Noro On Equinox

[dobes3kh]

Just don't forget to wipe down that tele remote control when you're wiping down a room! They have been found to be the most filthy item in hotel rooms, and probably the least cleaned?

I do the door knobs, light switches, remote, telephone, and all flat surfaces (desk tops, table tops, etc).

I also keep my toothbrush covered when in the small bathrooms onboard.

 

We also wipe down the insides and outsides of the drawers, the in-room safe dial, hair dryer, and EVERYTHING in the bathroom.

 

And someone wrote about planes.....we do the tray, arm rests etc. Anything we can 'wipe'! And the minute we're off the plane, head to the restroom to wash our hands.

 

Doesn't take a lot of time to do in the grand scheme of things and to me is well worth it.

 

We travelled on the Constellation in Nov 2012 and the previous 2 or 3 sailings had been dealing with Noro. We are leaving in a couple of days to sail the Constellation again and it appears there haven't been any reports recently so fingers-crossed.

 

So much of what has been posted regarding preventative recommendations is really commonsense.

[DebNJoe]

Looks like all I saw was the benz part. I will run out and pick up the other product before we leave next week. We have 3 flights just to get to the ship. that is a lot of wiping!!! One of the bad things about booking late.

I have always been very careful about touching 'things' on board ship

 

The wetones ingredient is fine. If you look it up on Wikipedia you'll see it specifies Noro

We'll be boarding today as well. Counting on a safe & healthy cruise.:)

[Whitechapel girl]

The wetones ingredient is fine. If you look it up on Wikipedia you'll see it specifies Noro

We'll be boarding today as well. Counting on a safe & healthy cruise.:)

 

 

I wish you a noro free cruise - we are sailing on 15th March, so have been keeping an eye on this board. Any chance you can update us whilst on your cruise, or anyone else who is onboard to keep us updated.

 

Have a wonderful holiday.

[twosit]

Its high time cruise ships stopped self sevice in food areas anyway.

Plus insisting on hand gel when entering any food area - no hand gel no enter..

 

Plus do all the toilet/lavatory/rest room (depending on where your from) door open outwards? So you do not have to pull - thus touch the door when you leave and maybe touch the door after some has not washed their hands??

 

Or place bins OUTSIDE every toilet/lavatory/rest room so you can open the door with a paper towel in your hand and put this in the bin when your outside the door?

 

Plus I have been in hotels in sunny places where at the end of the day, staff clean all of the sunbeds.. I have watched them do this with 2 people, a bucket of disinfectant and a hose pipe. Cleaning a hundred or so beds in an hour.

 

People lie on the beds all day in the sun, sweating on them, eating food on them, putting sun cream on them, etc,etc...then they leave in the afternoon, for someone else to lie down on them...

 

I would rather know that my cruise was going to be delayed so that I could stay in a comfortable place, instead of having a taxi drop us at the ship and have nothing to do. We experienced this in Venice. The crew worked their buts off cleaning the ship the entire times we were on it. Warning--do not lean up against walls or you may end up with bleach stains.

 

I know that I may have some "issues" regarding germs, but....watching people walk around coughing and sneezing in to their hands and then continue on in Oceanview... it was too much for me to handle:D;)

 

I could not believe on our recent Silhouette cruise that there even more opportunities for people to be touching stuff in the buffet areas. It seemed to be set up so that people would be putting their own mixings for stir fry or the pasta in a bowl and then handing it to the cook. I watched people reaching behind to get the spoon which had dropped into something and pull it out to serve themselves--they didn't even have the pasta cooked which was kind of funny. I tried to tell them they needed it cooked, but was blown off.:rolleyes:

 

IMHO if staff sees that a serving spoon (handle and all) has dropped in to the food the entire bowl.

 

The lack of trash barrels by the rest room doors drove me nuts and I wrote it on both my comment cards. They have signs on the doors suggesting you use a paper towel and no place to put them! I usually use the handicapped button (with my elbow:o) --but still--this is the first ship in years that I have been on that did not have trash barrels near the door for this purpose.

 

As an example of how obsessive I am about this--I bring wipes and wipe down our entire room when we enter--including the balcony railings, drawer and door knobs, phone, remote...everything I can think of! Been doing this for years. DH used to think I was over the edge--now he totally supports me.

He never used to understand why I would totally rip off the bedspread from hotel beds when I entered the room--after watching Hotel Undercover, he totally understands.

 

Hope everyone stays healthy.

[twosit]

Yikes!! We were on the previous cruise and came home not feeling too good. It could have started on our cruise :eek: I saw people at the buffet licking their fingers and then picking up the serving utensils, sneezing in line, blowing their noses...really not a fan of buffets!

 

Ewwwwwwwwwww!

[jonellebel]

I wish you a noro free cruise - we are sailing on 15th March, so have been keeping an eye on this board. Any chance you can update us whilst on your cruise, or anyone else who is onboard to keep us updated.

 

Have a wonderful holiday.

I'm also on the March 15 cruise. I'm sure 6 weeks from now it will be a mute point(fingers crossed). Relax and count down the days till warm weather!!

[wwcruisers]

I'm also on the March 15 cruise. I'm sure 6 weeks from now it will be a mute point(fingers crossed). Relax and count down the days till warm weather!!

 

Hi Jonellebel! Come on over and join our roll-call -- lots of interesting folks, and lots of conversation! :cool:

Since that thread has grown to nearly 60 pages, I'm sending you the link to the last (most current) page.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439979&page=58

[jonellebel]

Hi Jonellebel! Come on over and join our roll-call -- lots of interesting folks, and lots of conversation! :cool:

Since that thread has grown to nearly 60 pages, I'm sending you the link to the last (most current) page.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439979&page=58

 

HI guys!! I joined the roll call a while back...thanks for the welcome!!

[WonderMan3]

We are home safe and noro-free. I have to give a hand to Celebrity for handling the whole situation effectively and unobtrusively. The most annoying thing was at the buffet having to have the staff give you plates and serve food, but honestly it appeared to annoy the employees more than the customers based on some unhappy faces serving me food the final few days of the cruise.

 

We did get some more details from an F&B manager who said that the infected was around 50 pax per day on a rolling basis, meaning that when some pax were getting clear of their symptoms new cases were popping up taking their place.

 

Another employee told us that around 10 pax were booted off the ship in Belize for not following ship's orders regarding quarantine.

[grandmother62]

We are home safe and noro-free. I have to give a hand to Celebrity for handling the whole situation effectively and unobtrusively. The most annoying thing was at the buffet having to have the staff give you plates and serve food, but honestly it appeared to annoy the employees more than the customers based on some unhappy faces serving me food the final few days of the cruise.

 

We did get some more details from an F&B manager who said that the infected was around 50 pax per day on a rolling basis, meaning that when some pax were getting clear of their symptoms new cases were popping up taking their place.

 

Another employee told us that around 10 pax were booted off the ship in Belize for not following ship's orders regarding quarantine.

 

That is so good to hear, we are travelling in March and fingers are crossed our large party will be ok.

It annoys me that some people think they don't need to follow ships orders for there own selfish reasons, they deserve a boot off.

[grandmother62]

To all you lucky passengers on this present cruise......please keep us posted with you invaluable tips and appreciated news. HAPPY SAILING :)

[BikerAl]

Equanox is just now departing Ft Lauderdale. Assume they did extra cleaning.

[curiousJane]

Equanox is just now departing Ft Lauderdale. Assume they did extra cleaning.

We sailed on the Solstice two years ago this month and were warned by email that the ship had been through a "special" cleaning demanded by the CDC. The email gave us the option of a full refund if we decided not to sail. Because we had purchased our airfare separately and had booked the time off work, we decided to take our chances and sail with them.

It impacted us in several ways:

-the library was closed-no books

-the buffets were not "serve yourself"

-the staff were exhausted

-embarkation was delayed and the rooms were not completely stocked until the next day

-we had paid for concierge but were not able to use the "early boarding" aspect-everyone had to wait in one very long line

-there were no pillows, extra fabric, etc shown in the cabin photos-it was very stripped down

-the worst part was they sprayed the room carpet with something instead of vacuuming-they said the CDC demanded it be done this way- as a result we had toenail clippings, sand and food remnants on our carpet when we entered the room for the first time- not good

-the best part was that I did not hear of anyone getting sick on our cruise even though the previous cruises had reportedly been horrific (people waiting in line for adult diapers)

 

Now we're going to be on the Feb 11/13 cruise on the Equinox and it is happening all over again. In the last two years, we have been on 1 Princess and 2 Carnival cruises and there was absolutely no illness that we know of on any of them. Is it Celebrity or just a coincidence?

[Formula280SS]

Just got off the Equinox. Great cruise. Yes, there was a Noro outbreak; small to start. I don't have the actual #s. Passengers seemed to have larger numbers of friends with Noro, but nothing official from Equinox.

 

What Equinox did do was "step-by-step" and "incremental."

 

To make a long story short, we had barely a mattress left in our room when we left this morning. First the couch pillows, then bed decorator pillows, bed skirts, ALL magazines, books, Bible, Klenex boxes opened; all gone. Just so you know, we saw all "supplies" in garbage bags.

 

All that was left, in our opinion, was the window curtains, mattresses and rugs.

 

However, many in this thread got it right. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

 

We Clorox wipe the entire room, "after we wash everything with soap and water;" everything but the rugs, which we make as little contact with as possible without shoes. Seriously. The Remote Control, Phone et al don't have a chance. :) We also spray (fumigate) the room with Lysol. Sounds "over the top" but we are simply reacting to the new standard of rooms on ships and hotels.

 

Regarding the dining, we couldn't serve ourselves for the past three days. Not a problem. Just don't go pick up a salt and pepper shaker on the table (most were removed; worth Gold by the end).

 

Use your head.

 

Have a good time.

[midwestchick]

We sailed on the Solstice two years ago this month and were warned by email that the ship had been through a "special" cleaning demanded by the CDC. The email gave us the option of a full refund if we decided not to sail. Because we had purchased our airfare separately and had booked the time off work, we decided to take our chances and sail with them.

It impacted us in several ways:

-the library was closed-no books

-the buffets were not "serve yourself"

-the staff were exhausted

-embarkation was delayed and the rooms were not completely stocked until the next day

-we had paid for concierge but were not able to use the "early boarding" aspect-everyone had to wait in one very long line

-there were no pillows, extra fabric, etc shown in the cabin photos-it was very stripped down

-the worst part was they sprayed the room carpet with something instead of vacuuming-they said the CDC demanded it be done this way- as a result we had toenail clippings, sand and food remnants on our carpet when we entered the room for the first time- not good

-the best part was that I did not hear of anyone getting sick on our cruise even though the previous cruises had reportedly been horrific (people waiting in line for adult diapers)

 

Now we're going to be on the Feb 11/13 cruise on the Equinox and it is happening all over again. In the last two years, we have been on 1 Princess and 2 Carnival cruises and there was absolutely no illness that we know of on any of them. Is it Celebrity or just a coincidence?

 

I'm curious....if you have trip insurance and something like this happens can you use that to cancel your flights? I also booked our flights separately...something I don't usually do but it was the only way I could get the best times with only one stop...and when I got a notice from YAPTA that our particular flights had dropped 62%, I grabbed it. If it comes down, supposedly YAPTA gets money back for you.

I've read many reports about Carnival ships having outbreaks like this...granted not recently...but isn't norovirus known for spreading on cruises?

 

http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsnorovirus/

[kitty9]

According to a "higher up" at Guest Relations, only one couple left the ship in Belize because they refused to be quarantined in their cabin. My sister saw them on the tender with their bags. They were going to stay at a Marriott.

 

I will say that Celebrity did a great job with this whole thing. They did all they could do to stem the tide of the outbreak.

 

Unfortunately, I'm now feeling sick with some of the symptoms of Noro. Not fun!!!!! Thank heaven, I'm home.

[Lois R]

According to a "higher up" at Guest Relations, only one couple left the ship in Belize because they refused to be quarantined in their cabin. My sister saw them on the tender with their bags. They were going to stay at a Marriott.

 

I will say that Celebrity did a great job with this whole thing. They did all they could do to stem the tide of the outbreak.

 

Unfortunately, I'm now feeling sick with some of the symptoms of Noro. Not fun!!!!! Thank heaven, I'm home.

 

Hi Darcie, take care of yourself:)

 

Sounds like a flakey couple:eek:

[wwcruisers]

 

Unfortunately, I'm now feeling sick with some of the symptoms of Noro. Not fun!!!!! Thank heaven, I'm home.

 

So sorry to hear that, Darcie -- hope you feel better soon. But, you're so right about being at home. My last encounter with the dreaded "N" was in a hotel room -- not fun at all! Thank you so much for keeping us posted on this. We're booked for six weeks from now -- hopeful that everything on Equinox is well contained and back to normal by then.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

I hope more people will report back about the situation. It is very interesting. I'm sure six weeks from now it will all be cleared up or I would certainly hope so. I would say the phone and remote control are the dirtiest items in the room, what do you think? I'm bringing lemon Lysol wipes, Lysol spray, and hand sanitizer. Am I missing anything?

[midwestchick]

I've been doing a lot of reading since this thread was first posted...and I clearly remember hearing of this on other ships...I believe the biggest culprit is people with poor hygiene. :eek: :mad: :mad: :mad: My husband has been ill here at home and with every symptom of norovirus....he's a fanatic about washing his hands, like myself. I've been keeping the bathrooms extra clean and doing what I can. So far I'm okay but having some awful stomach growling like he started but so far no cramping or other symptoms....it's rampant in the states. I read this in an article earlier...very interesting. I really hope all of the passengers not affected will be okay and they will not come down with the virus. Not a very pleasant end to a wonderful vacation.

 

 

Norovirus outbreaks occur throughout the year. But, over 80% of the outbreaks occur from November to April. Also, when there are new strains of norovirus, the number of outbreaks tends to increase periodically

[Liz]

My sister and brother in law are onboard. Bro in law called mid afternoon Friay and said it was a sea of people with no place to sit. Apparently many people expected to enjoy the afternoon on the ship as usual and boarded at the normal times. My sister did not receive any information from X about delays but I've kept her posted thanks to CC - thanks to everyone who kept this thread updated! She called at 5:15 yesterday to say they were leaving the port but could not access their cabins yet. I'll update if/when she checks in.

 

Liz

[cpl100]

We are home safe and noro-free. I have to give a hand to Celebrity for handling the whole situation effectively and unobtrusively. The most annoying thing was at the buffet having to have the staff give you plates and serve food, but honestly it appeared to annoy the employees more than the customers based on some unhappy faces serving me food the final few days of the cruise.

 

We did get some more details from an F&B manager who said that the infected was around 50 pax per day on a rolling basis, meaning that when some pax were getting clear of their symptoms new cases were popping up taking their place.

 

Another employee told us that around 10 pax were booted off the ship in Belize for not following ship's orders regarding quarantine.

 

I am just curious how they track who has left their stateroom and who has not during quarantine. Also, if one person in the stateroom is ill and the other is not, can the well person leave the stateroom?

[wvufan]

When I got the noro, they also quarantined my wife for 24 hours. When she didn't develop any symptoms, she was free to roam but I ended up in the cabin for four days.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[SeaGams]

On board now and the ship has been sanitized under the supervision of the CDC we were told. Outbreak was not large numbers and started in the middle of the last sailing. All cabins were spayed and unnecessary soft goods have been removed. They will be returned after they go through the sanitation process. All new menus and holders throughout the ship and NO self service buffet. Cabins were ready at 6pm last night and everyone was pretty understanding since none of us want to get sick. Most everyone has Clorox wipes or Wet Ones which both have active ingredients to kill Noro from what we learned. So far no problems and although our cabins don't have all the bells and whistles yet, we're on a Caribbean cruise on a great ship and tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. The crew did a great job in such a short period of time and we're all grateful.

 

Toni

[mum and son]

This may or may not help... but I always take the Cholera vaccine before I travel. Not to prevent cholera per se but the vaccine prevents about 80% of all stomach bugs. My last 2 cruises have had noro outbreaks on them but we've been ok so far. Who knows why? But I'll stick with the vaccine :D.

 

Oh... it can be expensive (not as expensive as 4 wasted cruise days) so check out the cost before you commit.