Noro on Liberty - Live

[swwake]

I think you will all be pleasantly surprised with LOS. As of this morning, the only remnants were the sanitizing wipes at the restaurant entrances. Wouldn't be a problem if this were the norm anyway. I have heard that other cruise lines already do this.

[cmaasfamily]

Got home today from the June 2 LOS sailing. We had no health problems nor did we hear of any until seeing the post above. - Sorry to hear about that.

 

The level of effort the crew was putting in (and the amount of bleach in use!) was astounding the first couple of days. Hand wipes everywhere - not just dining. Some staff was a little frazzled (understandable). There was no surface left untouched - really, I could see bleach residue on the ceiling in certain light.

 

The "code red" efforts settled down as the week progressed - buffet returned to self-serve on Wednesday (as I recall). Sorrento's opened sometime Thursday. Johnny Rockets and the arcade remained closed all week. I think the reason had more to do with reassigning staff to cleaning than concern about the venue as a noro hot spot - maybe a little of both.

 

I wouldn't hesitate AT ALL to get on again! We had a blast and really appreciated the effort. RCCL was quite generous (IMHO) with compensation for the delayed boarding. I'm sure others will give the details, but I'd prefer not to (don't want to encourage bad behavior, see below). I will say the $25/pp that we believed we were going to get was increased. Substaintially. I think there was a "cabin" variable; suites got more than standards, for example.

 

My only complaint - a very small number of my fellow travelers. Every time I was in the vicinity of guest services I heard some of the most embarrassing, over-the-top whining, moaning, belly-aching, drama-queens I have ever encountered in my life! I listened to one guy going on about his bitter disappointment about Johnny Rocket's and what a "rip-off" it was that it wasn't opened. It "ruined" his whole vacation. Really, dude? A hamburger? Oh wait, you can get a hamburger - just not the one you want. And the Johnny Rocket's at your local mall won't do it for you? Geez, some people get the vacation (and life) they make for themselves!

 

If you're booked, I say go and enjoy and know that if something does happen you have a tested and proven crew who have shown they can take on the dreaded virus and wrestle it to the ground!

[mom2girls]

Honestly, I don't think I would have gotten the virus had I not had a weakened immune system due to a surgery I had 4 weeks ago. I used precaution. I took acidophoulus, extra vitamin C, and used the Clorox wipes I had brought. My boyfriend did not get the virus. I did see a few cases of the Noro as I was in the medical facility. One was a child of about 4 or 5. Another was an adult male. It makes sense that after an out break of the week before a few unfortunate souls like myself would get it. I could have rescheduled this cruise. It just would have been very difficult due to my boyfriend's job, and the fact we were going the week that my girls' father had them. RCI guest relations were very apologetic. They will be compensating us based on the number of days and what we paid for the cruise. This will be towards the booking of a new cruise. (Which I don't know if I will be able to use or not.)

[SherriZ366]

 

My only complaint - a very small number of my fellow travelers. Every time I was in the vicinity of guest services I heard some of the most embarrassing, over-the-top whining, moaning, belly-aching, drama-queens I have ever encountered in my life! I listened to one guy going on about his bitter disappointment about Johnny Rocket's and what a "rip-off" it was that it wasn't opened. It "ruined" his whole vacation. Really, dude? A hamburger? Oh wait, you can get a hamburger - just not the one you want. And the Johnny Rocket's at your local mall won't do it for you? Geez, some people get the vacation (and life) they make for themselves!

 

If you're booked, I say go and enjoy and know that if something does happen you have a tested and proven crew who have shown they can take on the dreaded virus and wrestle it to the ground!

 

Your drama queen etc. description is interesting. People really like to complain. Of course future Liberty cruisers who are Cruise Critic Posters will know about the situation and will guage their expectations accordingly.

 

We had about 10 cases of Noro on our Jan. cruise but it did not spread due to actions taken by the ship's crew. Lots of hand sanitisers and warnings. My hands were a bit rough from washing and sanitising by the end of the week but no biggy!!!

[dagadget]

Your drama queen etc. description is interesting. People really like to complain. Of course future Liberty cruisers who are Cruise Critic Posters will know about the situation and will guage their expectations accordingly.

 

We had about 10 cases of Noro on our Jan. cruise but it did not spread due to actions taken by the ship's crew. Lots of hand sanitisers and warnings. My hands were a bit rough from washing and sanitising by the end of the week but no biggy!!!

 

 

Yes indeed Humans are happiest when they can Bitch,Moan, and Complain. I call it BM&C Syndrome. In all seriousness when on a cruise with 3000 people you are going to have a few get sick, a few complain and a few that just enjoy the cruise. But as that poster of the Drama queen pointed out people will make noise.... I wonder how those people will be back at work. Now that would make a great movie :p

[swwake]

the drama queen mentality at guest services was truly over the top. and the way these particular guests handled it was ridiculous (i.e., splitting from one large group into several smaller ones in what I would assume to be an attempt to get more voices heard and greater compensation - if any). People will always complain.

 

We loved our cruise. I am not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the hamburgers and hot dogs and fries offered in the Windjammer were exactly what would have been offered at JR's. I don't think we missed it.

[Cruising Fool]

Got home today from the June 2 LOS sailing. We had no health problems nor did we hear of any until seeing the post above. - Sorry to hear about that.

 

The level of effort the crew was putting in (and the amount of bleach in use!) was astounding the first couple of days. Hand wipes everywhere - not just dining. Some staff was a little frazzled (understandable). There was no surface left untouched - really, I could see bleach residue on the ceiling in certain light.

 

The "code red" efforts settled down as the week progressed - buffet returned to self-serve on Wednesday (as I recall). Sorrento's opened sometime Thursday. Johnny Rockets and the arcade remained closed all week. I think the reason had more to do with reassigning staff to cleaning than concern about the venue as a noro hot spot - maybe a little of both.

 

I wouldn't hesitate AT ALL to get on again! We had a blast and really appreciated the effort. RCCL was quite generous (IMHO) with compensation for the delayed boarding. I'm sure others will give the details, but I'd prefer not to (don't want to encourage bad behavior, see below). I will say the $25/pp that we believed we were going to get was increased. Substaintially. I think there was a "cabin" variable; suites got more than standards, for example.

 

My only complaint - a very small number of my fellow travelers. Every time I was in the vicinity of guest services I heard some of the most embarrassing, over-the-top whining, moaning, belly-aching, drama-queens I have ever encountered in my life! I listened to one guy going on about his bitter disappointment about Johnny Rocket's and what a "rip-off" it was that it wasn't opened. It "ruined" his whole vacation. Really, dude? A hamburger? Oh wait, you can get a hamburger - just not the one you want. And the Johnny Rocket's at your local mall won't do it for you? Geez, some people get the vacation (and life) they make for themselves!

 

If you're booked, I say go and enjoy and know that if something does happen you have a tested and proven crew who have shown they can take on the dreaded virus and wrestle it to the ground!

 

Thank you so much for a positive comment about the norovirus. We were on the 5/26 sailing and it was bad for me because of MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) and all the bleach - but geesh people - it can happen anywhere. At least the crew were great and did everything they could. You're right - some people will always BM&C and see the glass LESS than half full! It's part of life. Deal with it! Oh - thanks again for the positivity!

[Smileeface]

Honestly, I don't think I would have gotten the virus had I not had a weakened immune system due to a surgery I had 4 weeks ago. I used precaution. I took acidophoulus, extra vitamin C, and used the Clorox wipes I had brought. My boyfriend did not get the virus. I did see a few cases of the Noro as I was in the medical facility. One was a child of about 4 or 5. Another was an adult male. It makes sense that after an out break of the week before a few unfortunate souls like myself would get it. I could have rescheduled this cruise. It just would have been very difficult due to my boyfriend's job, and the fact we were going the week that my girls' father had them. RCI guest relations were very apologetic. They will be compensating us based on the number of days and what we paid for the cruise. This will be towards the booking of a new cruise. (Which I don't know if I will be able to use or not.)

 

 

Hi Mom2girls... So sorry you got sick! We were on the 6/2 sailing also, just off today. I thought they did an excellent job of sanitizing. There were streaks and spots to be seen in many places. Our bathroom mirrors were streaked (4 rooms total for us) and we were told they were left like that on purpose to allow the disinfectant to work. No biggy, we understood. Sanitizing wipes were handed out anywhere food was being served as you walked in and out. The staff were extremely tired the first 2 days, so it was really hard to judge service. They had been working overtime with the initial outbreak and still into our sailing. They seemed exhausted. You couldn't see a smile out of any of them until Monday, back from the day out at Labadee. I found that to be the turning point. That's when I saw them smiling, humming, making jokes with us all. It's true that our sailing was at a disadvantage, BUT, it certainly is what you make of it. One of my neighbors in our extended group moaned and groaned, bitched and complained to us, totally pissed off the second day, telling us he was ready to get off the ship. I understood his complaints, but I told him "Dude, you obviously haven't had enough to drink!" He hung out with us for the day in Labadee and let's just say, that was his turning point too. It finally clicked for him; he was smiling every day after that. All our kids ranging from 11 to 16 had a blast, made friends they are already texting with. The older teens loved the Living Room and Fuel (the dance club). My 11 year old had fun at Adventure Ocean; they all had fun either doing or watching the Flowrider, and the Studio Karaoke, singing area. We saw 2 of the shows, the absolute favorite and not to be missed was the ice skating show. Even with four mishaps, it was incredible, beautifully choreographed, costumed and staged. Don't miss it. In The Air show was good with good acrobatics; I thought the lead singers were weak, but everything else was visually pleasing. Loved the stingray tour and snorkle we did in Cayman with Moby Dick Tours. They were so fun and friendly and our group was sooo much smaller than others we saw from cruiseships. We really got one on one attention from them. Did the Dolphin Royal Swim at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel directly booked with them. No problems, the park is beautiful, looks like a resort, quiet, not crowded, snorkeling not as good as in 2003 before Wilma--the ocean floor there is pretty wiped out, but the kids loved it anyway finding the statues of Jesus and Virgin Mary. Took Chlorox disinfectant wipes in my beach bag and wiped out the rented snorkle equipment before using, hoping at the time it helped...The 7 of us were thrilled with the dolphin swim and they let me use my waterproof camera; even so, I bought the $50 DVD and some pictures. Shopping was good in Cozumel. Rented floats in Labadee and floated and drank; so carefree and I am very tan!!! The adult pool and hot tub in the solarium overlooking the ship is great. Food on the ship was good, not great. Loved our waiter, Kurnia, who played games with us each night. Enjoyed the piano bar at Schooner's Bar. Went to Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay; really a 5 min taxi ride, $2 pp, each way. $40 adults, kids $20 ages 15 and under. Our 15 year olds only payed $20! The water park there with the 2 slides is beautiful, and the slides are fast and long--very fun even for the adults. Drinks were good and plentiful, they filled my insulated cup, no problems mon! We missed the 2:30 cut off for the inside restaurant, so only ate pizza at the grill which was not too great, but after that many drinks you don't care, honestly. The kids used the kayaks and the paddleboats and played volleyball, all included. The pools were clean and pretty. Great deal! Luckily got to eat at both Chops and Portofino. Service was a bit slow in Portofino, but the food was great in both. The Filet Mignon in Chops was tender and the seafood skewer in Portofino very good also. Used the wine & dine package and soda cards for the kids; worked great for us. Best thing we did was rent the DECT phones for $25 each one (paid $75 for 3). Excellent reception, it's the same phone the crew and staff use to communicate with each other. That was one main reason we were able to relax so much and so easily, because we were in constant contact with our kids even when they were off on their own for alot of the time. They were worth every penny and there is no interference. Be aware though that you pay $300 if they are lost... Folks, there is so much to enjoy. If you go and have happen on your sailing what happened to ours PLEASE do yourselves a favor and concentrate on what's good and what you can enjoy. You've probably planned and saved for a long time, and yes, it's disappointing to have these things go wrong, but the true shame would be to let it ruin your whole vacation. My group all laughed and bonded. My cheeks hurt some days. There is alot of fun to be had and alot to enjoy, so live it up! I'll check back over the next couple of days to see if anyone has any questions I can help out with...

[Merion_Mom]

Smileeface, I hope that you won't take it amiss, but I just wanted OTHER people to be able to read your review, which you obviously put so much time and effort into. I am so glad that you are a glass half-FULL kind of a cruiser! :)

 

 

Hi Mom2girls... So sorry you got sick! We were on the 6/2 sailing also, just off today.

 

I thought they did an excellent job of sanitizing. There were streaks and spots to be seen in many places. Our bathroom mirrors were streaked (4 rooms total for us) and we were told they were left like that on purpose to allow the disinfectant to work. No biggy, we understood.

 

Sanitizing wipes were handed out anywhere food was being served as you walked in and out. The staff were extremely tired the first 2 days, so it was really hard to judge service. They had been working overtime with the initial outbreak and still into our sailing. They seemed exhausted. You couldn't see a smile out of any of them until Monday, back from the day out at Labadee. I found that to be the turning point. That's when I saw them smiling, humming, making jokes with us all.

 

It's true that our sailing was at a disadvantage, BUT, it certainly is what you make of it. One of my neighbors in our extended group moaned and groaned, bitched and complained to us, totally pissed off the second day, telling us he was ready to get off the ship. I understood his complaints, but I told him "Dude, you obviously haven't had enough to drink!" He hung out with us for the day in Labadee and let's just say, that was his turning point too. It finally clicked for him; he was smiling every day after that.

 

All our kids ranging from 11 to 16 had a blast, made friends they are already texting with. The older teens loved the Living Room and Fuel (the dance club). My 11 year old had fun at Adventure Ocean; they all had fun either doing or watching the Flowrider, and the Studio Karaoke, singing area.

 

We saw 2 of the shows, the absolute favorite and not to be missed was the ice skating show. Even with four mishaps, it was incredible, beautifully choreographed, costumed and staged. Don't miss it. In The Air show was good with good acrobatics; I thought the lead singers were weak, but everything else was visually pleasing.

 

Loved the stingray tour and snorkle we did in Cayman with Moby Dick Tours. They were so fun and friendly and our group was sooo much smaller than others we saw from cruiseships. We really got one on one attention from them.

 

Did the Dolphin Royal Swim at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel directly booked with them. No problems, the park is beautiful, looks like a resort, quiet, not crowded, snorkeling not as good as in 2003 before Wilma--the ocean floor there is pretty wiped out, but the kids loved it anyway finding the statues of Jesus and Virgin Mary. Took Chlorox disinfectant wipes in my beach bag and wiped out the rented snorkle equipment before using, hoping at the time it helped...The 7 of us were thrilled with the dolphin swim and they let me use my waterproof camera; even so, I bought the $50 DVD and some pictures.

 

Shopping was good in Cozumel.

 

Rented floats in Labadee and floated and drank; so carefree and I am very tan!!!

 

The adult pool and hot tub in the solarium overlooking the ship is great. Food on the ship was good, not great. Loved our waiter, Kurnia, who played games with us each night. Enjoyed the piano bar at Schooner's Bar.

 

Went to Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay; really a 5 min taxi ride, $2 pp, each way. $40 adults, kids $20 ages 15 and under. Our 15 year olds only payed $20! The water park there with the 2 slides is beautiful, and the slides are fast and long--very fun even for the adults. Drinks were good and plentiful, they filled my insulated cup, no problems mon! We missed the 2:30 cut off for the inside restaurant, so only ate pizza at the grill which was not too great, but after that many drinks you don't care, honestly. The kids used the kayaks and the paddleboats and played volleyball, all included. The pools were clean and pretty. Great deal!

 

Luckily got to eat at both Chops and Portofino. Service was a bit slow in Portofino, but the food was great in both. The Filet Mignon in Chops was tender and the seafood skewer in Portofino very good also.

 

Used the wine & dine package and soda cards for the kids; worked great for us.

 

Best thing we did was rent the DECT phones for $25 each one (paid $75 for 3). Excellent reception, it's the same phone the crew and staff use to communicate with each other. That was one main reason we were able to relax so much and so easily, because we were in constant contact with our kids even when they were off on their own for alot of the time. They were worth every penny and there is no interference. Be aware though that you pay $300 if they are lost...

 

Folks, there is so much to enjoy. If you go and have happen on your sailing what happened to ours PLEASE do yourselves a favor and concentrate on what's good and what you can enjoy. You've probably planned and saved for a long time, and yes, it's disappointing to have these things go wrong, but the true shame would be to let it ruin your whole vacation.

 

My group all laughed and bonded. My cheeks hurt some days. There is alot of fun to be had and alot to enjoy, so live it up! I'll check back over the next couple of days to see if anyone has any questions I can help out with...

[nellydean]

I know you can never say never, but do you think that by the July 28th cruise everything will be back to normal, as regards amenities and cleaning? I am a bit sensitive to the semll of bleach and the thought of it being all around me for the whole week is a bit daunting. If there are hand wipes in front of the dining areas, fine, but to see it and smell it everywhere is another thing altogether.

Also, I read somewhere that this bug is not supposed to be a summer virus, so perhaps it is not noro but something else?

 

RCI have rung me up to ask about paying the balance, but I am holding back as I am still torn about whether or not to cancel. Problem is, UK RCI customer services said they were unaware of any norovirus on the ship, so were unable to give me any reassurance that if we arrived at the dock on the 28th and found the virus was still on board, we would have the option to cancel and get a refund - he just said it would be up to the captain, depending on how bad it was. We would need the money to pay for hotel accom/flights to an alternative venue for the second week, so a refund towards another cruise would be no good to us. Apart form the virus itself, I am also concerned about the closing of venues and general impact it would have on the cruise, its crew and passengers.

 

What do you think? Thank you.

[PantherFan]

We were on the Freedom last December (shorten 5 day) and there were a lot of traveler's with that same problem.

 

It is not like after traveling all that way, you want to turn around and go back.

 

I honestly, would not worry about the noro-virus on your cruise. Just take precautions and you should be fine.

[drb_2000]

Best thing we did was rent the DECT phones for $25 each one (paid $75 for 3). Excellent reception, it's the same phone the crew and staff use to communicate with each other.

 

Do they also work for any distance when off ship?

 

DrB

[Smileeface]

Do they also work for any distance when off ship?

 

DrB

 

 

I was told that the dect phones do not work off the ship. I asked a couple of the crew before heading out in Montego Bay, so I didn't even try. We left them behind in their cabins.

[RFM Daughter]

Regarding the DECT phones...do you think they work better than the Motorola 2 way radios we would bring from home? Are they walkie talkies or are they actual phones??? Is this what they have/offer on Liberty of the Seas? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks :D

[swwake]

My sister had a DECT phone because one of her sons in Adventure Ocean has a condition that might cause them to need to reach her. It looks like a cell phone. I don't think it had walkie-talkie features. I didn't know you could rent them until late in the trip, or we would have done that.

 

We also had talkabouts, but they were difficult to use, both on and off-ship. They had static and limited distance, and there was always someone else's family on the channels we selected.

 

I would recommend the DECT phone.

[Smileeface]

The DECT phone is like a house phone. You have your own 4 digit phone number and you can call any area of the ship, any cabin number, the ship operator, any where on the ship because these are ship phones. Each of these phones has it's own 4 digit number and that's the number you call when you want to reach someone so it is not a walkie talkie. They worked great. I called the hair salon and Chops at one point to confirm reservations and make changes, etc...$25 each/one phone, $300 if they are lost, so be careful!

[RFM Daughter]

Thank you so much for the info...I had never heard of these! We have taken 2-way radios in the past and, depending on where we (or our kids) are on the ship, we cant always contact each other. Definitely worth the $25 each!!! Can you tell me where we go to get them? I assume the guest relations desk? Thanks again :)

[Smileeface]

Thank you so much for the info...I had never heard of these! We have taken 2-way radios in the past and, depending on where we (or our kids) are on the ship, we cant always contact each other. Definitely worth the $25 each!!! Can you tell me where we go to get them? I assume the guest relations desk? Thanks again :)

 

 

Yes, you get them at Guest Relations. Go there first thing as they have a limited quantitiy. They will give you a charger for each phone. Our chargers were "prong style"? where you connect into a prong style outlet. There is only one outlet like that in the cabin and it is at your mirrored dresser closest to the wardrobe closet. It was funny when we couldn't figure that one out right away :p Probably too many drinks later... Good luck!

[swwake]

Just a quick note. We spoke to a couple in the Miami airport yesterday who were returning from the Freedom of the Seas. They said that the same Purel Wipe before and after eating policy was in effect on Freedom. Looks like RCI is taking every precaution. I think it's a good thing - and no inconvenience to keep from catching noro.

[TravelDitto]

We were on the June 2 to June 9 Western Caribbean Cruise.

 

What's been posted about that cruise is pretty much true.

 

 

 

 

 

Late embarkation. Started at 6pm.

·

Though no official word, we where told it was extensive cleaning measures, as prescribed by the CDC.

 

·

Bags moved to the cabins by the Ships crew (officers, Cabin Attendants...), after the cleaning, very late.

 

·

Upper decks (9 and 10), not ready till well after 9pm or not ready at all. We gave up at 11pm, and just went to our cabin and went to bed.

 

·

Left port at 10pm.

 

 

 

Cabin attendant not in full attendance for the first couple of days.

·

All Ships information, brochures, room service menus removed, with new ones returned a couple days later.

 

·

Spots and streaks, all over everything from the Clorine cleaner.

 

·

Notice on window "not to use deck till notice was removed", which was removed the next day.

 

·

Appears our regular Cabin attendant, was not the one really taking care of the cabin. She was just doing the linens, in the morning and evening. Appears, the cleaning was being done by someone else, but we never saw them. We did see several other attendants/assistants seeing to other cabins that our Cabin Attendant was responsible for. They may have been trying to share or balance the load or made smeone else responsible for deep cleaning.

 

·

They did a fair job and probably a good job under the circumstances.

 

 

 

 

Closures;

·

Johnny Rockets for the duration of the cruise.

 

·

Sorrentos, till the last couple of days.

 

·

Video Arcade for the duration of the cruise.

 

 

 

RCCL, did;

·

Call people ahead of time when possible to notify them of the situation.

 

·

Notify us at check in and explained the situation, providing options.

 

·

They where willing to drive you to the convention center and provide a buffet lunch. (We declined and went to Bayside instead)

 

·

They did say we would embark at 6pm and we did.

 

·

They did say we would leave port at 10pm and we did.

 

·

Make good efforts to clean diligently in the beginning, but it did slack off over time.

 

·

Compensate for the embarkation delay.

 

·

Compensate for the reduction in services, (JR, Sorrentos, Arcade,...) based on category.

 

·

Captain Herman Zini(sp?), was in evidence and more active than any ships Captain, I have ever seen on a cruise before.

o

He was regularly reviewing the new protocols and continuing to positively urge the crew to stick with the new protocols.

 

o

He was helpful and willing to answer or assist any guest at anytime.

·

Yes, the crew did slack off in certain areas at certain times, but this could be due to circumstances they were under, since I did see the same people attending the same stations for longer than usual.

 

 

 

Anecdotally;

·

We heard that about 112 cabins were affected and though all cabins where sterilized, extra effort and precautions where taken with these cabins and this is what really caused the majority of the delay.

 

·

Yes we did hear rumors, but did not and do not want to perpetuate them.

 

 

 

 

Disembarkation;

·

There was a delay supposedly because an unauthorized car parked illegally and they had to find the owner before we could disembark. I guess this would once again fall under, "they where doing this for our safety", so I'm OK with it.

 

 

 

New illnesses;

·

Yes we heard about some.

 

·

First evidence was new notices;

o

In all restaurants, in bold letters "that wipes are not a replacement to washing your hands". This was about three days into the cruise, which would match up with the injestation(sp?)/incubation period for noro and getting the notice out.

 

o

In the Promenade Cafe, that food had to be eaten there and not taken away. I heard this was so that food could not be taken to sick guest and hide the illness, avoiding quantine, but not sure if this is true. This notice was removed from the Promenade Café the next day.

·

We saw one sick person in a wheel chair during disembarkation. A teenage male. The mother was very considerate and actively announced to other passengers to please move their bags, so that she passed by without touching their bags.

·

We heard alarms go off twice on people disembarking ahead of us, but they where waved through anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

Something to think about. From Cruiseforfamilies.com

·

"The reason you hear about Norovirus on cruise ships is because they are required to report every incidence of gastrointestinal illness," according to Dave Forney, chief of the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program. "Nowhere else in the public health system of the United States is Norovirus a reportable illness. Norovirus is not a 'cruise ship' illness, but an illness commonly seen in many settings throughout the United States."

 

http://cruisesforfamilies.com/family_cruise_blog.htm

 

 

 

Yes we saw irate customers during the check in process.

Yes we saw irate customers at Guest Services.

 

 

Even on this cruise, I saw that passengers and crew members alike vary on hygiene. I'm not going to get into the details. I'll just say tend to your hygiene as best you can under the situation. Educate yourself from health officials or health care industry professionals and do what you can for yourself and others.

 

 

No we didn’t get sick. We took precautions. After seeing the diligence on the Disney ships last November, I hope RCI/RCCL, decide to adopt their approach for their cruise line.

 

 

All in all, I feel they handled the situation well and did contain it, even with the small number of new infections.

 

 

It's a truely nice ship and they were trying everything they could to make a difference.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

We heard alarms go off twice on people disembarking ahead of us, but they where waved through anyway.

I guess they were quarinteened and their time must have almost been up unless they weren't paying attention.

Thanks for so much detailed information. :)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I guess they were quarinteened and their time must have almost been up unless they weren't paying attention.

 

Thanks for so much detailed information. :)

 

When I left Liberty from the May 26 cruise, the alarms went off. I had been quarantined four days which ran me right up to Saturday afternoon. But we were all disembarking in the AM.

 

I guess this is a part of the quaranine process that is not really clear. What do you do with passengers who are still quarantined at the time of disembrakation? You can't keep them on the ship (although that would have been great fun for me because I'd missed over half of the cruise I was on.)

 

But we had to leave, so the alarm went off when I gave them my Sea Pass. They just waved me onward. I surely do hope I didn't infect anybody with Noro-virus as I left the premises.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

TravelDitto, that was a great, highly informative, easy-to-read and fair post. I see it is your first post, but I hope it will not be your last. Please stick around at Cruise Critic.

 

Regards,

 

Surf

[Nliedel]

All in all, I feel they handled the situation well and did contain it, even with the small number of new infections.

 

 

It's a truely nice ship and they were trying everything they could to make a difference.

 

What a outstanding, believable, realistic, well thought out, post! You gave the good and the bad and it was just one of the most refreshing reads, I've had the privilege of running into in a long time. Thank you so much!

[nellydean]

I just got a call back from RCI UK customer relations, following a call the other day from accounts asking me to pay my balance (I said I was waiting to have some information on the noro outbreak).

 

Anyway, this guy admitted there had been a problem on the Liberty (the FIRST time anyone in the UK has admitted knowing anything about it!) but the Liberty was being thoroughly cleaned after each sailing, and he was confident that by the end of this week the ship would be free of the virus.

 

Realistically, he can't say that for certain, but the gist of it is that they think they have it sorted, which is what I wanted to hear. Of course, the thing can reappear, and what I wanted to know was that if we arrived at the port and found there was still a a problem, or a new outbreak, that we would be given choices, especially as we will be so far from home. He said in previous cases on other ships, passengers had been given the option to cancel and get a full refund at the time.

 

I also mentioned that, apart from the illness, there was the fact that certain facilities would be closed and he didnt really have an answer for that, but he did say that the stuff they spray everywhere would not damage the fittings (even if it did ruin clothes), which is important on a new ship when you expect everthing to be shiny and sparkling.

 

So, looking at it, if there is a bad outbreak you get to cancel and get your money back, however, if there's only a bit of an noro problem then you don't:(

 

Anyway, I didn't mention until the end that I had already paid my balance, but he said he already knew, so at least he had the courtesy to ring me.

 

I reserve judgement until I embark on July 28th (other otherwise), but fingers crossed that everyone who sails Liberty from now on gets to enjoy the cruise and doesn't need to worry about these things.

 

It means I can worry 100% on the coming hurricanes season...:)