Now I'm Nervous

[cruisehappy27]

Let me first say that this is our very first cruise and also our very first "warm weather" vacation. Needless to say we are SUPER excited! Being so new to cruising I have been searching on cruisecritic endlessly and have come across a post about noro virus. I know what it is and understand it is not pleasant. This post made it sound really common and now I am worried. Of course we do not want to get sick on our one and only (for the next 5 years or so) holiday. Is it really that common or is this being blown out of proportion? If you are careful about handwashing etc. is the risk really that high? Sorry if this sounds paranoid, well I guess I am a bit paranoid :rolleyes: .

 

Thanks!

[Keith1010]

It is really no more common on a cruise ship than in other places. The reason you hear more about it is that the cruise lines have to report it if a certain number of people get it. And also unlike other places where people come and go (such as eating in a restaurant where everyone leaves) since people stay on the ship it is more apparent.

 

I would not worry about it, but you can still take certain precautions. One is to wash your hands thoroughly. Also recognize that the virus can live on items such as door knobs for 72 hours so again wash your hands thoroughly.

 

Keith

[luv2swim]

Please don't worry about it. It does happen, but not that often and even if there's an outbreak, not everyone gets it.

 

Good idea to wash your hands a lot, use the waterless hand wash if it's around, and eat healthy (yes that can be done on a cruise :) ).

 

And have a wonderful time.

[G'ma]

Let me first say that this is our very first cruise and also our very first "warm weather" vacation. Needless to say we are SUPER excited! Being so new to cruising I have been searching on cruisecritic endlessly and have come across a post about noro virus. I know what it is and understand it is not pleasant. This post made it sound really common and now I am worried. Of course we do not want to get sick on our one and only (for the next 5 years or so) holiday. Is it really that common or is this being blown out of proportion? If you are careful about handwashing etc. is the risk really that high? Sorry if this sounds paranoid, well I guess I am a bit paranoid :rolleyes: .

 

Thanks!

 

Stomach flu or Norovirus is a fairly common occurance any place where large groups of people are brought together; schools, the workplace, etc. On a ship, it seems to spread faster due to being a closed environment.

 

That being said, I've over 200 cruises under my belt. I've never been on a ship where the virus was present.....never in over 30 years of cruising! I've cruised just about every sea, over 55 ships, on rivers, on a freighter, most of the current ships and cruiselines. While it can occur - and does - it is rare. Of course, when it happens, it makes for sensational headlines and every news media hops on it making it sound like a cruise ship is a virus magnet-and causing fear amongst the cruising population.

 

Just take some preventive measures. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when water isn't available (these have no effect on the norovirus but will take care of a few other "nasties"). Keep your hands away from your face, mouth, nose, etc.

 

Don't worry about it. Just go and have a great time.

[leaveitallbehind]

Let me first say that this is our very first cruise and also our very first "warm weather" vacation. Needless to say we are SUPER excited! Being so new to cruising I have been searching on cruisecritic endlessly and have come across a post about noro virus. I know what it is and understand it is not pleasant. This post made it sound really common and now I am worried. Of course we do not want to get sick on our one and only (for the next 5 years or so) holiday. Is it really that common or is this being blown out of proportion? If you are careful about handwashing etc. is the risk really that high? Sorry if this sounds paranoid, well I guess I am a bit paranoid :rolleyes: .

 

Thanks!

 

While there is always a risk of illiness, there are also precautions - as indicated - taken by the ship to help reduce the risk. You can also extend those precautions personally with antibacterial washes, etc. In all of our experience, only once did this affect us when my wife became ill for a few days. No one else in our group - nor others that we were aware of - were affected. And although we suspected it, we couldn't definitively relate it to the ship v. a naturally occuring illness. You have similar risks with flying, etc. Don't let this concern affect your excitment or enjoyment of the cruise. With the thousands of cruises departing annually and the millions of people cruising, the risk and actual outbreak of illnesses - especially wide spread on any given ship - is quite low statistically speaking.

 

Enjoy - I guarantee you'll be back!

[newmexicoNita]

Let me first say that this is our very first cruise and also our very first "warm weather" vacation. Needless to say we are SUPER excited! Being so new to cruising I have been searching on cruisecritic endlessly and have come across a post about noro virus. I know what it is and understand it is not pleasant. This post made it sound really common and now I am worried. Of course we do not want to get sick on our one and only (for the next 5 years or so) holiday. Is it really that common or is this being blown out of proportion? If you are careful about handwashing etc. is the risk really that high? Sorry if this sounds paranoid, well I guess I am a bit paranoid :rolleyes: .

 

Thanks!

You can get this from sitting in the Doctors office, going to school or work, on an airplane or hotel, it is what we used to think of as the 24 or 48 hour flu and no, it isn't fun, but the chances are much greater you will not get it than you will. Yes, every cruiseline has a break out from time to time and almost every ship. Even then, the majority of the passengers on those sailings do not get sick. Now relax and stop worrying. Oh, bTW some people bring sanitizer wipes with them to make sure everythink in the cabin including the remote control is wiped off, they spend an hour or so cleaning even though the cabin stewards will have your cabin spotless. You can do this if it will make you feel better. We don't but there is nothing wrong with being extra careful...

 

Nita

[cruisehappy27]

Thank you everyone! You really have helped to calm my fears. I think i am being "protective" of my good time:D . The way some people made it sound, you were lucky to not get it because it is so common. Thanks again for your words!

[cb at sea]

If you have kids who have ever had an "upset tummy",and then you've gotten it---then you've probably had it! It's common, it's everywhere--it's just a total bummer if you get sick on vacation! And, it's reported more because of the cruise ship regulations.

Several hotels in Wash. DC were closed for days because of an outbreak. That did make the news.

[cassieroll]

I've never gotten it on a cruise either. Relax and enjoy your cruise!

[KKB]

wash hands, use sanitizer when offered, avoid touching handrails and such if not necessary...

 

these tips have saved us on our several cruises, as well as my folks' many

 

anyone can get ill at anytime anywhere...be sure to bring a supply of meds for basic ails...I always bring tylenol, motrin, immodium, exlax, TUMS, pepcid. Ran out of motrin on last cruise & paid $2.50 for 2 doses! DD had earache on DCL...paid $8 for small bottle of liquid advil (paid $4 at Target for twice the size...unfortunately she had gone through all of that!)

 

Another tip...bring 2 or 3 bottles of sunscreen...you will go through it all. And you will pay thru the nose if you run out!

[cruisehappy27]

Thanks everyone. I honestly hadn't thougt about bringing meds other than sea sick pills but that makes nothing but sense. Thanks again for all of the calming words and advice.

[Happy ks]

Unfortunately, the media will latch onto stories about things like Noro-virus and people falling off cruise ships and run them into the ground. If you hear the reports often enough, it can be harder to realize the report is of the same incidence, over and over and over again.

 

It does happen, but not all that often. That the cruise ships have to report it is different than any other venue, since it can be tracked more definitely to a ship than just about any other source. They only have to have 2% of the pax and crew sick to be forced to report it, which is a very small amount of people 98% of the people didn't get sick. Of course, those statistics mean nothing if it is you that gets sick :rolleyes:

 

I've read on this forum and other forums that people are always falling off ships and getting sick. In reality, there are over 30 million people on cruise ships worldwide every year, a handful may fall off, many times due to alcohol consumption and there are a handfull of sick reports.

 

My numbers of course are not accurate, but your chances of getting sick are minimal, your chance of falling off the ship entirely depend on you.