Saw this in my newsfeed earlier today. Looks like that ship has had issues with norovirus for most of December.
The following is a copy of the original post to record the post as it was originally written.
u/zinky30
Saw this in my newsfeed earlier today. Looks like that ship has had issues with norovirus for most of December.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this forum if you have any questions or concerns.
My first cruise had a norovirus outbreak. It was announced, and there were staff encouraging handwashing/hand sanitizing. Staff served food and drinks at the buffet, and they started sanitizing the tables and chairs with hospital-grade sanitizer, which needed drying time – little signs were placed to allow it to dry. They propped open bathroom doors or placed extra receptacles and paper towels. Several hundred people got sick and had to stay in their rooms. When staff cleaned those rooms, they wore gloves and masks and used biohazard bags for the linens (there was a room down the hall from us).
We were fine – we stopped using public restrooms, washed our hands properly while singing happy birthday three times with soap and water, didn’t touch doors or railings – and if we did, we were careful not to touch our face or food and drink before washing our hands. But norovirus has been really common this year. We tend to notice it more on cruises because of the large groups of people in one place, which makes it easier for the virus to spread.
More people are cruising right now than ever before. More people = more risk, but I wouldn’t let it change your plans. Even with the worst reported whole-ship case on the Queen Mary 2, it’s still just a 10% chance of catching it.
@Valen
Take my upvote for not letting it change your plans. However, small adjustments could help, like using bleach-based disinfectant wipes to sanitize the cabin when you board. There’s no way to know the health of the passengers who were in the cabin just before we arrived, so we always do this. It’s a small thing, but we think it helps.
I was on it from Dec 14-21, and the outbreak was announced halfway through.
Dev said:
I was on it from Dec 14-21, and the outbreak was announced halfway through.
Can you tell me more? How bad was it? Did they ever figure out the source? Were people confined?
@Oak
The captain made a special announcement one morning saying that a number of people were suffering from ‘acute gastrointestinal illness’ and that extra hygiene measures would be put in place. He didn’t mention how many people, but I later found out it was over 100. He also said that if we got sick, we should stay in our rooms and call the medical team. His announcement was followed by a letter from the ship’s doctor saying much the same thing. After that, more staff were around, handing out hand sanitizer, and staff served food at the buffet.
@Oak
The source of norovirus is usually people not washing their hands after using the bathroom. For others, it’s touching surfaces that have been touched by people who don’t wash their hands after visiting the bathroom. Alcohol-based sanitizers don’t kill norovirus, so it has to be good old soap and water. Avoid touching surfaces or utensils others have touched, and don’t touch your face to prevent getting it. Also, if you’re going on a cruise (as someone else mentioned), bring a cleaner that contains bleach. Bleach kills norovirus.
@Oak
Yeah, I was curious about the hand sanitizer policy, though to be fair, they might not have known it was norovirus at that early stage.
We’re currently on a Celebrity cruise in the Caribbean. Our kids at home all have norovirus. My daughter and son-in-law, my teenage son, and my oldest son had to go to urgent care today because of it, and my six-month-old granddaughter has chickenpox. I actually feel safer on this cruise than I do going home. I hope they disinfect everything before we get back, and I’m avoiding touching railings, handles, etc. Luckily, most things are touch-free on the ship.
@Logan
You just told a story about how all your kids are sick with norovirus, to the point that one of them ended up in urgent care, your six-month-old granddaughter has chickenpox, and your main concern is that they clean your house before you get back? Don’t you think your priorities might be a bit off?
@Aki
Urgent care is not the same as being in the hospital…