Upper respiratory infection possibly on Zaandam

[sail7seas]

And that is why I think cruising is not for everyone. When there are so many facets about a 'discretionary expenditure' that might displease an individual, that might not be the best choice for some people. When the 'bad' outweighs the good, why spend your (generically intended) money on it?

 

[Blue Mudshark]

Was this from the norovirus going around? It was all over the place on our May 1 cruise on Maasdam.

 

No. Definitely no.

 

Norovirus causes gastroenteritis. It does not cause upper respiratory infections.

[kazu]

Thanks. I still have surgery and then more chemo. One thing I've learned is- don't ever get cancer, it's not worth it.

 

As far as ever taking a cruise again, I might. The first couple of cruises were nice. But now the cruise lines are into keeping the same low prices, but offering less value. Cut a penny here and cut a penny there, and pretty soon the whole thing sucks.

 

Cutting the quality of food to steer people to the pay-extra restaurants is one example. Raise the price on the cruise and I'll go when I save up enough to afford it. Don't try to manipulate me once I am a captive customer.

 

There are certainly cruise lines that cost more and promise higher food quality and service. You can go luxury (Crystal, Seabourn, etc.) and nearly everything is all included or a premier line like Oceania where the food is supposed to be really good (we will find out soon) but you still pay for the extras like alcoholic beverages but not soda or water or specialty restaurants.

 

There are lots of choices out there. You just need to choose what suits you but don't lambast mass market lines which obviously have the cheaper fares and need the revenue from on board spending.

[take us away]

We like longer cruises and have come to expect the 'kennel cough' that seems to creep aboard. We always pack OTC cough syrup and cough drops just for this. Agree that people should stay in their cabins when it is really bad. Most people try to cover their mouth/nose when coughing but then there are the people who politely cough into their hand - then open the door or use the hand rail. What are they thinking!

[DaveOKC]

No. Definitely no.

 

Norovirus causes gastroenteritis. It does not cause upper respiratory infections.

 

Thank you for the clarification. There seemed to be alot of coughing on the cruise as well as the norovirus and I was wondering if they were related (luckily we did not get the norovirus).

[ellieanne]

We like longer cruises and have come to expect the 'kennel cough' that seems to creep aboard. We always pack OTC cough syrup and cough drops just for this. Agree that people should stay in their cabins when it is really bad. Most people try to cover their mouth/nose when coughing but then there are the people who politely cough into their hand - then open the door or use the hand rail. What are they thinking!

 

They are probably thinking they need to go through the closed door or they are worried about falling over if they don't hold the handrail. Coughs aren't easily timed and sometimes they come when the cougher is moving from one place to another, and on a cruise ship, that can mean it's necessary to open doors or hold hsndrails.

[momatibm]

Most people try to cover their mouth/nose when coughing but then there are the people who politely cough into their hand - then open the door or use the hand rail. What are they thinking!

 

This is one reason they are now teaching children to sneeze/cough into their elbows. The other reason is the elbow/arm is more likely to reduce the ongoing spray because of more blockage area.

[sail7seas]

They are probably thinking they need to go through the closed door or they are worried about falling over if they don't hold the handrail. Coughs aren't easily timed and sometimes they come when the cougher is moving from one place to another, and on a cruise ship, that can mean it's necessary to open doors or hold hsndrails.

 

mamtibm

This is one reason they are now teaching children to sneeze/cough into their elbows. The other reason is the elbow/arm is more likely to reduce the ongoing spray because of more blockage area.

 

Exactly.

If one coughs into their bent arm, they are less likely to spread their germs.

 

Edited June 23, 2015 by sail7seas

[DaveOKC]

Exactly.

If one coughs into their bent arm, they are less likely to spread their germs.

 

 

My grandchildren are much better at it than I am (but I am working on it)!

[summer slope]

When I taught K and 1st grade that is the way I taught my students to cough or sneeze. I find I still do it all the time. The polite way to help strangers.

[Glaciers]

Hi all,

I traveled with a group of 15 on the Zaandam from Seward to Vancouver (June 7 embark). Nine of us developed signs of an URI towards or at the end of the cruise. I'm guessing we passed it from one to another but I'm just curious if anyone else outside of our group has symptoms (cough, fever, chills).

 

We were on the Zaandam from May 24-June 7 and both my wife and I ended up with it. Just coughing and congestion but no fever/chills.

[Tampa Girl]

. Much of the food is stews and casseroles, perfect for food borne illnesses to multiply. .

 

Really??? I'm sure I have seen stews and casseroles on their menu, but I have never chosen one. There are too many other dishes to choose from.

[CowPrincess]

>SNIP<

 

Much of the food is stews and casseroles, perfect for food borne illnesses to multiply. >SNIP<

 

>SNIP< I wish I would not have gone and instead had spent my time enjoying other things.

>SNIP<

 

Where did you see the stews and casseroles? In the Lido? Was that at lunch? We really enjoy casseroles, and I don't recall seeing any the times we had lunch in the Lido. Or are you referring to the stir-fry dishes as "casseroles"?

 

I'm glad you shared the comment about wishing you hadn't gone with us. I can't imagine how devastated your friends would be if they found out you didn't enjoy the lovely gift they gave you.

[Lottie Linda]

Really??? I'm sure I have seen stews and casseroles on their menu, but I have never chosen one. There are too many other dishes to choose from.

 

Right. Like the tilapia advertised as halibut. Or the Coho salmon which is really Atlantic salmon. Or the chicken Cacciatore that was last night's lemon chicken, but now drizzled with Ragu sauce? I can't prove it, but I think the flounder served was swai, and the veal was beef.

 

If HAL didn't advertise its food as "excitement meets sophistication" I could deal with the discount cuisine, but don't bait and switch and try to upsell me. Instead of cutting costs, a penny here and a penny there, why not raise the standard so that a dollar increase gives five in value?

[take us away]

[quote name=Lottie Linda;4691511

 

I'm glad I survived my cruise. I wish I would not have gone and instead had spent my time enjoying other things. My advice as a non-medical layperson is' date=' cruising is for healthy people and not for people with conditions that may become unstable.[/quote]

 

So sorry you had a bad experience. I have an auto-immune disease which requires aggressive therapy including mild chemo on a regular basis each week. As what you may consider a 'non-healthy' person, I have few problems with cruising and cruise for extended periods each year. Have learned you just have to be very careful, wash your hands, frequently use Purell and eat a healthy diet (with raisin buns and desserts thrown in for good measure). Also spend lots of time outdoors as love the sea air - maybe it makes a difference, don't know.

 

Do not remember a lot of casseroles except Italian or the seafood potpie on the menu but then I like fish and meat so may not have noticed.

[kazu]

Right. Like the tilapia advertised as halibut. Or the Coho salmon which is really Atlantic salmon. Or the chicken Cacciatore that was last night's lemon chicken, but now drizzled with Ragu sauce? I can't prove it, but I think the flounder served was swai, and the veal was beef.

 

If HAL didn't advertise its food as "excitement meets sophistication" I could deal with the discount cuisine, but don't bait and switch and try to upsell me. Instead of cutting costs, a penny here and a penny there, why not raise the standard so that a dollar increase gives five in value?

 

What have you got against Atlantic salmon? It's some of the best IMO :)

 

the halibut I have had was halibut not tilapia. Frankly I prefer tilapia but each to their own.

[retiredkid]

I used to get sick on every longer cruise. Then I ordered s small plug in room purifier ( about the size of a small hairdryer) and, voila! - no more issues not even on a 57 day cruise. It cost about $30 from Ama--- worth ever penny and then some.

 

Never thought of this. Any chance you would share which brand you have? I checked and there are so many on that website. Many thanks.

[Nova Scotia cruiser]

What have you got against Atlantic salmon? It's some of the best IMO :)

 

the halibut I have had was halibut not tilapia. Frankly I prefer tilapia but each to their own.

 

Hi Kazu, I was reading this thread and here you are again. See that you are sailing Westerdam next year. We are on the same ship in December. I will write you a review if you are interested.

 

Agree that Atlantic salmon is delissh also like the Artic Char they are farming here in NS. We also get great flounder here on the Bay of Fundy.

 

In keeping with the theme of this thread. My DH and I were on board the Solstice in April, Hawaii to Van....both got a terrible flu. Cough, aches and chills...looked at food and had to walk away. Last five day at sea were horrible. Hope it never happens again.

[serendipity1499]

In a perfect world, yes, but while I can't speak for yours, sadly my world is not perfect. It's no different in a hotel, airplane, restaurant, dormitory, hospital,,,,,,,,, people spread germs and illnesses. :(

 

 

Also an office! I worked for an International company, which gave their hourly employees very good paid sick leave..30 days per year which increased according to seniority up to five years...(60 days).:) That generous policy was designed for very serious illnesses..

 

However, if the employee did not take any sick leave, at the end of the year they would receive one weeks pay..

 

Many of our employees came to work when they were ill just to get that one weeks pay at years end..:eek:

Edited July 22, 2015 by serendipity1499

[SeaDog70s]

I just want to add (since we cruise on many different cruise lines) that this is not a HAL problem but rather a cruise ship problem caused when you cram a lot of souls into a confined environment. We have been on "sick ships" on many cruise lines. And with the URI problem everyone knows when you go to the main showroom and all you hear (before the show) is coughing coming from all over the theater. Unlike Noro, this is not a reportable issue so there is not much publicity (except here on CC). We just chalk it up as one risk of cruising which has never deterred us from taking our chances :).

 

Hank

You know, Hank, outside of the traditional Cruise Ship Industry apologetics // "talking points" on this issue, I suppose I wonder how I and many thousands of other USNavy sailors, in close proximity to each other, and certainly with poor hand-washing habits, managed to avoid this stuff for so many years? If this line of thinking were actually true, how would submarines ever work for more than a week - you don't get more confined than that(!)

[Hlitner]

You know, Hank, outside of the traditional Cruise Ship Industry apologetics // "talking points" on this issue, I suppose I wonder how I and many thousands of other USNavy sailors, in close proximity to each other, and certainly with poor hand-washing habits, managed to avoid this stuff for so many years? If this line of thinking were actually true, how would submarines ever work for more than a week - you don't get more confined than that(!)

 

The same does happen on Naval vessels but is not the kind of thing you will find mentioned on Cruise Critic or in the newspapers. Naval vessels often encounter these same issues during the first few days after they begin their "cruise." But unlike cruise ships, most Naval vessels spend very long periods at sea where they do not have a constant flow of sailors going on and off the ship and being exposed to shore-side issues. Submarines are often on 3 month deployments where they are cut-off from all shoreside contact (and germs). So once they work through whatever ailments were brought aboard at the beginning of their cruise (not a word often used in the Navy) their environment is insulated from new outbreaks.

 

As to very large Naval vessels (such as Aircraft Carriers) they will often have an overworked "sickbay" early in a voyage. But keep in mind that the Military does often manage to avoid flu problems because they insist that everyone get flu shots (a long standing policy). So while a flu epidemic is not uncommon on cruise ships it would be rare on Naval ships. But there are even exceptions. The Navy does take any kind of large outbreak very seriously and its usually handled quietly within the military family. But here is a link to show how far the Navy goes to deal with outbreaks:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6342a3.htm

 

Hank

P.S. I still have my old "shot record" from when I was in the Air Force and it is amazing how many immunizations one can receive in a short period of time.

[TheEmerson]

What have you got against Atlantic salmon? It's some of the best IMO :)

 

the halibut I have had was halibut not tilapia. Frankly I prefer tilapia but each to their own.

 

Almost all Atlantic Salmon we get in the US is the farm raised color added IQF type. Since the pellet meal fed to them is a result of corn meal, chicken byproduct and, other results from food production. What any farm raised animal eats directly results in the taste later on.

 

Now wild caught, I am with you there, it is quite good.

[lazey1]

Every long cruise we have been on there has been an outbreak of Cruise Crud. The first time I got sick I went to the Medical Centre on day 2 and opted to see the nurse. I paid $15 for cough syrup, and picked up some throat lozenges in port. When I got home I saw my own doctor.

Now I travel with a prescription from my Dr. for URI and pick up a small bottle of cough syrup.

 

One or the other or usually both of us pick up Cruise Crud every time we cruise. Our pulmonologist tells us that for people with asthma or COPD there is no way to avoid getting this on any cruise ship. Our Doc gives us each a prescription antibiotic and cough syrup to take with. It doesn't prevent but stop it but it helps recovery.

[Kmangel]

My husband came off the Zuiderdam in June with the beginnings of a cough. A couple days earlier while at Trivia, the family we were sitting with were coughing their heads off. After we left the game, we went straight to the hand sanitizers and we both used it. We used the machines often on the cruise. I never got sick but my husband did. He is a former smoker and has a cough anyway so maybe that is what led him to get ill but not me. I have become very ill with bronchitis in the past so I was sure it was just a matter of time before I succumbed to the crud. My husband had a horrible cough for over two weeks. Thinking back to the coughing family at Trivia, I wish we had sat at a different table or moved once we heard them coughing! But at least my husband's illness came after we left the ship so he was able to enjoy himself fully while on board the ship!