Quest feb 14th

[kathy27]

I think it depended which deck you were on and also which cabin staff you had

 

Our cabin on boarding on the 14th was not clean thick dust in the bathroom and sticky marks on the side tables

the floor had bits all over it including hearing aid batteries,staples and rotten grapes.this was seen by the housekeeping manager the bathroom was partially cleaned once otherwise only the white ware was wiped.

cabin was never cleaned only glasses changed and bed made

People we met were still surcuming to the virus on the day before disembarkation

 

I think some people were lucky and others not

Management was seriously lacking

 

on a lighter note the two speciality restaurants were great

 

Kathy:mad:

[greeneg]

I still find it difficult to reconcile your comments with the previous poster's ( and the experience of the vast majority who have sailed with Azamara).

 

Since you did report this to ship's management, would you please share whatever explanation you were given. Surely you were told something.

 

Thank you.

[susiesan]

I think kathy27 is related to Camano.

 

I've been on over 35 cruises on many different lines and I don't believe any of them, even Carnival, would never clean a cabin at all during the course of a whole cruise. if part of this scenario is remotely accurate, why would kathy27 tolerate it? I'm with greeneg, something is fishy in this tale.

[kathy27]

Susiesan

 

I am not related to anyone we are having on going talks withe the management who agree our claims are well founded

 

Kathy:mad:

[greeneg]

Kathy27, I agree with you completely if the issues have not been resolved, and you are in continuing discussions with management about them, then you should not disclose anything here at this time.

 

It would be nice, however, at some point in the future when the issues have been resolved, you would update the boards on the issues and their resolution since you did raise them here.

 

Good luck with it.

[kathy27]

Greeneg

 

Will reveal all when able at a later date

 

Kathy

[cruiseyguy]

"Will reveal all when able at a later date"

 

It doesn't seem fair to the crew and staff of Quest to lob in a couple of grenades and then say you will explain it all later. The damage has been done.

[nevernever]

Sorry folks, but I find it very difficult to believe that this could not have been sorted out quickly onboard ship. Maybe, due to an oversight, the stateroom had not been cleaned prior to embarkation. However, my experience on many different cruises, including an earlier one on Quest, has shown that the chief housekeepers, stateroom butlers and attendants respond very quickly and positively to any request for things to be done.

 

nevernever

[greeneg]

My experience also, particularly on the Azamara Ships.

[Bufrenee]

I think it depended which deck you were on and also which cabin staff you had

 

Our cabin on boarding on the 14th was not clean thick dust in the bathroom and sticky marks on the side tables

the floor had bits all over it including hearing aid batteries,staples and rotten grapes.this was seen by the housekeeping manager the bathroom was partially cleaned once otherwise only the white ware was wiped.

cabin was never cleaned only glasses changed and bed made

People we met were still surcuming to the virus on the day before disembarkation

 

I think some people were lucky and others not

Management was seriously lacking

 

on a lighter note the two speciality restaurants were great

 

Kathy:mad:

 

 

Kathy,

I agree with what you said, we were on the same cruise and only just got home after a wonderful cruise tour which softened the impact this cruise had on us.I failed to understand why they were not allowed to use Vacumn Cleaners but were using carpet sweepers in the public rooms. Also we noticed that they were spraying each table after the plates were cleared but used the same cloth to wipe all the time.

I failed to understand why it was alright to serve coffee and tea from a flask in the dining room whilst you had to line up at one of two coffee stations, state your requirement and have someone make and hand the cup,milk and sugar to you.

The virus was already on board in spite of the wiping whilst we waited over three hours to board, this was blamed on the Chinese Authorities and by the way and if you recall we were asked whether anyone was sick and advised that they could forgo this cruise and rebook on another. Fine for some who can afford the airfare and time! I would have been happier if the Captain would have come clean and told everyone that there was a virus on board and that extra precautions were needed and apologised for any inconvience rather than quote regulations which gave him the authority to disembark anyone not reporting sickness on board. That being said there were cases of gastro illness reported and found to be food posioning or otherwise ans not norvirus.

I agree that management was lacking and did not really see officers or supervisors near the people cleaning the rails, elevators and stairways. Most were merrily spraying and wiping and later just spraying bleach all over whilst wearing facemasks. No though for the customers/passengers who had to breath all this in or leaving damage on their clothes and skin from being in contact with the bleach.

I could go on but why bother with anything constructive and then being accused of being biased. I had not expected Az to be better than O but certainly expected it to be better than Celebrity where whe had five great cruises before trying Az. This after all is their first time on this route and having read some of the previous posts on them really trying we decided to try it based on the ports of call and timing.

Trying to please the customers in this case was sure lacking on this cruise and sincerely hope for their sake that this cruise is the the exception than the rule. I for one would not want to spend premium money in giving it another try unless we get more positive reports.

[cruiseyguy]

Urban myth: cruise lines use so much "bleach" to sanitize infected ships that your clothes and skin may be damaged. No. Only very small amounts of diluted bleach are needed to disinfect anything. in any event, most commonly used disinfectants will not damage clothes nor skin (although they may have an odor). A cruise line will not knowingly trade one problem--sick passengers--for another--stained clothes and blistered skin.

 

Urban myth: cruise ships get sick. No, sick people board ships and infect others.

[bobsig]

That being said there were cases of gastro illness reported and found to be food posioning or otherwise ans not norvirus.

 

Food poisons include viruses (such as norovirus), bacteria, toxins, and parasites. If you truly had salmonella or botulism ( food poison toxins) only those that ate that specific item would have been affected and the symptoms are very different. Obviously, parasites were not the problem. That leaves bacteria and viruses that spread infections. The response to both is the same - hence, the crew responded absolutely correct.

[Bufrenee]

Urban myth: cruise lines use so much "bleach" to sanitize infected ships that your clothes and skin may be damaged. No. Only very small amounts of diluted bleach are needed to disinfect anything. in any event, most commonly used disinfectants will not damage clothes nor skin (although they may have an odor). A cruise line will not knowingly trade one problem--sick passengers--for another--stained clothes and blistered skin.

 

Urban myth: cruise ships get sick. No, sick people board ships and infect others.

 

I do not know enough about bleach to respond to your myths, however I do know for a fact as I was there,that there were numerous claims from passengers for compensation for damaged clothes which was acknowledged with promises for compensation after adjustment. Additionally all the crew wore face masks after a few days and I was told by two that several suffered nosebleeds and one gal on her first contract was worried as to what the long term effects would be.

You and others seem to have the opinion that those of us who posted the facts were infact bashing AZ which is far from the truth. I sincerely hope that you will never have to get through a cruise like that.

[cruiseyguy]

Bufrenee-I have been on a cruise "like that"--on Mercury--and from that experience learned all about disinfection procedures, their effects and the responsibilities of both cruise line and passengers.

[gillianrose]

I failed to understand why they were not allowed to use Vacumn Cleaners but were using carpet sweepers in the public rooms.

 

This is just a guess, but perhaps vacuum cleaners have a tendency to stir up or aerosolize particles and distribute them into the atmosphere whereas carpet sweepers, while less effective at overall cleaning, would also tend not to do that.

[Bufrenee]

Sorry to hear that you had been on a norvirus cruise. Obviously their cleaning procedures in this case is not working. How do you explain 22-66and 127 passenger cases excluding crew which we will never know on three consecutive cruises and for all I know maybe a fourth which is ongoing at the present time? This is not a big ship and only carries 680 pax max. which is a very high percentage, don't you think? And surely a cause of concern. This is not a myth, it is a fact!

[greeneg]

CDC comments with regard to cruise ships:

 

"Cruise Ships

 

Passengers and crew members on cruise ships and naval vessels are frequently affected by outbreaks of NLV gastroenteritis (35,92,93). These ships dock in countries where levels of sanitation might be inadequate, thus increasing the risk for contamination of water and food taken aboard or for having a passenger board with an active infection. After a passenger or crew member brings the virus on board, the close living quarters on ships amplify opportunities for person-to-person transmission. Furthermore, the arrival of new and susceptible passengers every 1 or 2 weeks on affected cruise ships provides an opportunity for sustained transmission during successive cruises. NLV outbreaks extending beyond 12 successive cruises have been reported."

 

"Person-to-Person Transmission

 

Person-to-person spread of NLVs occurs by direct fecal-oral and airborne transmission. Such transmission plays a role in propagating NLV disease outbreaks, notably in institutional settings (e.g., nursing homes and day care centers) and on cruise ships. Although interruption of person-to-person transmission can be difficult, certain measures might help. Frequent handwashing with soap and water is an effective means of prevention. The recommended procedure is to rub all surfaces of lathered hands together vigorously for >10 seconds and then thoroughly rinse the hands under a stream of water. Because spattering or aerosols of infectious material might be involved in disease transmission, wearing masks should be considered for persons who clean areas substantially contaminated by feces or vomitus (e.g., hospital or nursing home personnel). Soiled linens and clothes should be handled as little as possible and with minimum agitation. They should be laundered with detergent at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dried. Because environmental surfaces have been implicated in the transmission of enteric viruses, surfaces that have been soiled should be cleaned with an appropriate germicidal product (e.g., 10% solution of household bleach) according to the manufacturer's instructions. In situations in which the epidemic is extended by periodic renewal of the susceptible population (e.g., camps and cruise ships), the facility or institution might have to be closed until it can be cleaned appropriately. "

 

Here are the CDC's recommendations:

#

Noroviruses

 

# Noroviruses are a group of viruses (previously known as Norwalk-like viruses) that can affect the stomach and intestines. These viruses can cause people to have gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and the large intestines. Gastroenteritis is sometimes called a calicivirus infection or food poisoning, even though it may not always be related to food.

 

# Symptoms caused by noroviruses

# Common symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping

# Less common symptoms: low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, and tiredness

# This illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. Normally the illness lasts about 1 to 2 days. Children often vomit more than adults.

 

# Where noroviruses are found

# Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people and on infected surfaces that have been touched by ill people. Outbreaks occur more often where there are more people in a small area, such as nursing homes, restaurants, catered events, and cruise ships.

 

# Reasons why noroviruses are associated with cruise ships

 

* Health officials track illness on cruise ships. Therefore, outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land.

* Close living quarters may increase the amount of group contact.

* New passenger arrivals may bring the virus to other passengers and crew.

 

# How noroviruses are spread

# People can become infected with the virus by:

 

* Eating food or drinking liquids infected with noroviruses

* Touching surfaces or objects infected with noroviruses and then touching own mouth, nose, or eyes

* Having person-to-person contact (with a norovirus-infected person) by

o being present while someone is vomiting

o sharing food or eating from the same utensils

o caring for a sick person

o shaking hands

* Not washing hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.

 

# Norovirus infections are not usually serious

# Noroviruses are highly contagious, but infections are not usually serious. People may feel very sick and vomit often or get diarrhea, becoming dehydrated if lost liquids are not replaced. Most people recover within 1 or 2 days and have no long-term adverse health effects.

 

# What to do if you get norovirus

# Advise the medical staff of your illness. Drink plenty of fluids. Wash hands often.

 

# How to prevent getting and spreading noroviruses

 

* Wash hands often. Wash hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food. Wash hands more often when someone in your home is sick. For hand washing tips, click on the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/Handwashing/HandwashingTips.htm

* Avoid shaking hands during outbreaks.

* Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer along with handwashing.

 

Bottom line: Norwalk and norwalk-like viruses are difficult to control at best and the relatively closed environment of a cruise ship can be challenging at best. I suspect that the various cruise lines are doing the best that they can under the circumstances and the most important thing that the individual passenger can do is to intensify their own personal hygiene and be caring of their fellow passengers if they get sick.

 

It is a very difficult problem.

[Project_gal]

This is just a guess, but perhaps vacuum cleaners have a tendency to stir up or aerosolize particles and distribute them into the atmosphere whereas carpet sweepers, while less effective at overall cleaning, would also tend not to do that.

 

Exactly!

[monkutare]

Perhaps you did not brush your clothing against freshly sprayed bleach on a hand rail. My (adult)daughter's new jacket was damaged by the bleach.

[Moeve]

Just coming from the cruise on the 28 Feb I can say the cleaning worked after you left since we really had only very few cases of illness and not in all cases was it suspected to be Noro.

 

Never the less what none of you on the 14 Feb cruise have told us about was the fact that many of your fellow guest with signs of illness simply did not report it to the ship and in some cases quarentine measure were simply being disregarded even to the point of having to leave a set of passengers in one of the ports due to blatant disregard for quarentine measures. The fact that people didn't want to find themselves put into quarentine for 72 hours or more meant they were simply not reporting it and spending the illness amoungst fellow passengers and crew. THAT was the reason this problem exploded. It was the lack of responsiblity certain passengers feel towards others when it boils down to their pocketbooks.

 

If this sounded harsh I apologize but unfortunately these things really happened.

[uktog]

Just coming from the cruise on the 28 Feb I can say the cleaning worked after you left since we really had only very few cases of illness and not in all cases was it suspected to be Noro.

 

Never the less what none of you on the 14 Feb cruise have told us about was the fact that many of your fellow guest with signs of illness simply did not report it to the ship and in some cases quarentine measure were simply being disregarded even to the point of having to leave a set of passengers in one of the ports due to blatant disregard for quarentine measures. The fact that people didn't want to find themselves put into quarentine for 72 hours or more meant they were simply not reporting it and spending the illness amoungst fellow passengers and crew. THAT was the reason this problem exploded. It was the lack of responsiblity certain passengers feel towards others when it boils down to their pocketbooks.

 

If this sounded harsh I apologize but unfortunately these things really happened.

 

Welcome back - how was your trip?

This is the same as I had heard - and no amount of cleaning will cope with the stupidity of individuals. On 17th Jan trip we were aware of a passenger who went on a shore excursion ill and privately the officers believed he single handedly was the major contributor in the subsequent illness of about 25 people

[Moeve]

We were fine as were most of the passengers on our trip. We went therough 2 bars of soap in two weeks and 2 bottles of our own hand disinfectant........ I have to admit we were almost paranoid about it but it seems to have paid off and we got to enjoy our whole trip.