Holiday still sick?????

[Alan2504]

here is latest post on my blog from returning passengers

 

"My wife and I boarded the Holiday on Monday afternoon January 28th as part of a group and just returned this morning (2 Feb) from a 5 day cruise. When we arrived at the port, the first thing we received was a written notice that there had been an outbreak of “Noro” virus during the previous cruise and that our departure on Monday would be delayed in order to disinfect the ship. We were provided information on the nature and symptoms of the virus along with recommendations on how to minimize the chance of contracting it while we were on board. We briefly discussed the idea of not going, but we decided to go ahead since the rest of our group wanted to proceed and Carnival did not make any offer to re-book anyone who didn’t want to go. We had no idea that the outbreak during the previous cruise was so severe that it had made the news. When we arrived at our cabin, we did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Everything appeared clean and smelled fresh. Within 24 hours of our departure, a large number of people took sick and the number appeared to steadily increase during the trip. Ultimately, 4 of the 8 folks at our dinner table became ill during the trip and were confined to their quarters for the duration. Turns out that about a third of our group became ill. We had rough seas on the return from Calica, so I’m sure that didn’t help matters. By this morning, the hallway around our cabin had a sour smell of vomit and sewage and all the crew members were gloved and masked as they cleaned the cabins. Thankfully, my wife and I came through healthy. I must say that the crew appeared to “Soldier On,” remaining cheerful the entire time. Some friends of our who both took sick told us that they were very impolitely treated by members of the infirmary staff. This was our second cruise on the Holiday and although it was marred by sickness and rough seas, we kept our health and had a decent time."

 

 

 

http://shiphappenzz.wordpress.com/

[maxamuus]

scary. Lysol and hand sanitizer is on the packing list.

[memphislonghorn]

I was also on the Holiday this sailing. I did not get sick in the least. But I have the advantage of working in the food business and I practice good and frequent hand-washing, especially before meals and always after using the restroom. Norovirus can be caught anywhere, not just on a cruise ship. And no one should blame the ship if you get sick, any more than you would blame a mall or a store you go in, if you touch all these surfaces and then don't wash your hands!

[KY Transplant]

This thread really lends credence to my previous posts concerning the Holiday.

As I have said previously here at C.C. I have seen first hand the nastiness of a great deal of Holiday passengers.

We were actually in line behind this slob of a person at the buffett when he reached down into his overalls and scratched his....well you know...then picked up a plate and proceeded through the buffett line. My wife put her plate back and walked out with me in tow....we never ate at the buffett again.

We saw so many like this that I wished I could have swam back to Mobile....I didn't...too many sharks..but it may have been better than dodging a shark of another kind dressed in dirty overalls, Tshirt and brogans. Don't these people know they are on a cruise? Couldn't their appearance and health habits improve a little while onboard? The whole cruise reminded me of the movie "Ma & Pa Kettle Slop The Hogs".

Maybe now some of you Holiday lovers will wake up & realize what causes these viruses. It appears Carnival does nothing about these human germ machines.

[Mikel1733]

This thread really lends credence to my previous posts concerning the Holiday.

 

As I have said previously here at C.C. I have seen first hand the nastiness of a great deal of Holiday passengers.

 

We were actually in line behind this slob of a person at the buffett when he reached down into his overalls and scratched his....well you know...then picked up a plate and proceeded through the buffett line. My wife put her plate back and walked out with me in tow....we never ate at the buffett again.

 

We saw so many like this that I wished I could have swam back to Mobile....I didn't...too many sharks..but it may have been better than dodging a shark of another kind dressed in dirty overalls, Tshirt and brogans. Don't these people know they are on a cruise? Couldn't their appearance and health habits improve a little while onboard? The whole cruise reminded me of the movie "Ma & Pa Kettle Slop The Hogs".

 

Maybe now some of you Holiday lovers will wake up & realize what causes these viruses. It appears Carnival does nothing about these human germ machines.

 

 

Ouch:eek: Time to start popping some fresh popcorn

[salty dingo]

Don't these people know they are on a cruise? Couldn't their appearance and health habits improve a little while onboard? The whole cruise reminded me of the movie "Ma & Pa Kettle Slop The Hogs".

 

A pig doesn't know it's a pig. It just acts the only way it knows how. If you don't like pigs, stay out of the pen! :D

[man of many coats]

I got it on the conquest. the medical staff was very rude about the whole thing. It cost me $180 for some pills. (BS). My head waiter felt so bad that I was sick he personally delivered to my room, a bowl of soup. That guy made my whole trip.

[samdog]

I've sailed twice on the Holiday and thankfully both times have been "healthy" trips. However, I have wondered.....

 

when I sailed on RCCL, they had hand sanitizer (hand-gel) everywhere on the ship; you weren't even allowed to enter any of the dining areas unless you used it. They had an attendant standing at the entrance to ensure that each passenger used it prior to entering.

 

Should this not be a mandatory practice on all ships, regardless of which cruise line it is? It couldn't hurt!

[jiggs]

 

Should this not be a mandatory practice on all ships, regardless of which cruise line it is? It couldn't hurt!

 

it couldn't hurt, but its been provedn and discussed on this board many times that it will not help either. Only the sanitizers that contain alcohol kill bacteria and many do not kill virus. Soap and the hottest water you can stand...washing for more than 1 minute to do a good job. And also no putting your hands in your mouth.

 

Close confines and people that are sick when they board the ship = sickness passing though passengers quickly. This is not the first year that these types of reports have made headlines, and if there was an easy way to reslove it, i'm sure someone would be profiting from it.

 

Stay healthy, was your hands as your vacation depended on it. Open doors with your fist, push elevator buttons with the back of your finger, avoid hand rails on the stairs and lounges...little things that can keep germs off the surface of your hands which are most likely to come in contact with your face.

[DanusLight]

I've sailed twice on the Holiday and thankfully both times have been "healthy" trips. However, I have wondered.....

 

when I sailed on RCCL, they had hand sanitizer (hand-gel) everywhere on the ship; you weren't even allowed to enter any of the dining areas unless you used it. They had an attendant standing at the entrance to ensure that each passenger used it prior to entering.

 

Should this not be a mandatory practice on all ships, regardless of which cruise line it is? It couldn't hurt!

 

Most hand sanitizers are an anti-bacterial and aren't that effective against the virus.

 

It's kinda like trying to find a cure for the common cold!!

[F5Loar]

NCL has the hand squirters everywhere too. While I can apreciate your observance of "Ma & Pa Kettle Take A Cruise", it's not just the Holiday.

Every ship on every line including HAL and X can have the same type passengers. They are easy to spot as you did. Wonder aimsly around the ship lost most of the time. Eat every meal as if it were their last. Seldom shows up in different clothes each day. Wears ball caps whenever out of the cabin(probably wear them in the cabin and to bed but I can't prove that).

But it's not necessarlily these types they are ridden with germ. It can be that sweet little old lady traveling on her 100th solo cruise that fell ill a few days before boarding and went anyway. Who would want to loose their cruise money over a sniffle,mild fever,rash or cough? Any vacation you take where you are around the public can subject you to airborne germs that can affect you right then or when you return home. I too was on the Holiday 1/19 week and never saw a problem of Noro. Never saw sick people around the ship. What I did see was Carnival's staff cleaning the ship all over as they do when they don't have a problem. If anything could be cleaned more often it would be the public restrooms. I feel many times I went they were not that clean.

[samdog]

I'm very aware of hygiene protocol and do practice hand-washing vigorously. But I still think having the sanitizer (yes, the kind that contains alcohol) at the entrance of all dining areas) is a good idea and could possibly help prevent the spread of some types of infection.

 

My point is.....it would at least provide some type of hand-cleaning process to those who refuse to wash their hands before dining with others.

[sixgun8]

This thread really lends credence to my previous posts concerning the Holiday.

 

As I have said previously here at C.C. I have seen first hand the nastiness of a great deal of Holiday passengers.

 

We were actually in line behind this slob of a person at the buffett when he reached down into his overalls and scratched his....well you know...then picked up a plate and proceeded through the buffett line. My wife put her plate back and walked out with me in tow....we never ate at the buffett again.

 

We saw so many like this that I wished I could have swam back to Mobile....I didn't...too many sharks..but it may have been better than dodging a shark of another kind dressed in dirty overalls, Tshirt and brogans. Don't these people know they are on a cruise? Couldn't their appearance and health habits improve a little while onboard? The whole cruise reminded me of the movie "Ma & Pa Kettle Slop The Hogs".

 

Maybe now some of you Holiday lovers will wake up & realize what causes these viruses. It appears Carnival does nothing about these human germ machines.

 

Well Sir Hitler, when you take control of the world you can start your genosidal cleansing wherever you wish!

[cubsfan2008]

I am a CT Technologist at a Chicago area hospital. Regarding the use of hand sanitizer, it may help a little, but it has been proven in our journals that hand sanitizer does little compared to actually washing your hands for 30+ seconds. The hand sanitizer does not get under your nails or under jewelry such as rings or watches. In our hospital, every room has a dispenser with hand sanitizer and we have been told in the past that as you enter the room and leave the room to use it, but the policy has since been changed to make us wash our hands in the sink prior and after entering a patients room. For all that goes on in during a cruise, hand washing should be of upmost importance. Also make sure that while you wash your hands you actually allow the soap to penetrate any bacterias that may exist by rubbing the soap in for at least 20-30 seconds, an easy method would be to sing the "Happy Birthday" song while washing your hands. Thanks all Pete

[memphislonghorn]

I should also mention that the buffet lines were NOT self-serve, as I have seen in the past. The servers loaded your plate for you, and they were all wearing gloves and hairnets or hats. Even the girls at the danish station would not let you grab your own danish. So the foodservice staff was doing everything it could to ensure food safety. Believe me, working in the grocery business I had to pass a food safety course, and I know what to look for. If anyone was sick during my cruise, then unfortunately it was their own fault.

Again, folks, don't blame the "pig" in front of you, or the sniffly coughing kid, or the fact that there's no hand sanitizer available. Wash your hands often and you will not get sick. End of discussion.;)

[KY Transplant]

No it is not the end of the discussion.

If the pig in front of you scratched his butt or whatever and put his hands on the serving utensil then it doesn't make any difference if you or he washed his hands before getting in the buffett line. That utensil is contaminated.

You can also wonder if the OP washed his hands after he went potty. :eek: After all he did scratch his...well...you know...how nasty does it get?

[cruisingjon]

I've sailed twice on the Holiday and thankfully both times have been "healthy" trips. However, I have wondered.....

 

when I sailed on RCCL, they had hand sanitizer (hand-gel) everywhere on the ship; you weren't even allowed to enter any of the dining areas unless you used it. They had an attendant standing at the entrance to ensure that each passenger used it prior to entering.

 

Should this not be a mandatory practice on all ships, regardless of which cruise line it is? It couldn't hurt!

 

Hand Sanitizer does nothing against this illness. This is a virus not a germ. Trust me, when my family went on Caribbean Princess back in December, the average age of the people on board was at least 70, the rudest group of people we have ever sailed with. The staff was okay, BUT, norovirus broke out on board, we all got it the last day.

 

When I got home I went to my doctor who told me that it is a myth that these hand sanitizers don't do any good against this type of thing.

 

if it makes you feel better to use it, by all means go ahead, but nothing beats a good old hand washing with soap and hot water as often as possible.

[okgirl]

It's been widely discussed and accepted by the medical community that the liberal availability of hand sanitizers actually leads to people washing their hands less. And has been pointed out these sanitizers have no impact on the Norovirus even if they are alcohol based.

 

People should take a hint from the example of the medical community and wash, wash, wash. I worked as a nurse for 3 years and was never sick, even when there were outbreaks of MRSA and such.

 

I'm almost compulsive about washing my hands, my biggest bad habit is trying to keep my hands off my face. I have dry eye's and they itch a lot. Your nose and eye's rather than your mouth are the most likely places to allow a germ to enter your body.

 

What I would really like to see Carnival or all public places do is make sure there are either hands free entrances/exits to the public restrooms or make available paper towels and a waste basket if you do have to open the door using a handle when exiting.

[big_duck]

I've sailed twice on the Holiday and thankfully both times have been "healthy" trips. However, I have wondered.....

 

when I sailed on RCCL, they had hand sanitizer (hand-gel) everywhere on the ship; you weren't even allowed to enter any of the dining areas unless you used it. They had an attendant standing at the entrance to ensure that each passenger used it prior to entering.

 

Should this not be a mandatory practice on all ships, regardless of which cruise line it is? It couldn't hurt!

 

Obviously it can hurt.

 

It provides a false sense of security that stops people from taking the proper precautions.

[singer67]

The thing that amazes me most is that is doesn't happen more often. One change that would help a little:

 

Make the buffet serving utensils longer than the serving pans. That way it would be harder for the handle portion of the spoon / tongs / etc. to slide down into the food. One less pathway for the germs to take into the food.

 

I am leery of water dispensers for the reasons noted in another thread. Sometimes people refill water bottles at the fountain, allowing the neck of the bottle they have drunk from to contact the fountain head. Not sure how to solve that one. I just don't drink water from there. I will pay for bottled water instead. Or drink beer. :D

[PCCruiser05]

I was on the Holiday starting Thursday 1/24/08 and the first day I didn't notice much going on but by Friday there were a lot of little things going on to fight the virus that was going around.

 

I have to say the ship is very clean and they are working to keep it in ship shape. Around Friday I noticed the masks and the buckets of bleach water and we were not able to serve ourselves which was nice (since it was the buffet but they did serve you as much or as little as you wanted). I am happy to see they are keeping the ship in good shape but I am still concerned about the brown water. Anyone have an explaination for the brown water.

 

Beverly

[suseg]

I say Carnival should hire a squad of Donna Reeds...they can wear little cotton dresses, with full skirts and starched white aprons....carry Lysol spray and Clorox water around and continuously spray down everything. Of course the mashed potatoes and gravy might taste a bit off but they'll be sanitized!!!

I know I'm a smartazz but sometimes common sense needs to take over. It doesn't matter where the buffet is, it is very hard to keep them sanitary and germ free. Unfortunately those are the risks we take whenever we venture outside our oh so sterile homes. Bring some sanitzer wipes or spray for your bathroom and use it whenever possible, perhaps consider eating all meals in the dining room or go to those areas of the buffet where your food is made to order . However, no matter what one does most viruses and "bugs" are airborne and we cannot possibly avoid all of them. So cruise, dance, live and always keep the Pepto and Imodium close at hand!!!

 

Another reason to stay away from ALL buffets is that almost all of the food contains a higher degree of MSG to keep it "fresh" looking, and I (for one) get horrible migraine headaches from the stuff....which includes nausea. Of course that makes me wonder if some of the norovirus diagnosis are in fact just reactions to MSG?

[smarks]

I also was on the Jan. 28, cruise. They took special precautions to protect us. As Memphislonghorn said, they wore gloves and hairnets at the buffets. DH and I sat at a table for 8 and no one got sick from the virus, only some sea sickness. The ship did some rocking. I don't think it was the virus. IMHO. Happy Sailing

[poptart]

I should also mention that the buffet lines were NOT self-serve, as I have seen in the past. The servers loaded your plate for you, and they were all wearing gloves and hairnets or hats. Even the girls at the danish station would not let you grab your own danish. So the foodservice staff was doing everything it could to ensure food safety. .;)

 

 

If they did that all the time I might eat at the buffet occaisonally. I hate any buffet where people serve themselves--you don't know where peoples hands have been before they handle the food or serving utensils. I can't control what other people do BUT I can control what I do.

 

Now my dh has never seen a buffet he didn't like :D but I'm just picky and kind of germ-o-phobic.

[freedomrider]

No it is not the end of the discussion.

 

If the pig in front of you scratched his butt or whatever and put his hands on the serving utensil then it doesn't make any difference if you or he washed his hands before getting in the buffett line. That utensil is contaminated.

 

You can also wonder if the OP washed his hands after he went potty. :eek: After all he did scratch his...well...you know...how nasty does it get?

 

 

If Pa Kettle scratches his arse (or his "you know") in the buffet line and no one sees it, is their hand still contaminated? Are you saying that had you not seen this act by the typical carnival germ machine you would have blissfully eaten at the buffet the entire cruise? And Carnival is the only cruise line with passengers who's sanitary habits are questionable? Eat in the dining room and hope that the staff has not scratched their you know prior to serving you.

 

Someone mentioned RCCL requiring people to use the sanitizers. This is simply not an enforced policy on all RCCL ships. They were available, but the vast majority of folks ignored them. Not that it would help with a virus anyway.