Norwalk on Sun Princess

[btrojanoski]

Posted yesterday on CBC website (Canadian Braodcasting Corporation)

 

Check this link:

 

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_norwalk20040920

 

Norwalk virus hits cruise ship

WebPosted Sep 20 2004 08:08 AM PDT

 

 

VANCOUVER - At least 84 passengers have gotten sick with a suspected Norwalk-like virus on the Sun Princess' final Alaska cruise of the season – which ended Monday in Vancouver.

 

Princess Cruises spokesperson Julie Benson says most of them have gotten over the the gastro-intestinal illness – after suffering flu-like symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting and exhaustion.

 

LINK: Norwalk-like Virus

 

She also says the crew did a good job of containing the virus.

 

"We have a team of specially-trained sanitizers and cleaners who immediately go around the ship and sanitize anything that passengers could touch," she says.

 

"That includes hand rails, elevator buttons, casino chips, gym equipment, door handles and things like that."

 

The chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health says the disease can be serious for people with low immune systems. But Dr. John Blatherwick says people shouldn't be alarmed.

 

"These people do not present a great problem to British Columbians coming back from their cruise. Most of them will get over it within two to three days," he says.

 

"It's a terrible experience for them because you're on a cruise where eating is an enjoyable thing, but it's also one that you get over fairly quickly."

 

The ship will be further decontaminated while it's in port

[spongerob]

I'm afraid that for most experienced cruise passengers, the Norwalk or noro-virus issue is very old news. The news media really seem to hype its presence on cruise ships, when in fact it's common in almost all public venues, including schools, hospitals, and businesses. The symptoms can be mild to severe, and dehydration is a serious risk. It is easily spread and can live for extended periods of time on surfaces before being transferred. The simplest defense is frequent hand-washing with disinfecting soap, particularly before eating.

 

Once the crew of any ship is aware of passengers that have brought the disease on board, countermeasures are quickly instituted that include confining affected passengers to their cabins for 24-72 hours under medical supervision, disallowing passengers serving themselves in buffet lines, and placement of sanitizing solution in all dining locations.

 

The outbreaks are very noticeable on ships because it is an enclosed environment where the same group of people can be tracked for an extended period of time. CDC in the US requires reports of outbreaks on ships, but does not track land-based outbreaks because they are so common.

[AllmanJoy]

Thank God she is on her way to Drydock!

 

We are scheduled to sail on her 10-13-2004 and I hope she is clean as a whistle before we get onboard!!!!!:D

[dosi]

Thank God she is on her way to Drydock!

 

We are scheduled to sail on her 10-13-2004 and I hope she is clean as a whistle before we get onboard!!!!!:D

 

I don't want to rain on your parade but unless each of the passengers is sanitized prior to boarding I do not the going in to drydock will really impact the possibility of contracting Norovirus.

[cruiserforlife]

Will sail her 1/28/05.Not worried about Norwalk but am pleased to be able to sail after drydock...always nice to be spiffed-up!

[DesrtDrmr]

We sailed on the Sun last year, after a couple of breakouts of the Norwalk virus, and we were just fine. We just washed hands constantly, used a liquid hand sanitizer, and I, being the nut that I am, took disinfectant and sprayed everything in the cabin, that we could possibly touch. :)