People posting on this subject I ask have you ever had the Norovirus? My husband and I did on the Pride this past February after 6 cruises with no problems. We can report first hand on the subject. Let me tell you it is not fun. It last for 24 hours and you can go to the infirmary and they will give you meds and contact the cook to send you up special food. regular cold meds do not work. They do ask for you to quarantine yourself to your cabin which we did. For one you don't want to be that far away from the bathroom anyway. There is no muscle aches just the symptoms like the Montezuma revenge on both ends but went as fast as it came. Most important is to keep yourself, as best you can, hydrated so you don't have other problems associated with being dehydrated. I think if you have that many people sharing the same space for a length of time is why it is so noticeable on the ships. You probably get it on air planes too, but each person gets off the plane and goes their separate way and no way to report it.
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1998 Holiday CATALINA-MEXICO
2000 Viking Serenade CATALINA- MEXICO
2002 Fantasy BAHAMAS
2004 Esctasy CATALINA-MEXIC0
2005 NCL SAN FRANCISCO
2006 Paradise CATALINA-MEXICO
2007 Pride MEXICAN RIVIERA
2008 Paradise CATALINA-MEXICO
2008 Destiny SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN
2009 Liberty EASTERN CARIBBEAN
2010 Paradise CATALINA-MEXICO
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2012 Crown Princess EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Originally posted by baby doll:
People posting on this subject I ask have you ever had the Norovirus? My husband and I did on the Pride this past February after 6 cruises with no problems. We can report first hand on the subject. Let me tell you it is not fun. It last for 24 hours and you can go to the infirmary and they will give you meds and contact the cook to send you up special food. regular cold meds do not work. They do ask for you to quarantine yourself to your cabin which we did. For one you don't want to be that far away from the bathroom. There is no muscle aches just the symptoms like the Montezuma revenge and went as fast as it came. Most important is to keep yourself, as best you can, hydrated so you don't have other problems associated with being dehydrated. I think if you have that many people sharing the same space for a length of time is why it is so noticeable on the ships. You probably get it on air planes too, but each person goes their separate way and no way to report it.
I think it is safe to say that everyone has had norovirus at least once in their lives. In the south they call it a "stomach flu" or "stomach virus". The "24 hour bug" is another name.
As you said....lots of people in a confined space is how it spreads so easily.
Oddly, I do not recall any large outbreaks of this type thing during my Navy years - yet it was the same environment...lots of people, small ship, etc. But we were always cleaning the ship.
babydoll
Pride departure port is florida???
Just to let you know tropical islands can have worst sicknees than the norovirus ask about "Degue Hemorrajico" in PR or any other caribbean islands and we survive that anyway... I mean this is just a Panic issue, sorry about your case, but that can happen to anyone or can be out of proportion as economic strategy...
I mean this is just a Panic issue, sorry about your case, but that can happen to anyone
Anyone can get run over by a bus too but do you want to? How about a little sympathy? Bedbugs are on the rebound in hotels across the country and there have been a few cases on ships. It's not life threatening so... Big deal?
When things happen to ruin someone elses vacation, doesn't seem like such a biggie. Wait 'til you drop a few thousand on a vacation you've been looking forward to and end up quaranteened and miserable. Ebola, no but still not something easily dismissed as no big deal when it's your vacation.
Speaking of buses...Ross Klein, friend to the cruise industry, is reporting as a cruise incident that a bus lurched forward at Port Canaveral today and caused some minor injuries to some guests who had already left the Carnival Liberty.
Sorry, Dave, I took it down to change it a bit, but haven't gotten around to it yet!
Following is one of several "extras" I include with my clients' documents, plus a small Purell hand sanitizer for each person:
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Viruses board with passengers
Outbreaks can be blamed on sick vacationers who don't cancel trips.
Cruise ships don't cause norovirus outbreaks.
Cruise passengers do, says the man who oversees the Vessel Sanitation Program for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We have told cruise lines that every time they bring on a new group of passengers, they have to suspect some of those people will be ill," said Dave Forney, chief of the Vessel Sanitation Program. "The primary transmission is people who are ill."
Forney said it's virtually impossible to prevent norovirus from getting on a ship. He said that because most people book cruises months in advance, they aren't likely to postpone voyages if they are ill on the day the ship departs.
"If I wake up vomiting and have diarrhea, what do you think I'm going to do?" Forney asked. "I'm going on my vacation because I've planned it for weeks. And you can't tell if someone has diarrhea when they walk on a ship."
As common as the common cold, norovirus affects 23-million Americans annually. The virus usually lasts 24 to 48 hours, and symptoms often include stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting.
Royal Caribbean International's Freedom of the Seas returned to the Port of Miami after seven days at sea in which 338 passengers and 43 crew members experienced norovirus symptoms. Cruise line officials think the virus was brought on board by a passenger. There were 3,823 passengers and 1,402 crew on board.
The number of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships has increased dramatically over the last several years. In 2006, according to the CDC, there have been 22 norovirus outbreaks reported on ships with international itineraries. There are six other cases, including the most recent two, where virus symptoms were prevalent, but no official cause has yet been identified.
From 1994 to 2001, there were 24 reported norovirus outbreaks on ships, according to the CDC.
Cruise line officials said their industry is the only one that has to report every case to the CDC. They say the virus is common in many other places where large groups reside, including college dormitories and nursing homes.
Cruise officials say companies have taken steps to combat the spread of the virus. Stricken passengers, for example, are encouraged to stay in their cabins while the virus runs its course.
"It's important to improve incentives for people to be willing to be isolated," said Michael Crye, executive vice president for Cruise Line International Association in Arlington, Va., which works with the travel distribution systems, regulators and legislators in representing the cruise line industry. Incentives could include room service and free movies in the stricken passengers' rooms, Crye said. Or if a lot of people are affected, he said, cruise credits could be offered.
The most effective way to prevent or curb the spread of the virus is thorough hand washing. Forney said using hand sanitizer is not an effective substitute for a good hand washing. He said people should wash their hands, then use sanitizer.
It's also suggested that if you're sick before a cruise, you should try to reschedule.
Cruise lines are inspected for cleanliness twice a year. To control the virus, crews clean "high-touch" areas. With Royal Caribbean International, those areas include countertops, restroom and vanity surfaces, door handles, railings, grab bars, exercise equipment, remote controls, light switches, elevator buttons and keyboards, said Michael Sheehan of Royal Caribbean.
I've had noro, which put a crimp in an already brief 3-night cruise. It sure teaches one to be more conscientious about not touching handrails (if possible), not touching one's mouth or eyes before hand washing, etc.
Noro outbreaks are common in any shared space: dormitories, prisons, nursing homes, hotels....and cruise ships. Cruise ships are the only venue obligated to report it. Otherwise, we'd be hearing about norovirus outbreaks every day. Can you imagine if reports had to be made if more than a certain percentage of people on a cruise ship had a cold?
Great post Sandy. People board ships ill for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is they are at the time of boarding in full penalty. They will loose the entire cost of the cruise if they try to re-schedule as recommended. Faced with the loss of their vacation and money, many selfishly board the ship. Another sign of the "Me" society we live in today.
Best way to not be faced with such an uncomfortable decision... Buy travel insurance. That way you can re-schedule without losing your $$$.
And to be fair...I am sure many board a cruise ship feeling fine, but they caught the "bug" on the flight down or at the hotel, and it rears it's ugly head a day or two into the cruise.
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