Norovirus is on the Dawn

[julig22]

As reported on another site, it seems the ship has been quarantined because of norovirus, not able to dock as scheduled. They were due to dock on Sunday, now pushed back until Tuesday. NCL is apparently sending passengers who were scheduled to embark on Sunday to hotels.

Edited February 25 by julig22

[Asawi]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

@mugtech why do you find this thread so funny?

Wondering the same! As someone who will embark Dawn in less than 2 weeks I'm not amused. But to each their own I guess... 

[Kazidee]

Sorry but it’s very true! We are currently stuck in the labourdonnais waterfront hotel in Mauritius waiting to board and got a text to say port authorities won’t allow it until at least Tuesday due to sanitation issues! It’s norovirus, they are struggling to find hotel rooms for us until then on an island this size and feeding us croissants … and even Tuesday not guaranteed as they need clean bill of health for all AND a deep clean of the whole ship, why oh why didn’t they tell us before we set off 26hr ago from uk! Truly disgusting if NCL!!! 

[Asawi]

As I understand they have taken samples to be analyzed to make sure it's "just" norovirus (or similar) and not cholera. Analyze can take up to 48 hours.

So sorry for those of those that should have embarked today! They must be so frustrated.

[Kazidee]

Frustrated and very tired 😴…yes any venue/person/resort/ship can get bugs but the shocking treatment and lack of info from NCL is mind blowing!! Just Be honest and book us a flight home 😖!!! 

[Asawi]

20 minutes ago, SomewhereGirl said:

Why not just copy and paste the letter here?  Not everyone is on that "other site".

It's a photo. I'm not comfortable taking someone else's photo and posting it elsewhere. The letter doesn't actually say much, just that they should rearrange independelntly booked flights and that hopefully they can disembark on Tuesday. So no info that isn't already given here.

[njkate]

1 hour ago, Kazidee said:

Sorry but it’s very true! We are currently stuck in the labourdonnais waterfront hotel in Mauritius waiting to board and got a text to say port authorities won’t allow it until at least Tuesday due to sanitation issues! It’s norovirus, they are struggling to find hotel rooms for us until then on an island this size and feeding us croissants … and even Tuesday not guaranteed as they need clean bill of health for all AND a deep clean of the whole ship, why oh why didn’t they tell us before we set off 26hr ago from uk! Truly disgusting if NCL!!! 

Because this is out of the control of NCL and situation is fluid. The government officials of that country have ship anchored off shore while it awaits clearance! Do you think NCl wants this? 
I’m by no stretch of the imagination a NCL cheerleader but this is beyond their control and I’m sure a nightmare for them!

if blame is to be placed anywhere blame it on passengers who refuse to practice basic hygiene 

[njkate]

[graphicguy]

Geez-Louise people....wash your hands, a lot.  Don't pick your nose.  Don't grab your butt cheeks and then go to the Garden Cafe. Don't pee in the pool.  Is it all that hard?

Edited February 25 by graphicguy

[Msq and Sbk]

We think NCL are potentially putting lives at risk here. They have a duty of care to protect people. It will take a long time to get the ship into a condition where people ARE and FEEL safe to board. The lack of information and lack of traction finding people hotels after 30hrs of travel to get here. Surely they have robust business continuity plans they just need to invoke. Clearly not!!!

[Yesimapirate]

I'm always pleasantly surprised by the posters on this site.  There's never any exaggeration or hyperbole and the opinions are well thought out and rational.   🙄

Edited February 25 by Yesimapirate

[Craft_Lady]

I am currently on the Dawn.  Yes they have taken samples for testing to ensure that the GI issues are not cholera.  They have told us that the earliest we will be off the ship is Tuesday provided the cholera tests are negative.  They have not told us what happens if they are positive.  There is a fueling ship alongside us now because we are low on fuel.  The Captain has indicated that another ship will bring us provisions at 8 tonight.  When we missed our port in reunion they weren’t very forthcoming with info on why.  When we reached Mauritius it was finally around 10 pm when they told us that health authorities were coming on board.  It wasn’t until this morning that they told us about the cholera testing.  

9 hours ago, LoriLewis said:

I have heard now from someone onboard that it might be cholera. They are doing test samples. 

 

[mking8288]

Sad to read about these, as public health advisories & warnings have been posted and released lately, cautioning folks to be careful ... and to take personal responsibilities, FWIW while cruise lines do theirs, as best as we can.  We had been onboard cruise ships over the decades and norovirus is a fact of life, especially in "close" quarters (i.e. healthcare including long-term residential facilities are prone to these risk, with seasonal surges) and hand wash with soap is one of the best way to help limit the risk or exposure.  We're on the Escape's 15 days Caribbean run in Jan. 2019 when about 1/3 way into the cruise, that we noticed that ... (one of the ship's doctor was apparently among those in sick bay, according to others) we're fortunate.  Nowadays, some totally ignored those added hand wash stations outside the buffet entrance, oh well.  

 

Another reason for having good travel & urgent care insurance ... stuff happened.  Wishing those interrupted the best.  

 

Here's a link with a vivid description, not verified or facts-checked, but as described - 

 

Published US-CDC data from the VSP ... as FYI (NCL has not made it to the list lately, that's good, until this incident) 

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

Edited February 25 by mking8288

[Asawi]

It's not the first time there has been Norovirus or similar on a cruise ship. Usually not as much drama around it as this time though. What's different from other times is that port authorities won't let anyone disembark for fear of cholera. 

NCL isn't putting people's life at risk any more than any other outbreak of whatever illness. These things happen! REALLY inconvenient for both the people stuck on ship watching their flights take off without them and those waiting to board though! And probably also scary for people onboard.

Let's hope for everyone's sake that it is "just" Norovirus or GI or whatever you want to call it. And not cholera!

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, njkate said:

What a sandwich of nothingness. If that is the only information being provided by official sources, I'd be livid. NCL tell me what the f is going on. What the f I should be doing. What the f you are doing. Why is NCL so despicable at providing information that could be helpful.

 

I know it won't happen, but gosh I wish someone could break the seal on the terms and conditions and bankrupt NCL solely for their lack of accurate, relevant, and helpful communication. I won't say never, but their corporate communication plan sure makes me question moving forward with Norwegian.  

[Turtles06]

I hope those on board who are ill recover quickly and that everyone else remains healthy. I hope you all are able to get home without major hassles. And for those waiting to board, I hope that adequate accommodations are found for you asap. 

 

Some guests on the Dawn are posting on this Reddit site:

 

@mking8288 apologies, I hadn’t seen that you’d posted the above link when I put up this comment 

Edited February 25 by Turtles06

[mking8288]

When this happened to our Jan 2019 Escape cruise, the captain didn't officially inform all guests for 2 or 3 days, but some of us knew as we saw the salt & pepper shakers gone, sugar packets & single use paper menus, bathroom doors popped open, mandatory hand wash before entering the buffet, the washy washy (which isn't really effective, depending on the sanitizer used) and other obvious signs, not to mention the deep cleaning with bleach, etc. and crew's in Level 3 or Class C hazmat suits going into select cabins sealed with caution tapes. 

 

The letter was short (restored from cloud storage, digitally enhanced for clarity) but at least it clearly explained what.  We managed to make all the ports but raced back to NY, disembarked a little earlier and crew had to do a deep cleaning, wait for public health inspection to clear & embarkation was delayed by several hours. 

 

 

@Turtles06 hi, how are things going, all is well. Don't worry about anything, all fine 👌

 

Edited February 25 by mking8288

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

When this happened to our Jan 2019 Escape cruise, the captain didn't officially inform all guests for 2 or 3 days, but some of us knew as we saw the salt & pepper shakers gone, sugar packets & single use paper menus, and other obvious signs, not to mention the deep cleaning with bleach, etc. and crew's in Level 3 or Class C hazmat suits going into select cabins sealed with caution tapes. 

 

The letter was short but at least it clearly explained it. We managed to make all the ports but raced back to NY, disembarked a little earlier and crew had to do a deep cleaning, wait for public health inspection to clear & embarkation was delayed by several hours. 

 

 

@Turtles06 hi, how are things going, all is well. Don't worry about anything, all fine 👌

 

Much better letter! 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Sad to read about these, as public health advisories & warnings have been posted and released lately, cautioning folks to be careful ... and to take personal responsibilities, FWIW while cruise lines do theirs, as best as we can.  We had been onboard cruise ships over the decades and norovirus is a fact of life, especially in "close" quarters (i.e. healthcare including long-term residential facilities are prone to these risk, with seasonal surges) and hand wash with soap is one of the best way to help limit the risk or exposure.  We're on the Escape's 15 days Caribbean run in Jan. 2019 when about 1/3 way into the cruise, that we noticed that ... (one of the ship's doctor was apparently among those in sick bay, according to others) we're fortunate.  Nowadays, some totally ignored those added hand wash stations outside the buffet entrance, oh well.  

 

Another reason for having good travel & urgent care insurance ... stuff happened.  Wishing those interrupted the best.  

 

Here's a link with a vivid description, not verified or facts-checked, but as described - 

 

Published US-CDC data from the VSP ... as FYI (NCL has not made it to the list lately, that's good, until this incident) 

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

Thanks, Henry. I think those of us who have been cruising for a while, on any cruise line, have been faced with some sort of norovirus issue somewhere along the line.  

 

As you rightfully point out, it's preventable.  How many times have we seen passengers "refuse" the hand washing stations at the buffet entrances?  Or, refuse the anti-septic spray they "squirt" upon re-embarkation from an excursion?  

 

NCL (and the other cruise lines) really do have very cautions protocols they practice.  Some people just feel that the protocols don't apply to them.  This seems to be a "cruise thing".  Rules just don't apply with some people.  We read it every day in these threads how some try to circumvent the rules or ignore them entirely.

 

Certainly understand why NCL was reluctant to mention anything about getting the ship cleared from "cholera" testing.  Can you imagine the craziness that would have ensued if they would have told the passengers they were testing for cholera?  

 

Anyway...best to the passengers.  As they say..."this too shall pass"!

[www3traveler]

Prayers for the staff on board The Dawn from the Captain on down.  Must be very rough for the Housekeeping staff and all of the restaurant staff.

[Turtles06]

54 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Thanks, Henry. I think those of us who have been cruising for a while, on any cruise line, have been faced with some sort of norovirus issue somewhere along the line.  

 

As you rightfully point out, it's preventable.  How many times have we seen passengers "refuse" the hand washing stations at the buffet entrances?  Or, refuse the anti-septic spray they "squirt" upon re-embarkation from an excursion?  

I was on the Celebrity Summit not long after she was “revolutionized.”  The upgrades included actual handwashing stations at the entrance to the buffet. Almost no one used them. I couldn’t believe it.  Even before Covid, I was Lady Macbeth when it comes to handwashing, and I was glad to have more than a Purell spritz at the buffet. Ships with handwashing stations should not allow people into the buffet unless they have washed their hands. It’s not a total solution to the spread of germs, but it would help. 

[JIMESOPUS]

We had the unfortunate experience of sailing with Noro on the Pearl TA ( 5/19 ), on the first sea day those little white gift bags made an appearance, the next day we noticed several cabin doors with red tags. It took several days later for the Captain to announce what was going on, he also gave a warning to those in quarantine found wandering around the ship - taken off the ship at the first port.

To see housekeeping entering cabins fully dressed in PPE was unnerving.

The WHO was the reporting agency and unlike the CDC we never really found out how bad it was.

It still amazes me that after COVID folks still don't understand or even care about hygiene. 

 

 

[sailingships]

They have Cholera. The Dawn is quarantined off the coast of Mauritius. They should have been in Port Lewis today.

Edited February 25 by sailingships

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

What a sandwich of nothingness. If that is the only information being provided by official sources, I'd be livid. NCL tell me what the f is going on. What the f I should be doing. What the f you are doing. Why is NCL so despicable at providing information that could be helpful.

 

I know it won't happen, but gosh I wish someone could break the seal on the terms and conditions and bankrupt NCL solely for their lack of accurate, relevant, and helpful communication. I won't say never, but their corporate communication plan sure makes me question moving forward with Norwegian.  

Exactly what additional information should NCL be providing?

Exactly what would bankrupty NCL accomplish?

[Mistizoom]

USA Today is reporting that it's a cholera outbreak.