I Know People that have Contracted Norovirus and Still Boarded the Ship

And basically because they "knew" they would lose their money if they did not.

Personally, I don't know if this is true or not.

I contracted it last year after cruising on the Disney Wonder. Whether I got it on board or on my way home, I just don't know. Luckily, it hit me the day after I got off the ship.

I see a reference that "some/at least one" line is waiving their cancellation policy just to keep these people off their ships.

Will all be following suit?

Would YOU board a ship if someone in your party had contracted the norovirus and you could not get your money back?

This is a tough one, but NO...I would not cruise if I KNEW I had the norovirus. I think the guilt of possibly infecting thousands of other innocent vacationers would be enough to stop anyone? :rolleyes:

I would not risk the chance of ruining so many other people's vacations.

That's why I always purchase trip cancellation insurance.

You just never know when something may happen.

mcboo

I would take the cruise without hesitation. Are you guys serious? Why would i want to lose all my money. However if RCI would offer me another cruise at a later date i would take it.

Go ahead and flame on but keep in mind i was honest about my reply.

To be brutally honest?..... I don't know if I would be that self sacrificing....

If I was hurling etc, there's no way I could physically make it to the ship, but if I was post vomiting, yep, I'd be there.

I have had times on a cruise, where I was so sick, I didn't know what it was.

It could've been Norwalk, but I've learned it is seasickness.

My theory..... those who cruise in hurricane season, can expect cancellations, or rough seas..those who cruise during flu season, can expect the flu....

People need good common sense. These bugs are everywhere. They should've tried living with the SARS scare in the health care field!

If I absolutely knew that I had Noro Virus, I would probably stay home. Many times, people can actually have a virus, but not the symptoms until they are already onboard. Since the illness can last only a day or two, I don't think it would be a call to air lift you back to port. If you know you are getting sick with it onboard, be responsible an quarantine yourself.

I don't know what the time for onset is with this type of virus. I know with some stomach parasites, it can take from 3 to 48 hours to show symptoms. The common cold virus takes anywhere from 3 to 7 days to show up. So, knowing these things, it is imperative to take precautions at all times, not just during a flare up or during a certain time of year. Wash your hands often, keep your hands out of your nose, nouth and eyes and be careful of what you touch. Remember, those doorknobs, serving utencils, elevator buttons, hand rails, counter tops etc...have all been touched by others.

Probably not. If I were already sick, there is no way! I also buy the insurance and this is just one of many reasons.

This is what the CDC says about Noroviruses, how you catch them etc...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=128231

If we could get everyone to practice good hygiene then we would be safer

If you had Norovirus do you think the airline would let you on the plane, could you stay in your seat for the 2 to 3 hour flight. I think the answers to the above is no, and no so you don't have to worry about the other question, do you think they would board you at the dock if you were sick?

If you were sick would you like to get on a small ship in a small cabin and be sick for 1 to 2 days and ruin the vacation for so many other people, then you are really sick if the answer is yes, think about it for a minute. :mad:

There is information on this website about ways to prevent transmission of the Norovirus- don't eat at buffets, don't drink ice in your beverages, wash your hands, etc. These are all suggestions that apply to anywhere in the world one travels regardless of the mode (land, ship, etc.) Also another reason for buying the TRIP INSURANCE. I am amazed at how many people spend $$$ on a trip and don't even think about the insurance.

You are right Mary Ellen, but it is also amazing to me to see how many people walk right past the sanitizer and go straight to the buffet. It is those people we need to make understand.

Tugboat, you can have other symptoms prior to the actual vomiting and are still contaigous for up to 48 hours after you stop vomiting.

Viruses don't scare me. It's amazing how many people will be deathly ill with strep throat or the flu and come in to get their hair cut!!!:mad: "Well, I already missed a day of work, so I thought I should just get my hair done." - THANKS!!:rolleyes:

My point is, I'm getting over the flu, and it's the first time I've been sick in over 10 years. Just because someone is sick doesn't mean that you are going to catch it. If that were true I'd be sick all the time.

If I was sick, I probably wouldn't go. Not because of other passengers, but because it wouldn't be any fun.

Wash your hands, really.

I absolutely would not go!!!I didn't send my daughter to school sick and when I was I stayed home.I would not take the chance of getting others that sick.If you are that worried about the money then buy the insurance.It's a good idea anyway.If you board a ship with this disease it isn't a question of will you get others sick it is how many will you get sick.Maybe some of them will be people with predisposed conditions,elderly or children that will be affected more seriously.Of course we should all use common sense such as hand washing and we can get germs anywhere but we shouldn't have to deal with people who would purposely get others sick so they won't lose money.Maybe the cruise lines will have to eventually raise our cruise prices and include insurance to stop people from boarding that are sick.This obviously cost RCI a lot of money for something that they had no control over.

Since serious Norovirus outbreaks cause very bad publicity for cruise ships, it would seem cost effective to me in the long run if the cruise ship companies would make it as easy as possible for passengers to cancel with no financial penalty with or without insurance rather than run the very likely risk that they will come on board rather than lose their entire vacation and the funds that they would have used if they had an opportunity to schedule another one. Obviously, this would require some kind of medical certification so that the lines don't lose money on people who just want to cancel at the last minute with no penalty and would claim the virus for financial reasons. However, since this poll confirms what I suspected, which is that a clear majority of people will go on the cruise sick rather than lose money, it would be in their best interests to work out a more passenger - friendly policy on this. That having been said, I don't know how effective it would actually be. Most illnesses have incubation periods so you are bound to have a certain number of people boarding the ship unaware that they are harboring a virus that simply has not revealed itself yet.

I'll add my experience...

on Brilliance over Xmas/New Years this season...

my son was ill (kept him in cabin for 2 full days)

while this happened my daughter got ill, called down to guest relations since I wanted her to be seen by the MD ASAP since she was being treated (for about 10 days prior) for pneumonia and with the MDs permission from home (I was more than willing to cancel since we DID have the insurance) to go and I was concerned about her getting additional problems with dehydration and alike. Well, I finally DID reach the nurse who REFUSED to call the doctor (is was after the 6pm hour) and told me to have her take the seasick pills. Unf. we were at sea and was day before New Years. Well I didn't give her the pills and we stayed in the cabin and "rode it out" ... she slept it off (aside from vomitting) and the following day I wanted her to get to MD AGAIN (evening and New Years eve)... again the nurse REFUSED to summon MD AND I went down to front desk after that to complain and all they did was offer me the seasickness pills that I reluctantly gave to daughter. It was HORRIBLE. Luckily we had a full fridge full of sports drinks that I tried for her to drink but we DID lose 3 days on board. Not fun and not something that cancellation insurance would cover. I wasn't sure if it was Norwalk or reaction to the new/stronger antibiotic she was taking but I was "royally POd" at the nurse for REFUSING to summon MD (I would have gladly paid even though I'm sure he/she wasn't trained pediatrician). After initial phone contact we DIDN"T rush down to the MD since I didn't want to have EVERYONE in our cabin quarantined and not be compensated for being "good samaritans" since it might have been one problem or another. On board they can't "definitely" diagnose Norwalk... and I've experienced (personally afflicted on Summit's Celebrity 2 years prior) the symptoms and ended up w/IV and shots and additional meds and had it "swept under rug" (records were tampered with when I wanted copies to bring back to my MD) by shipboard MD and afterwards speaking directly w/Dave Fornier at CDC in Atlanta after I arrived home (Summit didn't report ANY problems on our sailings even though there were at least 10 full families afflicted at different times when I was in infirmary w/barf bags and told it was "tummy upset") that I had either Norwalk or food poisoning. Celebrity didn't request that I quaranteen myself though I did since I was too ill to do anything else. 3 days of hell and the MD/office never called down to check on me.

That said years prior my daughter DID get e-coli from a Disney resort pool at WDW when she was 2 1/2.. not a fun Xmas trip either...

guess we really should travel during the holidays.

We're hopefully going on Visions next month. I wonder what the "climate" will be for germs. We've got a long flight on Saturday and I truly hope that if we get ill before stepping aboard that we will be able to use our insurance... we DO buy it, but I thought I saw somewhere on the posts here that you couldn't claim this on it prior to boarding. Just curious.

There are SEVERAL illnesses that present with the same symptoms as the norovirus, and it may not be. I have had norovirus symptoms on 2 prior cruises, but I doubt it was noro. I'm not a doctor, so i will not self diagnose, but a lot of it has to do with different food, different lifestyle changes, and or just the movement of the ship can give stomach symptoms like that of the norovirus, and I think that some of that is being mistaken as the norovirus from overly worried people.

Just my thought. Scott

cmjaffe,

I am so sorry you and your family had to go through that.The way you were treated was so wrong.They should have been taking care of your daughter and trying to find out what was wrong with her.Did you contact the people at Corporate after the cruise?I hope they at the very least apologized.

Funny thing..

I told the folks at Guest Relations what the nurse had said...

and WE'RE DIAMOND level w/C&A

I had to call up corp. headquarters after a problem w/the explorations personnel and I was given a bit of $atisfaction for the (though it did take several calls and stressing that we were Diamond and were never treated the way we were on board), but I wasn't looking for anything other than medical treatment when onboard since we concerned about Libby's health when we boarded, knowing that her immunity was going to be somewhat compromised (pneumonia and on very strong antibiotics).. we came on board w/large bottle of antibac soap, lysol AND two bottles of purel for the diningroom AND in cabin which we kept on us at ALL times. Made use we used only paper towels and used them while in restrooms and not disposing them (covering handles to leave rooms etc). after we exited. Libby was very careful, but it didn't help. Luckily we had a followup appointment w/her pediatrician the day after we arrived home and had her checked out.

Stay healthy everyone.

Since serious Norovirus outbreaks cause very bad publicity for cruise ships, it would seem cost effective to me in the long run if the cruise ship companies would make it as easy as possible for passengers to cancel with no financial penalty with or without insurance rather than run the very likely risk that they will come on board rather than lose their entire vacation and the funds that they would have used if they had an opportunity to schedule another one. Obviously, this would require some kind of medical certification so that the lines don't lose money on people who just want to cancel at the last minute with no penalty and would claim the virus for financial reasons. However, since this poll confirms what I suspected, which is that a clear majority of people will go on the cruise sick rather than lose money, it would be in their best interests to work out a more passenger - friendly policy on this. That having been said, I don't know how effective it would actually be. Most illnesses have incubation periods so you are bound to have a certain number of people boarding the ship unaware that they are harboring a virus that simply has not revealed itself yet.

This is all I have been trying to say. I agree with you 100%. If RCI would step up to the plate and make this offer I think 90% of their Noro problems would be gone.

If you didn't realize it, having this virus is NOT fun. I've seen this outbreak twice in the past 2 years. It is very contageous and it is a very violent illness (you definitely know you have it once the symptoms appear). Unfortunately, there are times when you no longer have the symptoms and yet are still contageous. That's why isolation (even after the symptoms are gone) is very important.

If you happen to get this dreaded virus, definitely isolate yourself. It spreads SO easily and quickly. Once it begins to spread to more and more people it becomes very difficult to stop.

Buy cruise insurance and stay home! To get 500 other passengers terribly sick because of your own greed is wrong.

mrtravel123, we agree that people should buy insurance and stay home if they have obvious symtoms. But it is so easy to decide you don't have the specific norovirus symtoms and still cruise. After all it is always the cruiseline's responsibiblity to stop it!

I just don't get it. If you're barfing, and have all the symptoms of pooping your brains out, why in the world would you want to get on a cruise ship? Dah, you're sick!!

People on this website preach and preach about cruise insurance, and for good reason. I really feel that the cruiseline shouldn't offer special opt-out insurance for this problem. We're supposed to all be adults here. If you're sick, you stay home. Period. You've bought the insurance, so the worst that happens is you don't get to go on your vacation, and you have to plan another one.

Allowing yourselves to think that you'll get better; thinking that it won't affect anyone else is just plain selfish. Be good to your fellow passengers and do the "right thing", not the "wrong thing".

Look at the response from everyone and the vote on the poll, where are the people that are going sick. High percent say they will go sick but everyone posting would not go.:confused:

People have to learn to take responsibility for themselves.It's easy to blame RCL but it isn't their fault if someone boards the ship sick.We are talking on this thread about people DELIBERATELY boarding the ship with this disease!!!It is wrong and using the excuse you might lose money is wrong also.Buy the insurance or take the chance of losing your money.I would hope RCI would have the right tpo deny boarding to someone obviously this sick.I disagree about it being financially better for them to allow sick people to rebook.If you allowed it for one illness then how could you not for the flu,colds and any other infectious condition?Also people would stop purchasing insurance.Financially and legally it would really open some flood gates.In the end it would cost us all more money for a cruise.These are also last minute cancellations so how many cabins would be left empty?This is what insurance is for!!!I am not trying to be insensitive,I really do feel terrible for people put in this situation but it does not give you a right to infect everyone else.As for RCI stepping up to the plate and it would avoid 90% of the problem how about people taking responsibility and stepping up to the plate themselves?Maybe some of you would change your mind about deliberately boarding with this virus if you and your family caught this onboard and you had to watch your children suffer and had their cruise ruined by someone else who DELIBERATELY boarded the ship with it.

Look at the response from everyone and the vote on the poll, where are the people that are going sick. High percent say they will go sick but everyone posting would not go

I think that is probably because the majority of the people who would go know it's wrong and can't justify their answer.