what the hold up was, I was told the ship was completely out of Bananas and they had an unusual amount of room service requests that day, at that point, i knew i wasn't the only one sick.

[jckvpa0]

Sorry you got sick, thanks for the the review so far !

[BND]

You could also have been exposed in Cocoa Beach and then given it to your "better half". Usually someone brings it on board and it spreads to a lot of others.

 

By you not reporting your illness, you also exposed everyone else to it. I have a real problem with that. I know they quarantine you, but it's for everyone's safety and health. That's the reason more people get sick than necessary. I'm sorry you were sick, but you could have made it worse for others by not reporting it. When reported, the ship takes precautions for everyone.

[praetorian316]

Last month was the first time I had cruised since all the reports of cruise ships and Norovirus. I brought hand sanitizer along. On cabin TV they played a thing on Norovisrus and said hand sanitizers don't work against it. But the interesting thing is I went to a trivia show and one of the questions was, "What is the best way to catch a cold. There are 2 answers." The answers were: 1. Shaking somene else's hand. 2. Holding the railing as you walk down the halls or up and down the stairs. Out of my peripheral vision I saw at least 2 people immediately grab their hand sanitizer and use it. That was on day 2. For the remainder of the ship, I never once grabbed hold of the rails. That's actually a habit i picked up here in NYC. I ride the subway daily and I don't grab hold of the rails on the stairs. I often glide my knuckles across which is enough for me.

 

But it's great that you still had a good time. That's the power of a positive attitude.

[nrdsb4]

You get it by coming in contact with it- usually by touching it. The virus can exist for a long time on surfaces. Carnival did have tissue like dispensers on doors where you were supposed use one to open/close the door (Adrian Monk style) then throw away. I did not do this, nor did I see anyone else do it. I paid the price.

 

I did not hear of anyone else getting sick. I did not report it in fear of being quarantined. Cruise line don't like this kind of info getting out. If you go to the infirmary, they must report any more than 2 as an outbreak.

 

 

You are mistaken. The CDC requires cruise ships to report Norovirus to the CDC when more than 2% of passengers are stricken. That's a lot more than 2. It is considered an outbreak when more than 3% of passengers are ill.

[PelicanBill]

MOST of the time Norovirus is contracted by eating food contaminated by a food prep worker.

 

Surface contact is secondary!

[TxStacey]

Jstarbrite,

Thanks for your review so far...I'm sailing the Glory in about 6 weeks. Did you happen to notice if there were luggage tags available before you gave your luggage to the porters? The reason I ask is because I would like "real" luggage tags instead of the ones that you have to print out with the new e-docs. My color printer is not working so I would have to go with black and white which wouldn't be good.. please don't let the above poster who lamblasted you for not going to the infirmary keep you from continuing..No-one knows how they would handle the situation unless they were in your shoes.. Please continue:)

[ooulio]

I know what you mean about this virus. I caught it at the Charlotte Airport after leaving the ship on Sunday. Sunday nite we got stranded at Charlotte and spent the nite. I went to the hospital . She told me I had caught it spending the nite at the airport. I guess from what i gathered there were quite a few people sick at the airport that day and nite. I was fine when I left the Legend on Sunday. I wasn't sick at all from the ship. There were people lying all over the place that nite at the airport. What a mess! It took me over a month to get over it.

[kml2000]

We are on the Glory in less than two weeks!!! I am anxiously awaiting the rest of your review. I am sorry you (and your wife) were ill. thanks for sharing what else they have at the Fish & Chips station....sounds YUMMY, first I have read of those options...

[Donna - dsw]

Sorry you got sick - thanks for your input - it is greatly appreciated.

[jdjaguar]

Last year my son got a norovirus the night BEFORE we went on the cruise.

 

Fortunately, the cruise ship infirmary is well-equipped to handle these situations and he was up and around midway through the cruise.

 

It can be contracted anywhere.

 

maybe the octupus salad or sushi?

[MikeNKim]

So sorry to hear you where sick on your cruise. I hope you where still able to enjoy yourself.

 

I have a question if I please. About the Best Western you stayed at. Was the the Best Western Oceach Beach Hotel and Suites??? We are looking for somewhere to stay pre cruise. Was it in a safe area and clean???

 

Thank you....looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Kim

[Iamthesea]

Last year my son got a norovirus the night BEFORE we went on the cruise.

 

Fortunately, the cruise ship infirmary is well-equipped to handle these situations and he was up and around midway through the cruise.

 

It can be contracted anywhere.

 

maybe the octupus salad or sushi?

Why did you take your son onto the ship and expose everyone else? :mad: I am surprised that you were even allowed on the ship.

[kgk]

Sounds to me like the OP is an experienced cruiser and did not wander around the ship spreading the disease. I can't fault him for not wanting to be locked in his cabin. On our last cruise, my young teenage daughter ate too much ice cream and pizza -- being lactose intolerant she had a problem. Ships doctor would not consider any possible solution except to confine her to her cabin. She was fine in 3 hours but we missed two ports. The OP had the right idea. Glad it did not ruin his vacation.

[PelicanBill]

Why did you take your son onto the ship and expose everyone else? :mad: I am surprised that you were even allowed on the ship.

 

If you take reasonable measures you are not a typhoid mary spreading it around to other passengers... unless you pick up all their silverware and hand it out to them or stand at the door shaking hands with everyone.

 

A ship is no different than an office building or school and there is no need to deny boarding to people with ordinary illnesses. Would you willing give up your vacation with no refund if you happen to have a bad head cold?

[JStarbrite]

Sorry for the delay. I will answer questions and continue review when I return from ug- WORK!

[Iamthesea]

I wouldn't call the noro an ordinary virus and with all the news of outbreaks on ships, I am just surprised that jdjaguar and her family were allowed to board. The last few times that we have cruised (last 4 years or so, since the noro has been such a problem), we have been given papers to sign upon embarkation, indicating that we have had no stomach viruses in the last 24-48 hours or so. I assume that if they went to the ship infirmary, that the doctor put the entire family in quarantine.

 

Obviously, if I or any member of my family was about to board a ship and we came down with a stomach virus, the courteous thing to do would be to forgo our trip. That's why we take out trip insurance.

 

Am I the only poster that feels this way? :(

[caribbean dreams]

Did you happen to notice if there were luggage tags available before you gave your luggage to the porters?

 

Yes, there will be luggage tags at the pier, if you can't find them, just ask one of the porters.

[BND]

I wouldn't call the noro an ordinary virus and with all the news of outbreaks on ships, I am just surprised that jdjaguar and her family were allowed to board. The last few times that we have cruised (last 4 years or so, since the noro has been such a problem), we have been given papers to sign upon embarkation, indicating that we have had no stomach viruses in the last 24-48 hours or so. I assume that if they went to the ship infirmary, that the doctor put the entire family in quarantine.

 

Obviously, if I or any member of my family was about to board a ship and we came down with a stomach virus, the courteous thing to do would be to forgo our trip. That's why we take out trip insurance.

 

Am I the only poster that feels this way? :(

 

No, I agree with you even if I was blasted for "lambasting" which I hardly did. Responsibility and courtesy to your fellow cruisers is thinking of everyone which is what I was doing. Anyone who thinks you can do what you want is thinking only of themselves. So, how is it I'm wrong for thinking of others?

[halos]

When a person actually HAS noro...don't they really quarrantine themselves??? Man, when you have that there is NO place to be but in your cabin. No one feels like wandering the ship when hit with Noro. When I get it at home, I'm in my room....spend most of my time on the bathroom floor, curled up in a ball. You can't wander far from a toilet when you have this awful virus.