Noro Virus on Oosterdam

[intandemNV]

I just received a fax stating that this Saturday 1/5 on Oosterdam boarding will start at 3pm due to ship needing a special cleaning. They will run shuttles from the pier for shoppiong etc until 5pm. Yikes! Will we be on code Red (or whatever) during our whole week? How does that work? Thanks:confused:

[sail7seas]

If you have been following Copper10 (John's) thread, Live from aboard Oosterdam, you know the ship is currently in Code Red. It can last an indeterminate number of days. It will not be lifted until the virus is well under control (few to no new cases) and that can be at any time.

 

It won't have a huge impact on you.

 

There will be no salt and pepper shakers on tables. Hint: Go to a fast food place and pick up some individual packets you can carry for your personal use. Also, no bread baskets in the dining room. The Asst Steward will serve you a roll if you want one.

 

There will be no self serve at the salad bar or anywhere in Lido including Taco Bar. A bit of a nuisance but what can you do??

 

The library will not lend books and they will provide gloves for use in the casino.

 

Use the hand sanitizers often. HAL has located all over the place on all the ships.

 

Don't worry about it. Wash your hands often and odds are excellent you'll be fine. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!

[sail7seas]

For those who have the time before their cruise (and/or interest).

 

There is a very dependable site that sells small, travel size packets of many things in addition to individual salt/pepper as served in fast food restaurants. A while ago, I ordered some and they came exactly as ordered and I leave them in a ziploc in my suitcase for use in the event the ship goes into Code Red.

 

http://www.minimus.biz

 

We don't use much salt but don't want our food to get cold while we wait for a steward to be able to grate some pepper on our dinner for us.

[Northshorecruisers]

7Seas-

 

Great idea of keeping a small bag of the things you will miss if you go into Code Red. It can happen at any time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There is no telling how long the ship will be in Code Red. Out of a 22 day repositioning cruise we were in Code Red for 16 days. On our Hawaiian cruise - all 15 days.

 

I also keep a bottle of Purell in our bathroom and carry a purse size one in DH's back pack for whenever we are off the ship.

[DrTee]

I'm thinking that we are safer when under code red than we are when not. I always seem to come home with a cold. The only time I didn't was when we were under code red on the Statendam in May.

 

It's really not so bad, and it protects you from the slobs that don't wash their hands.

[intandemNV]

Thanks for all the info. It sounds like it won't be a big problem for me! I'm on vacation!!!

[arzz]

I agree wholeheartedly with drtee

 

DH contracted the dreaded virus on our recent transatlantic on X -- fortunately the ship never reached a code red situation but I certainly would have appreciated one. When we visited the ship's doctor there was a fellow there (who looked familiar -- we probably followed him through the buffet line) who had been ill for 24 hours and had repeatedly visited the buffet -- his wife was also ill but refused to visit the hospital. We would have greatly appreciated someone else serving our food so that we did not have to touch utensils that had been previously handled by the likes of this passenger. The ship can be spotlessly clean but you cannot control people and as long as there are those on board who ignore the symptoms of highly contagious illness then the rest of us are at risk no matter how well we wash our hands.

[debgirl]

I just got off the Ryndam and we were put in Code Red the last 3 or 4 days of the cruise.

 

The hot tub was closed, no self-service in the lido deck, rolls and butter were past by the staff and no salt and pepper shakers. The staff purelled your hands before going into the dining area and there were purel stations everywhere on the ship.

 

The minor inconviences did not bother us. We would rather do what they asked then the whole ship getting the virus.

 

Don't worry, have a great time, and keep your hands clean.

[Jim Avery]

It is a shame that only passenger carrying vessels have to report such cases. The stuff is everywhere. You have more chance of catching something on those 500 mph petri dishes (airplanes) than on board ship. Delta does not have to report that all the passengers on DL12 or whatever came down with the crud. And airlines do not really clean much on the aircraft between your flight and the last germ farm aboard. Same for hotels, trains, etc. Wash your hands like your Mother told you and odds are you will be fine.

Jim.

[Boytjie]

have more chance of catching something on those 500 mph petri dishes (airplanes) than on board ship. Delta does not have to report that all the passengers on DL12 or whatever came down with the crud. And airlines do not really clean much on the aircraft between your flight and the last germ farm aboard.

 

It it more difficult for planes since you are on it for only a few hours; the person may not be visably sick yet contagious. On a ship it is a "captive" audience for longer periods.

 

Wash your hands like your Mother told you and odds are you will be fine.

Jim.

 

Sadly Mother might not ever have told 'em....

[O2B@C]

I just received a fax stating that this Saturday 1/5 on Oosterdam boarding will start at 3pm due to ship needing a special cleaning. They will run shuttles from the pier for shoppiong etc until 5pm. Yikes! Will we be on code Red (or whatever) during our whole week? How does that work? Thanks:confused:

 

What I think is remarkable about this post, which no one responding has mentioned so far, is that HAL sent out a fax to let passengers know about the problem two days in advance. This was very courteous of them, and I think that deserves to be acknowledged.

 

intandemNV, best wishes for your cruise - hope the Code Red dematerializes soon, or even if it doesn't, that you have a fun and healthy cruise nonetheless.

[intandemNV]

Thanks for the good wishes! It is terrific that HA let us know! I'm heading to the store for disinfecting wipes for the plane and our suite!;)

[Charliesmom]

If you stay in a hotel room, wash all of the glasses you use before you use them. Somebody showed an expose' of how maids wipe glasses with dirty towels.

 

Roberta

[kwahl1]

Dad got a nasty cold after our Sept Oosterdam cruise. Another thing I noticed about the location of his room, F1003, a nasty smell coming up from stairwell that leads to the below deck engine room etc. This smell got nearly gagging towards the 6th day, rotting garbage, maybe ship's waste. And when a crew member would open that door, P-U.

[wrp96]

Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands, and keep your hands away from your face. 30 seconds of handwashing with soap and warm water does a better job of preventing norovirus than hand sanitzer does. Use paper towels to open the door handles from the bathrooms (and to turn off the faucets after you've washed your hands) so that your hands don't get dirty again.

[prc4prc]

I'd respectfully disagree with folks that say 'Don't worry about it'. I think a better statement might be 'Don't panic about it' - but you definitely should worry about it.

Why?

If you get the virus - you will be quarantined in your cabin. Hope that you at least booked a cabin with a veranda - because for at a minimum of a couple of days - your cabin is the only place you can go (Room service will deliver your food [with masks on] to your cabin).

This will almost certainly ruin your vacation -and that’s something you should worry about.

[hammybee]

I'd respectfully disagree with folks that say 'Don't worry about it'. I think a better statement might be 'Don't panic about it' - but you definitely should worry about it.

 

Why?

 

If you get the virus - you will be quarantined in your cabin. Hope that you at least booked a cabin with a veranda - because for at a minimum of a couple of days - your cabin is the only place you can go (Room service will deliver your food [with masks on] to your cabin).

 

This will almost certainly ruin your vacation -and that’s something you should worry about.

 

I have had it twice on vacation and neither time was it acquired on a cruise ship. People get sick all the time on vacation and when it happens it can ruin the entire vacation. Not much can be done about it other than taking necessary precautions.

[sail7seas]

I was at my doctor's yesterday and we were talking about noro virus and cruise ships. She wants to take a cruise and never has previously. Knowing how much I criuse, she had more questions for me about Noro Virus than she did about my personal health situation. :eek:(kidding)....

 

But, she really was very interested in how many times I have contracted it aboard, how are guests handled, what does ship do re: cleaning/protecting guests/crew.....

 

After our conversation, she is still planning on cruising and is considering "MY" :) Maasdam. ;)