Norwalk Virus - Mercury

[Krazy Kruizers]

From Associated Press

June 09, 2006 8:14 PM EDT

SEATTLE - The Celebrity cruise ship Mercury returned to Seattle Friday morning with 115 people who had a gastrointestinal illness during their 7-night voyage to Alaska, the cruise company said.

Three of the ship's 847 crew members also experienced the illness, a suspected Norovirus brought onboard by someone previously exposed. The Mercury carried 2,034 passengers on the voyage.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Noroviruses affect 23 million Americans annually. The only illness more prevalent is the common cold.

"The reason you hear about Norovirus on cruise ships is because they are required to report every incidence of gastrointestinal illness," said Dave Forney, chief of the vessel sanitation program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection, in a statement. "Nowhere else in the public health system of the United States is Norovirus a reportable illness. Norovirus is not a cruise-ship illness, but an illness commonly seen in many settings throughout the United States."

Celebrity Cruises blames an increased number of Norovirus cases on land for the increase in incidents on board their ships. The company has instituted a new illness prevention program focusing on increased sanitation, enhanced cleaning procedures and special cleaning of "high touch" areas on the ship.

The company has added two additional doctors to its crew, bringing the total number of doctors onboard the Mercury to four, along with three nurses.

Mercury sailed from Seattle on Friday, June 2, and visited Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, Alaska, Hubbard Glacier and the Inside Passage.

[CCCM]

KK I was reading that last night and the first thing that popped into my head was Brian (bepsf) and how he was on Mercury and got sick. Hmmmm

[bepsf]

KK I was reading that last night and the first thing that popped into my head was Brian (bepsf) and how he was on Mercury and got sick. Hmmmm

 

CCCM--

 

Reading this news report so does not surprise me...

[Krazy Kruizers]

I thought the article would catch your eye Brian.

[jhannah]

The story was on our local news yesterday. They reported that the cruise ship passengers went home early. But the AP report indicates otherwise.

[cruzincurt]

In my opinion this is a non-event. Take any group of 2000 people and probably among at least 100 of them there will be those who will be actively sick, recovering from being sick the week before, or about to get sick from previous exposure on land. Others, or a portion of these, will become sea sick, either because they are sensitive to motion or believe they will be sea sick so they are.

 

On a recent cruise, the ship had barely any motion and people were complaining that they were getting sea sick.

[Stevesan]

Nearly all HAL ships have had Noro break out in the recent past. I think it was on Amsterdam that Noro lingered for nearly a 1/2 year or more. That one continued from Alaska season into Caribbean.

 

Sea Princess is only now recovering.

 

I suspect Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, et al have experienced Noro recently. Not to mention, Continental, Northwest, Delta from time to time. Aircraft are great little incubators, and they sure don't get much post flight cleanup! But I'll bet Mercury is being sanitized.

[rfbdorf]

It makes you think.

Being the ship's captain must not be a laid-back task. Every few days you have to take on a new herd of pax, a few of whom will steal anything not screwed down (some probably bring a scewdriver!), a few Typhoid Marys, some whiners and complainers; occasionally a jumper - of course the overwhelming majority are fine people. They all have to be fed, entertained, and tended to with a smile. Oh yeah, there's the occasional drunken sailor. I guess that's driven at least one captain to drink ;)

My great-uncle was captain of the S.S New York early in the 1900s (not sure exactly when, 1920-ish?), doing Atlantic crossings. I imagine that things have changed a lot since then.

- Richard

[Tinknock50]

I agree about it being all over the industry......many of our Roll Call on the Island Princess got sick the day followining our cruise. I don't think it was Noro, but it took me over 2 weeks to get completely over it.:(

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were on the Amsterdam for a 22 day cruise in 2002 when the BIG outbreak occured.

 

And we were on the Amsterdam this past Mar/Apr right after the virus broke out on the cruise before ours.

[elmorejj]

Does anyone know what the incubation period is for Noro type viruses? Just wondering how many pax bring it onboard with them........jean:cool:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Jean, I had asked the same thing when Tom came down with it our last night on the Ryndam last month. I was told 24 to 48 hours.

[bepsf]

It makes you think.

Being the ship's captain must not be a laid-back task. Every few days you have to take on a new herd of pax, a few of whom will steal anything not screwed down (some probably bring a scewdriver!), a few Typhoid Marys, some whiners and complainers; occasionally a jumper - of course the overwhelming majority are fine people. They all have to be fed, entertained, and tended to with a smile. Oh yeah, there's the occasional drunken sailor. I guess that's driven at least one captain to drink ;)

My great-uncle was captain of the S.S New York early in the 1900s (not sure exactly when, 1920-ish?), doing Atlantic crossings. I imagine that things have changed a lot since then.

- Richard

 

Richard--

 

I bet your Great Uncle had some fascinating stories - was he in command when Titanic nearly collided w/ New York while leaving Southampton?

[Stevesan]

It makes you think.

Being the ship's captain must not be a laid-back task. \ Oh yeah, there's the occasional drunken sailor. I guess that's driven at least one captain to drink ;)

My great-uncle was captain of the S.S New York early in the 1900s (not sure exactly when, 1920-ish?), doing Atlantic crossings. I imagine that things have changed a lot since then.

- Richard

 

Maybe you're talking about the Grand Princess Captain out of Galveston this year. He flunked a CDC/VSP sniff test.

[RuthC]

Actually, I thought of the recent captain of the Mercury. Wasn't there an incident with him shortly after Brian's departure?

Not saying you had anything to do with his drinking, Brian! :eek:

[doctork]

Local Seattle news reported that it was the same Mercury cruise returning with Norovirus, that had been delayed in departure by the Coast Guard discovering the drunken captain. If true, an ill-fated voyage.

[bepsf]

Actually, I thought of the recent captain of the Mercury. Wasn't there an incident with him shortly after Brian's departure?

Not saying you had anything to do with his drinking, Brian! :eek:

 

Yes, the captain who was in command while I was on Mercury was the one who was drunk in Seattle - that occurance was at the end of the same cruise that I left early. This Norovirus incident is two cruises later...

 

I feel for those folks who were confined to their stateroom - I know what it's like to be so sick w/ that crud that you just wish you were dead. So glad I followed my gut instinct (no pun intended) and left the cruise early so I didn't have to endure my illness on that barge...

[rfbdorf]

Richard--

I bet your Great Uncle had some fascinating stories - was he in command when Titanic nearly collided w/ New York while leaving Southampton?

Unfortunately, I didn't really know him. I have only one memory, must have been when I was 5 or younger, of my Dad & I being shown around a room where he kept his memorabilia. He was apparently quite an artisan, and had made many things during his voyages - many model ships (apparently his model of the New York is, or at least was, in the Museum of the City of New York). I'm told he was an expert knitter and crocheter, too. His wife gave away nearly everything when he died, I think in the '50s, although we do have a magnificent bronze statue given to him on his retirement, and a silver bowl given to him by a group of passengers after a trip.

 

To keep this on topic, though, the norovirus possibility does scare me a bit. My wife is spinal cord injured, so cannot cough effectively. Something like that would be life-threatening for her. So any sign of it on the ship & we'll be shut up tight in our room for the rest of the trip.

 

- Richard