Noroviris Princess Cruises

[clarencebyer]

We like better the little packets of hand cleaner that you get when you fly before your meal service. I wouldn't want to touch a bottle that someone else just used.

 

 

PTC

 

On our recent Sapphire cruise, most entrances had the kind of hand sanitizer that is automatic... when you hold your hand under it, the sanitizer is automatically dispensed into your hand like the automatic faucets in some restrooms. So most of the time, there was no need to touch anything. :)

[Cruise Gypsy]

Our experience on the Grand in Dec was the same as the earlier poster. There was someone at the entrance to every eating area with the hand sanitizer. Also, there were always staff walking through public areas spraying down surfaces. We were very impressed with the measures taken on the Grand.

 

 

This has been our experience as well - we have been pretty happy with the steps Princess has taken.:)

[Diamondring]

We were on the Dawn in January and they were very careful with the sanitizers. Always someone standing at the Horizon court as well as the dining room doors. Witnessed them sending someone back to use it when they tried to slip past.

Common sense is very important in public places whether it's ship or mall, etc. I avoid hand rails and door handles when possible. When I have to use a public door handle, I don't touch my face until I can wash/sanitize.

There was some sickness while we were on board, so we also avoided the elevators. Besides, that meant dessert when we used the stairs............ :D

[Coolmama_1]

We were on the Dawn in January and they were very careful with the sanitizers. Always someone standing at the Horizon court as well as the dining room doors. Witnessed them sending someone back to use it when they tried to slip past.

 

Common sense is very important in public places whether it's ship or mall, etc. I avoid hand rails and door handles when possible. When I have to use a public door handle, I don't touch my face until I can wash/sanitize.

 

There was some sickness while we were on board, so we also avoided the elevators. Besides, that meant dessert when we used the stairs............ :D

 

I totally agree that common sense and good hygiene are key. I work with children so I get snotted on , snorted on, coughed on, wheezed on and sneezed on on a daily basis. Purell is my friend!:D Wash your hands can not be stressed enough!

[stoneharborlady]

To be very honest, on my first cruise, on the CBs inaugural season, I had no idea about norovirus, even after reading these boards for a couple of months before my sailing. I never saw the hand sanitizers at the dining room entrance, nor in Horizon Court. No one drew our attention to it, and we didnt know it was there. This time around I will be looking for it, and will use it.

[pretenda]

We were on this cruise around the med. There were quite a few outbreaks of illness. Could just have been gastro. When the doctor came to me she said that she had treated about 12 or so others before me. It is not pleasant. I felt awful for ages but was quarantined only for about 36 hours. My DH had the freedom to come and go as he pleased.

We did note that there were a few not using the sanitisers and both DH and I noticed people leaving the bathroom and not washing. One guy (from England which was quite embarrassing as we were in the minority) insisted on leaving the casino to visit the bathroom smoking a cig and returning with the same cig lit - goodness knows how he managed his pants:). Plenty of ladies left without washing too - obviously in too much of a hurry.

Not the fault of Princess though - although it would be good if they had sanitisers at the entrance to the ship (as do Pando)! You can lead a horse to water but...........

[leavitt1]

My DH and I will be cruising on our first cruise in January aboard the Grand. I am concerned because he has bad egzyma(sp?) on his hands and those hand sanitizers really make things worse. We think it is the alcohol content. He is a hand washing fanatic, though. Are there bathrooms near the dining areas he could use instead? Or could he carry his own, non-alcohol based sanitizers (Do those even exist?)? He'll deal with the sanitizers if he has to, but he'd really like to find an alternative option.

 

BTW, we are also trying to find a good hypoallergenic sun block. We discovered his skin allergies on our honeymoon (5 years ago this week! :D ) when the sun block we were using caused him major skin irritations. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Michelle

[OuiOnboard]

.... Are there bathrooms near the dining areas he could use instead?....

I can usually find a washroom somewhere near the entrance to the dining rooms. I much prefer handwashing to hand sanitizing.

[sonomaphil]

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/Norovirus/Norovirus.htm

[hillslife]

Another thought - maybe they should have staff in the restroom (men's and women's) and not let people out until they wash their hands.....that would go along ways in helping with the spread of many things!!

 

I am a nurse and wash my hands many many times a day and frankly don't like most of the hand sanitzers since they are usually alcohol based and very drying to the skin.

[scampi]

On the Island Princess 15 day cruise(April 26,07) staff members personally sprayed each person's hands whether entering the Horizon Court, the dining room or Sabatini's with a hand sanitizer. Also, I noted that staff was continually sanitizing the banisters, elevators, tables in Horizon Court, etc. We also observed the same on our Golden Princess 19 day Med./transatlantic (Nov. 29, 06) cruise.

[ldoc31]

I LIVE. After feeling close to death for several days i disembarked the Golden Princess this morning June 30 still too unwell to travel. No changes have occured to protect our well being. I was placed in a room that had a sick passenger before me. the room had not been disinfected as i found the quarintine letter of the previous guest in the bathroom. i brought this to the attention of the pursers office. they recleaned the room late on saturday.

i fell ill a few days later. i remained in the cabin under medical care the balance of my cruise. if you are unlucky and have cabin L235 and fall ill or you are Ms. B__k from the june 16 cruise please contact me.

 

take care

 

It is a shame this happened but you can pick this virus up anywhere not just a cruise ship. Proper hand washing is the best defense--you only get it when you touch something infected then touch your mouth. It does not live in the air.

[MaderaMan]

As used by most people, the "sanitizers" are just a feel-good measure. Read the literature...if the sanitizer is not still wet on your hands after 30 seconds, it has evaporated too quickly to kill bacteria. Nothing beats a good long HOT water hand wash with soap. And also don't touch your face with unclean hands. I travel a great deal and have never been sick and I believe it is due to frequent hand washings and a minimal amount of self discipline.

 

On our recent Coral cruise I couldn't believe how some people acted in the Horizon. Using their fingers to get cookies and rolls and even to separate pieces of cake. There are many idiots in the world and the best we can do is try to protect ourselves from them.

[OuiOnboard]

Sanitizers work best against Norovirus when the hands are kept wet for close to 60 seconds preceded by a recent thorough handwashing with warm water and soap.

[Beach4me]

I LIVE. After feeling close to death for several days i disembarked the Golden Princess this morning June 30 still too unwell to travel. No changes have occured to protect our well being. I was placed in a room that had a sick passenger before me. the room had not been disinfected as i found the quarintine letter of the previous guest in the bathroom. i brought this to the attention of the pursers office. they recleaned the room late on saturday.

i fell ill a few days later. i remained in the cabin under medical care the balance of my cruise. if you are unlucky and have cabin L235 and fall ill or you are Ms. B__k from the june 16 cruise please contact me.

 

take care

 

dnkybird - I am not Ms. B__k but I emailed you regarding a similar situation and the way I handled it. I mentioned this post in the subject line of my email.

[Beach4me]

[quote name='ldoc31']It is a shame this happened but you can pick this virus up anywhere not just a cruise ship. Proper hand washing is the best defense--you only get it when you touch something infected then touch your mouth. It does not live in the air.[/quote]

This is a true statment. But it sounds like there were certainly extenuating circumstances in the case of dnkybird. It's one thing to get it even though you have taken all the precautions you can. It's another thing when there is a failure on the part of the cruiseline to properly sanitize a cabin as reported by this poster.

btw - you also need to think twice before touching your nose or eyes, not just your mouth. We had our own handiwipes and used those after touching the menus in the diningroom as well. Towards the middle of our IP voyage, the crew began offering sanitizer when they collected the menus. I was grateful when they began that process. It made people that much more aware of the situation.