Ruby coming in to San Pedro for deep sanitizing

I just got off the Ruby Princess and I can tell you that despite being a "germaphobe" and taking every precaution I somehow contracted the dreaded norovirus and I don't remember ever being so sick. I wiped everything down including light switches and TV remote with Clorox wipes when entering my cabin for the 1st time. I always pay special attention to the bathroom and wipe down everything, especially the shelves, vanity and faucet. As always, I brought antibacterial pump hand soap for both of the bathrooms. I washed my hands thoroughly and often, especially right before eating. Used public restrooms sparingly. Avoided hands to mouth, eyes and nose. I am a frequent cruiser, have never been sick, but this time, I got my butt kicked. I was very sick and did not leave my cabin for 2 1/2 days of my 5 day cruise. Fortunately, I was the only 1 in our group of 4 that got sick. I experienced severe dehydration and weakness like I've never had before. It was helpful that I had pre-ordered 2 24 packs of water and needed that to help with dehydration. I wish I knew how/where I picked it up so I could warn you, but I have wracked my brain and don't have a clue. I have added a new item to my cruise packing list and that is powdered Gatorade, I sure wish I would have had some of that to replace lost electrolytes. Whatever number you may have heard regarding sick passengers, I bet it is double. Don't ever want to experience that again.....

Needless to say, probably my least favorite of all my cruises.

Sorry you got sick. That takes a big chunk out of your 5 day. :(

Sorry you got sick. That takes a big chunk out of your 5 day. :(

Thanks, It sure did....I thought I was doing everything right. And to think, I was just trying not to catch a cold or the flu. My husband is going through chemo and my mom's health is precarious at 86, I didn't want to share any nasty germs for the holidays. I finally feel human again and ate some real food tonight and I got sick on Monday. I hope they get a handle on this, I don't want anyone else's cruise effected.

I just got off the Ruby Princess and I can tell you that despite being a "germaphobe" and taking every precaution I somehow contracted the dreaded norovirus and I don't remember ever being so sick. I wiped everything down including light switches and TV remote with Clorox wipes when entering my cabin for the 1st time. I always pay special attention to the bathroom and wipe down everything, especially the shelves, vanity and faucet. As always, I brought antibacterial pump hand soap for both of the bathrooms. I washed my hands thoroughly and often, especially right before eating. Used public restrooms sparingly. Avoided hands to mouth, eyes and nose. I am a frequent cruiser, have never been sick, but this time, I got my butt kicked. I was very sick and did not leave my cabin for 2 1/2 days of my 5 day cruise. Fortunately, I was the only 1 in our group of 4 that got sick. I experienced severe dehydration and weakness like I've never had before. It was helpful that I had pre-ordered 2 24 packs of water and needed that to help with dehydration. I wish I knew how/where I picked it up so I could warn you, but I have wracked my brain and don't have a clue. I have added a new item to my cruise packing list and that is powdered Gatorade, I sure wish I would have had some of that to replace lost electrolytes. Whatever number you may have heard regarding sick passengers, I bet it is double. Don't ever want to experience that again.....

Needless to say, probably my least favorite of all my cruises.

Very sorry to hear how sick you were on your trip -- and after so many precautions. I don't usually do any of that -- nor do I use the gel hand sanitizer (which doesn't help with Norovirus, because it's a virus, not a bacteria) but I did order a pack of health industry grade wipes that are specifically made for Noro and a few other viruses. This time I will do a wipe down in the cabin.

I'm already in the habit of not touching elevator buttons with my fingers, never use the public restrooms, and mindful of regular hand washing -- but sounds like it's a bit of crapshoot. I'm planning on following some of the additional suggestions I've read in this thread, and keeping my fingers crossed on our upcoming Ruby cruise.

Best to everyone on upcoming cruises to skip the Noro nightmare :-P

We got off the Ruby on the 22nd. I had gotten Noro once several years ago (Christmas 2012) so I was extremely cautious not to repeat the experience. As others have discussed, there were lots of precautions evident including the fact that at the buffet they basically barricaded the beverage stations so that you couldn't get yourself a cup of coffee or tea without waiting to be served, and no fruit or olives in the cocktails, and no buffet of hors d'ouevres at the Platinum/Elite reception in Skywalkers. I was amazed that after so many warnings by the Captain, I still saw people routinely touching the elevator buttons. I had mastered the technique of hitting the buttons with my elbow. I also saw one young person helpfully pushing elevator buttons for others and rubbing her eyes in between.:eek:

We thought we had escaped but then on the last night of the cruise, my older daughter woke me up at 3 am to say that our younger DD (age 15) was vomiting in the bathroom. We had side by side balcony cabins so I crossed over to her room on the balcony and tried to help her, although there was little i could do for her. This daughter is a germaphobe and also a homebody who spent most of the cruise in her room, shunning the organized activities. We did get her to go to the Disney Family trivia and the show on the last night. And she did eat a ton of french fries with her fingers, although that was in the dining room. But the poor thing was still sick in the morning when we had to disembark and drive home to Phoenix for 6 hours. I told our room steward what was happening, and he said he'd have to have the room deep sanitized. I also gave him extra tip money. We stopped at a CVS in San Pedro to stock up on some supplies like Emetrol, bottled water and some plastic bags and drove home. She threw up several times in the car, although by then she was pretty dehydrated. She went right to bed when we got home yesterday and has been there ever since.

Tell your teen, when eating Fries with your fingers......throw away the part that you touch.

So you're basically eating 3/4 of a Fry instead of the whole piece.

I always do this now.

I know it sounds odd, but I think it helps!

I had a noro couple years ago, and it kicks your a$$, so do Whatever

you can to avoid it.

Many good suggestions above....... but when you posted about

French fries? I just HAD to tell you what I do.;)

This works for us. The virus doesn't enter your body through your skin. It will enter your body through your mouth. Assuming that adults don't put their hands (or fingers) in their mouth, the way it enters is on food you eat with your hands. Simply - don't eat food with your hands if there is a noro outbreak on the ship. Either don't eat breadrolls or handle them with a knife and fork (very awkward!) This is more important than extended hand washing unless the handwashing is immediately before you eat and you haven't touched anything in the meantime. No touching the chair you will sit on and no touching serving utensils.

Can the Noro virus be spread by airborne exposure? Let’s say someone was to vomit during the ships safety drill at the beginning of the cruise in the Princess theater. We’ve had Noro a few times, but never on a cruise ship. It’s always been from the kids now grandkids bring it home from school, it’s everywhere.

Can the Noro virus be spread by airborne exposure? Let’s say someone was to vomit during the ships safety drill at the beginning of the cruise in the Princess theater. We’ve had Noro a few times, but never on a cruise ship. It’s always been from the kids now grandkids bring it home from school, it’s everywhere.

It can be, but you actually have to be hit with the aerosolized vomitus, so the spread radius is small.

CalLuvsCrusingToo, thanks for the tip about the french fries. I'll pass that on.:) I worry about the stair railings. I'm always afraid of falling when going down so I hang onto them and then try to remember to wash right away and not touch my face. But I'm sure they're germ ridden.

I am also very careful about cleanliness as many of you have shared. I carry a small container of Purell. When I am at the MDR , I use it before and after I look at the menu. People forget how many people handle it and continue to add more germs to the menu.

Sali

Deep cleaning protocols are typically very good at eliminating the virus onboard (the agents used are very strong, commercial sanitizing agents). What typically happens is that right after the ship is cleaned, a new passenger who is contagious gets on the ship and re-infects surfaces.

 

Sanitizing your cabin is fine if it makes you feel good, the cabins will be treated with Virkon fogging during the deep clean, and this is far superior to Lysol. The more likely place to contract the virus is surfaces in public spaces that many people touch, not just your cabin where its only you.

 

One major way to keep from getting the virus is to not eat anything with your hands. Burgers, fries, pizza should all be eaten with utensils, as even with frequent hand washing, they can become infected in the buffet line from serving utensils, and then your hands touch the food, which you then ingest.

Thank you for the tips.

Usually we gain weight on a cruise. When this happens I suppose everyone infected loses weight. :p

I carry disposable medical type gloves (the cheap kind) when I cruise. I wear them when I use the stairs due to my inability to climb stairs without holding on ;). I generally also wear the gloves in the buffet serving line. It looks funny, but if there are germs on the utensils, they won't get on my hands.

Don't use your fingertip to push the elevator buttons, use your knuckle.

And I know it's controversial on here, but I wash a couple of times a day with Zylast XP. It's supposed to last up to 6 hours.

 

Something no one ever mentions...when are the menus in the MDRs cleaned? My assumption is not often or never. After holding any menu, I spray my hands with hand cleaner.

 

No noro in 22 cruises. Fingers crossed.

I never cruise without my Zylast XP. I also bring the Zylast XP lotion bottle.

Al from Minneapolis

The "deep cleaning" has nothing to do with any virus...

Princess just monitors when I am cruising...and then schedules these things in order to delay my cruise...

 

I'm boarding tomorrow, I hope...

 

Last January (2015), we were on the Crown Princess out of San Pedro and they did the same thing...except that cruise was delayed so that boarding didn't start until about 5:00-5:30...Most of the passengers didn't get dinner that first night as they closed off all of the food venues so they could have the muster drill at 7:45...All of the entertainment and activities were canceled that first night (unless you consider the muster drill entertaining!)...And THAT was only a 3-night cruise! (In my 40+ cruises, this has happened to me THREE times now--ALL on Princess).

 

We spoke with the ship's doctor during the cruise...and he told us that on the cruise preceding ours, there were only 12 reported cases of any gastrointestinal illness (actually quite low for what had been a 7 night Mexican cruise)...But, about 7 weeks earlier, they had a cruise with over 300 cases...It just took them almost two months to get around to the "deep cleaning"...They really don't know if it's "Norovirus"...they don't exactly give everyone a major examination...Many cases are just someone eating or drinking the wrong thing in Mexico...

 

Truth be told, virus outbreaks can happen any time, anywhere... the Reason you always hear about it on cruise ships is because everyone on board is there all week...If the same virus outbreak occurs in a big Las Vegas hotel or at Disneyland (which it does), you never hear about it...because in those venues, people continuously come and go...and don't realize they're ill until they are home.

 

The truth is that you should ALWAYS be wary of viruses, any time you are sharing facilities with any large number of people...Always wash your hands often and use that gel stuff whenever. It's not just your cabin...it's the doorknobs on board, the handrails on the staircases, the chairs in the lounges...there could be germs on everything you touch. OTOH, we often go about our lives not thinking about it...and we more often than not don't get sick--because our bodies build up certain immunities and resistance...

 

As for me, I'm just going to try to enjoy the cruise...Yes, I will wash my hands often, use those liquid disinfectant dispensers, try not to touch a lot of handrails and such...BUT, I do that EVERY cruise...it's just the smart thing to do, ALWAYS...

 

But, I refuse to get paranoid...except for the knowledge that Princess just schedules these things to mess with my personal enjoyment of the first day of the cruise... :)

New hashtag....#blamesteve ! I was on the Crown right after you in 2015. Thanks for the Noro scare. Now I'm set to sail on the Ruby 17 Jan.[emoji40] Please let me know your future trips so I can book before you go. Lol. #blamesteve

Al from Minneapolis

CalLuvsCrusingToo, thanks for the tip about the french fries. I'll pass that on.:) I worry about the stair railings. I'm always afraid of falling when going down so I hang onto them and then try to remember to wash right away and not touch my face. But I'm sure they're germ ridden.

That has also been my worry. You really just can't away with it. Will now be bringing disposable gloves.

Due to a noisey belly, I take probiotics and when I told doc about

trip she said " good as they help fight off stomach bugs" makes sense

if they are loaded with good bugs.

Have to take anyway so see what happens.

I wash my hands every time I have a beer. About every 20 minutes.

I wash my hands every time I have a beer. About every 20 minutes.

good idea, but if I had that many, I would not know the difference

between hang over or virus,lol

I was on the Crown last April and was one of 80 who got the virus, despite completely sanitizing the entire cabin as soon as we boarded.

We wipe the cabin down too and practice safe procedures, treating any area outside the cabin like a hot-zone. Never eat anything with your hands etc.

Your experience makes me wonder - do the Lysol wipes actually "kill" the Noro virus or just wipe them away, maybe it's a combination of both? Much like hand washing doesn't kill most of what's on your hands, it just sends them down the drain.

If it doesn't kill them I think I should be using lots more wipes to avoid spreading them about the cabin using the wipes.

Glad they are trying to keep the ship clean.

We wipe the cabin down too and practice safe procedures, treating any area outside the cabin like a hot-zone. Never eat anything with your hands etc.

 

Your experience makes me wonder - do the Lysol wipes actually "kill" the Noro virus or just wipe them away, maybe it's a combination of both? Much like hand washing doesn't kill most of what's on your hands, it just sends them down the drain.

 

If it doesn't kill them I think I should be using lots more wipes to avoid spreading them about the cabin using the wipes.

Check this link out for info on which wipes kill Noro. I also buy Zylast xp soap to use in the cabin.

http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/Home/which-cleaning-products-kill-stomach-flu-viruses

Al from Minneapolis

Usually we gain weight on a cruise. When this happens I suppose everyone infected loses weight. :p

You got that right......I lost 7 1/2 lbs this sailing. No fun.

I got the bug twice..Once on NCL s Star then on Holland s Zaandam..Whatever precautions you take..It s good for you and other passengers..However, not all passengers will be as conscientious as you..It s horrible and terrifying seeing how many passengers don t follow common sense hygiene on a cruise ship..Even knowing of the noro possibilities..

:mad: