A Bit Apprehensive...but cruising again after NORO

[LisaH]

Hi all, hubby and I are cruising again (last cruise was July 07-alaska) on 2/9 on Jewel of the Seas. We were NORO virus victims on the last cruise but I know the chances are slim that it could happen again but I am also realistic that it could.

 

Can anyone out there that has had NORO once on a cruise but did cruise since...give us some friendly encouragement.

 

We are going to do a few things differently in the buffet although like I said, I am realistic and know it could happen again but would like to do whatever I can to minimize the risk other than what is commonly known (purell, other antibacterial wipes, etc). And I know those do not kill the noro germ but i hope it helps in general.

 

We are not germophobes but once you have this, you don't want it again.

 

Thanks and we are looking forward to the trip this week!

[Sue L]

You are more likely to catch it the other 358 days not on a cruise,then you are on one.

 

It is running rampant here in NY and they have been reporting that 400-500 people a day were showing up at the hospitals.

 

Washing your hands is the best thing and do it thoroughly, hum happy birthday to yourself TWICE for the correct length of time to wash. Go and have a wonderful time.

[wrp96]

Well, best thing you can do is frequently wash your hands in soap and warm water, making sure to scrub for at least 20 to 30 second (try singing your ABCs or the Birthday song). Use paper towels to turn off the faucets and open the door handle as you leave the bathroom. Keep your hands away from your face as much as possible. Make sure to wash your hands right before eating.

 

If you plan on using purell or antibacterial wipes, remember that you must get a large enough amount to coat both sides of your hands and leave them wet for several seconds for it to do any good (I've heard a golf ball size glob of gel is a good estimate of the amount needed). Also bring your own purell or antibacterial wipes as they usually aren't provided by RCCL unless there is an actual outbreak on your ship (because they don't do much good in small amounts and make people tend to think they can skip washing their hands).

 

If you have a choice, avoid the buffet as much as possible. Eat breakfast in the dining room or via room service. For lunch eat in the dining room (if open) or eat at the Seaview Cafe or the Solarium Cafe instead of the buffet. Not that the buffet is bad, it's just that because it is self service you will be touching tongs other people have touched, etc.

 

Other tips I've heard are use your knuckle instead of the tips of your fingers to press elevator buttons. Some people suggest not holding onto railings on the stairs but I won't recommend that as I have fallen down a flight of stairs on a ship before - I'd rather have norovirus again (I got it at home, not on a ship). Avoid shaking hands with people.

[Terpnut]

If you're looking for a bright side, you now have resistance against that particular strain of norovirus! Of course, there are many many strains but you are a little bit less vulnerable than the most of us. :)

[4bythebeach]

I had it on our June 07 Alaska cruise and have cruised since and have 2 more scheduled for this year.

 

On our Alaska cruise, I was very aware of all the germs on ships so I brought the antibacterial wipes for the first time! I wiped down all the door handles, TV, remote control, counters, phones-you name it, I wiped it down in my room and the kids' room. I was like a woman posessed, and determined not to get sick. Lo and behold that is the only cruise any of us has had Noro. My husband keeps telling me it is because I wiped everything down. True or not, I don't plan on bringing the wipes anymore.

 

We went on Freedom in Dec. and no one got sick, it can happen anywhere at anytime and it doesn't matter how careful you are, if you're gonna get it, you're gonna get it.

 

I do now bring Immodium on any overnight trip so we won't have to wait until the Dr. is in to get some.

 

Noro was miserable, but anytime you are sick it is miserable.

[iheartbda]

Had a date with Mr. Noro once:eek: and never gave it a second thought when cruising 3 times after. That's not to say I don't take all the recommended precautions. If we eat in the buffet, we always use the hand sanitizer after using any of the tongs.

[ckrobyn]

I don't want to freak anyone out - take a look at this video.

 

http://www.healthinspections.com/video.cfm?bWVkaWFJRD0yOA

 

Shocking to say the least......:eek:

[PantherFan]

We were on the Freedom 12/06.....our cruise was the 5 day because of the noro virus and I was completely turned off to RCL on the way everything was handled. (poorly would be a compliment:rolleyes: )

 

We did book the Liberty for 12/07 and I didn't want to go at all, but it was free with the credit vouchers and refunds etc...I was determined even then to cancel.

 

With some last minute encouragement from a fellow cc member (Judy) we decided to go and had a great time. RCL did a couple of "extra" things for us while onboard which we appreciated and won our business back.

 

I would say give them another chance:)

[Gonzo70]

Don't go too crazy with the cleanliness; not all bacteria and germs are bad - there is a lot of healthy bacteria out there too! :D

[LisaH]

Thanks to all who have replied so far. I will get some Immodium just in case and we also have some left over phenergan from July when we had to see the doctor.

 

We have discussed using a napkin to hold the tongs with in the buffet or using our own (unused of course) silverware instead of the tongs and then every time we went back obviously get new silverware and use it again instead of tongs. I think the doctor even suggested this.

 

I appreciate the advice and we are planning to have a great time.

[Terpnut]

I don't want to freak anyone out - take a look at this video.

 

http://www.healthinspections.com/video.cfm?bWVkaWFJRD0yOA

 

Shocking to say the least......:eek:

After 15 years of doing so, no more lemons with my water! :eek:

[marshabear]

1 thing we do on our cruises is only use our own bathroom...not the public ones...even if it means going back to the cabin while out and about on the ship....

 

makes me feel better knowing just DH and myself are using it (for that week anyway) and we practice good handwashing...

 

i also bring antibacterial liquid hand soap to use in the cabin....what's leftover at the end of the cruise, i just leave for the cabin steward to either use what's left or toss it away...

 

 

Marsha

[PantherFan]

At the grocery store today, I picked up a tiny can of Lysol. It's new and the size of a trial size hair spray. I am sure that won't be a problem to pack and I'll spray everything down.:D

[mad-dog74]

I always travel with alcohol wipes. When at hotels, etc., the first thing I do is swab the phone, remote control, door knobs, and everything that I know I will be using.

 

Avoid contact with your fingers and hands to your face without first washing them.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Hubby and I were socked with Noro on Liberty late last May. I was so discouraged and thought I might not cruise again. Well, we had three cruises already booked, so, in short, we've already done two and have another one coming up on February 22 plus yet another next November on Independence.

 

What I have done is institute an extreme hand-washing regimen over and above what I already did. Now I wash my hands every time I go back to the room or come in from the balcony or whenever I think of it. I overdid it on the Brilliance eleven- night cruise we just finished, because my fingertips got so chapped, they split and began to bleed.

 

But what is important, however, is neither of us caught Noro on those subsequent cruises. So relax, take precautions and hopefully, everything will be all right.

 

PS--no more lemons in ice tea for me. Yuck! :eek:

[wrp96]

And people wonder why I don't like lemons in my drinks!

[crusinmama06]

It wouldn't hurt to be a little bit of a germaphobe on the next cruise ;)

 

Just be hyper aware of what you are touching (railings/door knobs/elevator buttons) and don't touch your face afterward. And after you get your food at the buffet, use some purell.

 

And if my memory serves me, don't use Imodium. All that does is prolong whatever is in your intenstines from coming out if you know what I mean :eek: Imodium is fine to use if you MUST be somewhere (like an meeting) but using it to treat Noro is not a good idea. It will prolong the Noro.

 

Phenegren is good for the nausea

[Tex_Jen]

Go and enjoy your cruise. My family was struck with the Norovirus one

Christmas and trust me we were constantly wiping down surfaces with either Lysol or bleach, but once one person gets it, it is hard to keep that nasty bug at bay. And yes, I still go visit my brother's house after that episode. :D

 

Jen

[macbasset]

We have sailed several ships right after major outbreaks of norwalk virus. Here's our way to avoid the virus. As soon as you get off the plane, head to rest room and scrub your hands. Avoid touching the tray on the plane as much as possible. If you do, don't touch food with your hands. Once on board, don't rub your hands along rails. We take a big bottle of dial antibiotic soap with us for in the cabin. We wash thoroughly before and after meals. Then I take a tissue to open doors between the stateroom and the restaurant. We hit elevator buttons either with the tissue or our elbow. If the ship has sanitizer outside the restaurants--- use it! However, don't touch the sanitizer dispenser. At the buffet we don't eat anything with our hands, avoid breads or eat with knife and fork. When we return to the stateroom, we wash our hands again. As soon as we board the ship, we put the remote control inside a quart size zip lock baggy.

 

This may seem extreme, but we have had people in all the cabins around us, also on excursions, and on buses to and from the port be sick, but we did not catch it.

[ckrobyn]

And people wonder why I don't like lemons in my drinks!

 

Wrona - I was sufficiently grossed out too! :eek: Made me re-think my need for citrus in my drinks......

[royaloakie]

My husband and I caught Noro on our New Years Eve Cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. I was sick on Thursday and husband sick by Saturday. It was an awful experience and I wasn't sure if I could cruise again. I had washed my hands and used every wipe I could find. Had Purell and used it. We knew it was on the ship when we boarded because of the high alert and use of wipes and bleach everywhere. We took every precaution we could. We heard a lot of crew had it the previous week. Well, we booked another cruise for next year, my thinking being it was a lot like falling off a horse, if you don't get back on, you may never ride again. My hope is that we couldn't be so unlucky two years in a row. (although anything is possible.) Trust me take the Imodium and maybe Pepto and anything else you can think of along. You may need the Imodium to fly home. When Noro strikes you will want all of them available. And to those who say you can get it anywhere, trust me being sick on a ship is truly awful. It is much different than being sick in your own home.

[kyriecat]

My husband didn't get noro but he did get food poisoning (salmonella) on our Randiance cruise. He was feeling poorly for 5 days (3 days onboard and 2 after). We've cruised since then, have 2 more booked, and plan on taking more. Pepto tablets seemed to help him with the symptoms so we never travel without it now.

[LisaH]

I am so glad I started this thread...what great conversations and good ideas. Someone mentioned not using the public restrooms but just use the one in your cabin. The doctor onboard the Island Princess recommended the same thing and reading it again today reminded me to do that when at all possible. We will be in a hump cabin in the center on Jewel so logistically it should not be a problem.

 

Thanks to all and my mind is more at ease. I am taking some wipes to wipe down some items in the cabin such as the remote, phone...we will do what we can.

 

:)

[CruisingCatherine]

Hi all, hubby and I are cruising again (last cruise was July 07-alaska) on 2/9 on Jewel of the Seas. We were NORO virus victims on the last cruise but I know the chances are slim that it could happen again but I am also realistic that it could.

 

Can anyone out there that has had NORO once on a cruise but did cruise since...give us some friendly encouragement.

 

We are going to do a few things differently in the buffet although like I said, I am realistic and know it could happen again but would like to do whatever I can to minimize the risk other than what is commonly known (purell, other antibacterial wipes, etc). And I know those do not kill the noro germ but i hope it helps in general.

 

We are not germophobes but once you have this, you don't want it again.

 

Thanks and we are looking forward to the trip this week!

 

I know exactly how you feel. After all of my cruises, I got noro on my last one. This was the worst illness I have ever had. I would rather break an arm than have this again. The only time in my adult life I would have went to a hospital if I could have.

 

If I were to get this again on a ship. It would probably be the last cruise I take. Even though I love it more than anything.

[iheartbda]

And people wonder why I don't like lemons in my drinks!

 

For all of those who like lemon in their drinks there's a product called TrueLemon(all natural no sugar), that comes in packets smaller than sugar packets. I always keep a couple in my handbag. Find them in the grocery store with baking supplies.