Veendam Passengers cruising this week

[Peggy Tuten]

Could you keep us update on whether there are any outbreaks of the virus? I'm sailing on Saturday with passengers with health problems who can't risk getting the virus. I know you received shipboard credits and were allowed to cancel the cruise. Did Holland America offer any discounts for rebooking?

thanks in advance

[KAJOKG]

I live in Florida, and the local news ran the story on the health problems the ship had two weeks ago. They returned the ship a day early, discharged passengers and then took the next day to sanitize the ship, including all bedding. She sailed on time that night. I did hear on another local report that it was, in fact, food poisoning not the noro virus but I did not hear a confirmation on that report. In any case, she is out to sea and will probably be fine when you book. If I hear anything further, I will post on this board. Good luck, and have a great cruise.

[PCruzer]

I am interested in how the Veendam is doing, too. We are sailing on 2/19 and hope the problem is all cleared up by then. As for now, I guess no news is good news!

[Cruising Illini]

We were on the last sailing and listened to the CDC report. This outbreak does NOT involve ship's food or water and that rumor should be put to rest. The CDC checked all aspects of the ship's functions. The official results from samples of ill crew and passengers sent to the CDC in Atlanta showed it was the norovirus.

[sail7seas]

Sorry....double post by accident.

[sail7seas]

It is NLV. Not ships food or water.

[KAJOKG]

We were on the last sailing and listened to the CDC report. This outbreak does NOT involve ship's food or water and that rumor should be put to rest. The CDC checked all aspects of the ship's functions. The official results from samples of ill crew and passengers sent to the CDC in Atlanta showed it was the norovirus.

Happy you are able to confirm that it was, indeed, norovirus and not food poisoning. The news report was wrong. Thanks for the clarification.

[spongerob]

Peggy, I understand your concerns about the potential for illness with regards to people who might be at higher risk. I suspect that many who fall ill do so while traveling to the ship, if traveling by air. If that is your case also, please make sure you take the same precautions to and from the ship as you would while on board. I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[Peggy Tuten]

Three of us are flying on Friday and one lives near Tampa. Hoping to hear from someone on the Veendam with a live report, but I suppose it may be too early yet to know if people are going to get sick on this week's cruise. I'm not paranoid myself, but just concerned for my mother and her friend (both in their mid-70s and not in the best of health to start).

[duchessdtr]

10 of us are sailing on Veendam this Sat., Feb. 5 (anyone staying at Radisson Riverwalk on Friday night before? We'll be there!) and my TA called HAL to get some information for our group so she asked about the health situation of the ship on the current cruise right now. She was told that (a) there hasn't been any illnesses recorded as of Tuesday and that it wasn't the Norovirus but rather a land virus and was being brought on from the islands. Now, I don't know how valid this is and whether HAL was just giving lip service or not, but that's what I was told this week. I'm having my TA call HAL tomorrow (Thursday) and do another update on this situation.

[sail7seas]

We heard from a friend who is on Veendam and THE BUG IS DEAD. No virus!!! They've "slaughtered" it!!!


Good News....

[shipcafe]

Definitely great news .. thank you for sharing, S7 !

[ualtim]

Just got off the Veendam today. There was only one reported case of the "Noro Virus" and that was reported on Sunday (brought aboard). That was the only case that was reported the entire week. On board procedures returned to normal on Thursday. I posted more details in another post if you would like more info.