Possible Code Red On Westerdam

[Copper10-8]

Don't push the elevator buttons with your fingertips!

Don't shake hands - Touch elbows/forearms instead!

Remember, Code Red is only a minor inconvenience!

Enjoy your cruise!:)

[hammybee]

Please read this article for some fascinating information on the Norovirus.

 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Get-a-Cruise-Virus&id=1601411

 

The article is by the same person who authored Cruise Confidential.

 

Cruise lines are indeed refunding passengers who arrive at port and volunteer sick information.

[RetiredMustang]

Cruise ships are not the only places affected by norovirus. An interesting article:

 

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-britain-fat-duck,0,6021718.story

 

Dave

[wander]

Remember, it does not matter how much Norovirus you have on your hands it is only what you then do with your Norovirus covered hands that can cause problems! Keep them away from your face, particularly your mouth!

 

Even is you wash your hands appropriately before entering the dining room, folks will handle the menu, salt and pepper shakers, buffet tongs, etc. that may have Norovirus on them from a previous person who handled them. They you do something like eating a roll or carrot stick or french fry, picking them up with what? Your Norovirus covered fingers, transferring the Norovirus you picked-up from the tongs (or salt shaker, etc) to the roll or carrot stick and then your mouth.

 

You can touch all the elevator buttons or stair railings you want IF you DO NOT tough anything that goes into your mouth until you have washed properly or used Purell (or such).

 

About railings, while I understand that they are germ covered (anywhere you may be), on a ship if it is rough, going down stairs can be a challenge for even able bodies folks. I would risk getting germ covered hands vs falling down stairs. This is one of the reasons I carry a small bottle of Purell in my pocket when traveling and a larger one in my cabin for refills. Easy to use whenever I want.

 

I have personally seen two serious leg injuries occur on ships with people falling on stairs during rough conditions. On was a woman in about her 30s, spike heels and not holding the railing. The other was a teenager in sandals hurrying down the stairs as young people can do, never thinking of holding onto the railing. Using hand cleaners and soap/water is easier than spending the cruise on crutches and sitting around with a leg propped up in my opinion..

[Mer turquoise]

I hope there is no Code Red as wife and I board her on April 12!

 

We are also on the April 12th cruise. Sure hope everything will be ok !

 

Jbackus if you want to chat with peoples doing the same cruise as you are come and join our roll call here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=854861

[gentlemancruiser]

In L.A. we had a woman on our bus from the airport to the pier who kept talking about her high fever...............was coughing terribly, whose face was dark red and who seemed to be trying to "infect" everyone.

She told her husband she wasn't going to tell them she was sick (we'd been handed those health forms on the transfer) cuz she didn't want to miss the cruise.

Several of us reported her after she got off the bus and handed them the form; they did nothing. She was allowed to board.:mad:

 

(it wasn't HAL; it was the P line)

Last summer I watched similar thing happen while waiting to check in for the QV at the pier in Southampton. A elderly gentleman was clearly not well, and it showed. He told his wife "Not to put anything on the dam form", because this guy was hard of hearing, it was easily overheard by many in the line. When we reached registration desk the couple beside us mentioned what they heard to the clerk and point out the couple, the clerk then spoke with another clerk farther along the counter.

When we got to our cabin, guess who was in the cabin across the hall. While we waited for our luggage to arrive, we hear a loud commotion in the hall. It was the a nurse and medical officer, they told the gentleman that if he wanted to stay onboard ship, he must be confined to his cabin for the next 48 hrs. The medical officer also told the gentleman very clearly, that if he was seen outside of his cabin over the next 48 hours he would be put off in the next port.

[YHZcruiser]

We are also on the April 12th cruise. Sure hope everything will be ok !

 

Jbackus if you want to chat with peoples doing the same cruise as you are come and join our roll call here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=854861

 

 

Peut-être qu'on vous verra sur le bateau! We are also sailing on the Westerdam April 12 from Fort Lauderdale. Nous avons bien hâte.

 

We hope everything will be OK with the germs! I carry hand sanitizer, so I'll be using it and be very careful.

 

Sylvain

[YHZcruiser]

Last summer I watched similar thing happen while waiting to check in for the QV at the pier in Southampton... he would be put off in the next port.

 

 

Good for you. Thank you for being vigilent. Quite honestly, if passengers are sick and ignorant enough not to realise what they are doing, shame on them. They should make use of the insurance they bought, if they did. Otherwise, lock'em up in their cabin!

[SAN]

I am a retired Kindergarden teacher and when virus season came we would require the children to constantly wash their hands. We had many manipulativs in the classroom so we were washing those that could be washed. I constantly washed my hands and was careful not to touch my face and always used tissue. I never got the virus in the many years I taught school. Hopefully I won't catch this virus on my next cruise.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Along with the Code Red situation we are having, tonight just before the 5:45 dinner seating the Captain came on and called Bright Star 5081. :( No word on what came from it though.

[FNSIII]

Heck is a "Bright Star"? You guys know more codes than I can imagine. I see DW, DH....have know idea what that means. I guess I am a DA. ;)

[BruceMuzz]

So you fear that your hands may be contaminated with NLV spores????

 

Then you take out your trusty bottle of hand sanitizer.

I won't get into the debates on how effective the hand sanitizer might or might not be.

 

You have now contaminated (if it wasn't already) the outside of the sanitizer bottle with your contaminated hands.

 

So you sanitize your hands. In theory they are now germ and virus free.

 

Next you pick up the contaminated sanitizer bottle, and re-contaminate the hands you have just cleaned.

Then you place the contaminated sanitizer botttle into a purse or bag, contaminating the contents there as well...................................

[Copper10-8]

Heck is a "Bright Star"? You guys know more codes than I can imagine. I see DW, DH....have know idea what that means. I guess I am a DA. ;)

 

"Bright Star" is the HAL code for a medical, life threatening emergency onboard. It is usually broadcast via the ship's P/A system announcing the code plus the location of the emergency. It will result in an immediate response by the ship's medical team and others (doctor and/or nurses, stretcher team, elevator team, etc.)

[jrzebird]

Heck is a "Bright Star"? You guys know more codes than I can imagine. I see DW, DH....have know idea what that means. I guess I am a DA. ;)

 

 

DW = Dear Wife; DH = Dear Husband, etc. And you are NOT a DA! We were all new at one time. It took me forever to figure out what some things mean, and I'm still not sure I have them correct. But, close enough for government work, as they say.

[DutchByAssociation]

Cruise lines are indeed refunding passengers who arrive at port and volunteer sick information.

 

I can confirm this as well.

[jetwet1]

And we know it is the recycled air in the airplane carrying all these germs but airlines won't being in more fresh air because it has something to do with added cost. Who doesn't feel lousey, on a long flight in particular?:(

 

I don't want to sound rude, but please do a little research about things before posting. there is no cost to the airlines to bring in air from the outside of a plane, it goes from the bleed of the engine, to the AC packs and into the interior, a certain amount of the air is recycled yes, but it is a small percentage. The main reason you feel lousy after a long flight is you have been stuck in a confined space breath air that's pressurized to 8000 feet.

 

Anyways, back on topic, please people, clean your hands, HAL wasn't to bad, but the number of people I saw on Princess walking right past the hand sanitizer was scary. Nobody wants this, not you, not the other pax and not the cruise line, but as others have pointed out, a few basic steps can cut down on the number of outbreaks.

[LMB01]

We are currently on the Westerdam 3/15 sailing and are doing a back to back. It won't be much of a back to back as we have been notified we are required to leave the ship between 10am and 2pm while they do a "deep cleaning". Therefore, those of you boarding the March 22 sailing, no need to arrive early at the pier. They are not anticipating letting folks on until 2pm at the earliest.

[Mer turquoise]

Peut-être qu'on vous verra sur le bateau! We are also sailing on the Westerdam April 12 from Fort Lauderdale. Nous avons bien hâte.

Sylvain

 

Ça nous fera plaisir de rencontrer des amis des maritimes ! We can not wait either. Hopefully all those bad germs will be gone by then !

[Al Dente]

I don't want to sound rude, but please do a little research about things before posting. there is no cost to the airlines to bring in air from the outside of a plane, it goes from the bleed of the engine, to the AC packs and into the interior, a certain amount of the air is recycled yes, but it is a small percentage. The main reason you feel lousy after a long flight is you have been stuck in a confined space breath air that's pressurized to 8000 feet.

I'm afraid you're wrong. I'd tell you to do some research but that would be rude, so I've done a little for you. http://www.scientificjournals.com/sj/espr/Pdf/aId/2518

 

And considering that airlines pipe in more fresh air to the cockpit to keep the flight crew alert pretty much refutes your last sentence.

[lettienets]

I don't want to sound rude, but please do a little research about things before posting. there is no cost to the airlines to bring in air from the outside of a plane, it goes from the bleed of the engine, to the AC packs and into the interior, a certain amount of the air is recycled yes, but it is a small percentage. The main reason you feel lousy after a long flight is you have been stuck in a confined space breath air that's pressurized to 8000 feet.

........

I was watching a news program about bad air on airplanes and it is not just people in confined space. It has something to do with the airplane not bringing in enough fresh air and circulating it. I don't know the technical description for it or the cost but this program says airlines have some cost element in here I can't explain. They can do it but won't. The same as they won't turn on the A/C when they can so they can save fuel. If I had a more clear desc I would give it.

[Robin7]

So you fear that your hands may be contaminated with NLV spores????

 

Then you take out your trusty bottle of hand sanitizer.

I won't get into the debates on how effective the hand sanitizer might or might not be.

 

You have now contaminated (if it wasn't already) the outside of the sanitizer bottle with your contaminated hands.

 

So you sanitize your hands. In theory they are now germ and virus free.

 

Next you pick up the contaminated sanitizer bottle, and re-contaminate the hands you have just cleaned.

Then you place the contaminated sanitizer botttle into a purse or bag, contaminating the contents there as well...................................

 

So funny! And sooooooooo true! You can make yourself positively OCD over Noro.

 

We were in Code Red for 12 out of 14 days on our last cruise. So I'm very careful between my stateroom and the dining room, not touching anything on the way, then using the Purell on the way in. Then I go to sit down:

 

a) The steward never pushes my chair in far enough. So I reach down, hang onto the sides, and scooch forward. Bet they never wiped under the chair sides!

 

b) The steward hands me a menu they have not replaced since the last diners touched it. (Really. I asked.)

 

So I Purell (repeating your above scenario) all over again! Then I pray, hope for the best, and try not to think about it. :D

 

Robin (None of the six of us got it, thank goodness!)

[mrsltg]

So funny! And sooooooooo true! You can make yourself positively OCD over Noro.

 

We were in Code Red for 12 out of 14 days on our last cruise. So I'm very careful between my stateroom and the dining room, not touching anything on the way, then using the Purell on the way in. Then I go to sit down:

 

a) The steward never pushes my chair in far enough. So I reach down, hang onto the sides, and scooch forward. Bet they never wiped under the chair sides!

 

b) The steward hands me a menu they have not replaced since the last diners touched it. (Really. I asked.)

 

So I Purell (repeating your above scenario) all over again! Then I pray, hope for the best, and try not to think about it. :D

 

Robin (None of the six of us got it, thank goodness!)

 

Absolutely! The last time I was in Walt Disney World I got MRSA. It was a beast to get rid of (definitely not gone in 48-72 hours, more like 6-7 weeks!) Instead of being uncomfortable I was teetering on hospitalization and finally made it there when I had a reaction to the IV antibiotics I was on. Anyway, YUCK! I wash my hands, always have, always will. I take precautions not to grab onto things everyone else does. I try not to touch my face. Regardless of all of this I picked up something really awful. There is really not much you can do other than try to avoid certain things and try to keep your hands clean. Don't make yourself crazy and just go on with your life.

 

BTW - I say this as someone who is boarding the Westerdam in 8 days... oh well!

[Tamaracboy]

I was watching a news program about bad air on airplanes and it is not just people in confined space. It has something to do with the airplane not bringing in enough fresh air and circulating it. I don't know the technical description for it or the cost but this program says airlines have some cost element in here I can't explain. They can do it but won't. The same as they won't turn on the A/C when they can so they can save fuel. If I had a more clear desc I would give it.

 

The planes do not have air conditioning, they have heating only, as the air aloft is VERY cold outside (think Mt. Everest and add 20,000 feet).

Thus on the ground they have to pay for an air conditioning truck connected to the plane and charging by the minute.

In flight they keep recirculating the old (unhealthy) air inside because they COULD bring in 100% fresh air, but they would have to heat it costing $$$ and add Oxygen costing more $$$.

The improvement could be accomplished with one regulation from the FAA.

However, that will not happen because of Airline Industry influence with the Commission and Airline Industry $$$ in political contributions and Lobbying.

So it all has to do with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The airlines have enough to make sure that we the passengers just have to bend over and take it.

[marle7]

Any further news on the Westerdam being in code red?

[usha]

The planes do not have air conditioning, they have heating only, as the air aloft is VERY cold outside (think Mt. Everest and add 20,000 feet).

WOAH! if you add 20,000 feet to Mt. Everest, that means you're talking about over 49,000 feet, dude!:eek:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never heard of commercial airlines flying THAT high!