Sea sickness vs Noro Virus

[buckspc]

Would there be a chance of the crew thinking you had the noro virus if you were sea sick and confine you to your cabin? Wife gets sea sick quit often, is this something to worry about? Thanks Buck

[Spikesgirl]

Having had both, there's a distinct difference between them - I never get diarrhea from being sea sick. The best thing to do is have your wife take something for her seasickness befroe it happens. She'll also enjoy the cruise a lot more if she's not seasick.

 

As to whether or not a crew member thinks she has Noro, again, if she doesn't get sea sick in the first place, that won't be an issue.

 

Charlie

[cruiseryyc]

Seasickness does not cause diarrhea - norvo virus does. That's the difference.

[FritzG]

I wondered how they determine the difference between seasickness and noro, too. In January on the Diamond a passenger at dinner vomited on the table behind us--luckily we didn't se it happen. All of a sudden there was activity behind us, and a big crew showed up in orange haz-met suits with large bags, and they rolled up everything on the table and put it in the bags. Then they cordoned off the area and scrubbed the carpeting and the chairs. Needless to say, we were praying it wasn't noro. The next night everyone was at the table so I assume no one was quarantined. There were rough seas that night, but how does the crew make the determination?

[Toto2Kansas]

The ships Medical staff is mainly looking for a combination of vomitting and 'D'. Seasickness only causes vomitting. So, make sure if you need to visit the medical facility onboard because of seasickness, you mention only the one problem. The combination of the two will definitely get you confined to your stateroom so the spread of noro can be contained.

[BruceMuzz]

Actually Norovirus sometimes includes vomiting, sometimes includes diarrhea, and sometimes includes both.

 

The biggest difference between NLV and motion sickness is the low grade fever that ALWAYS acompanies NLV. That's what our doctors always look for.

[chasinraynbowz]

Would there be a chance of the crew thinking you had the noro virus if you were sea sick and confine you to your cabin? Wife gets sea sick quit often, is this something to worry about? Thanks Buck

 

There are several things your wife can do to prevent seasickness. I get motion sickness very easily. I take Bonine once every 24 hours and never get sick. Others, take ginger. I can't imagine enjoying a cruise while being seasick.

[geoherb]

I'm still not sure what I had on the Emerald Princess last year. At first, I attributed it to seasickness and too much cheap champagne during the afternoon. After we got our note about the norovirus much later during the cruise, I reconsidered. But by then, I was feeling fine.

 

I threw up only one night for a couple of hours (not continuously). I slept in the cabin most of the next day, which was our first sea day. I missed dinner in the dining room two nights.

 

The other possibility is another food-borne illness. The chicken curry I ate at lunch is the prime suspect, but it could have been the rice pudding.

[San Diego Ellie]

to the OP, if your wife gets seasick often, I recommend she invest in, and ALWAYS wear the electronic relief band. when the seas are calm, she can have the intenstify on "2". Intensity inceases as you go toward the maximum "5", and she can increase it in rough seas. It works perfectly for me, but you have to make sure it is placed correctly exactly according to directions. It is an investment, about $130 plus dollars, but I suspect you cruise fairly often, and in my opinion it is worth its weight in gold!

[mauiedin87]

Having been on 13 cruises thus far, two things (in combination) have worked extremely well for me. I take ginger capsules - 2 a day - and I wear my SeaBands, not the electronic ones, just the cheap grey knit accupressure knob ones, and I never take them off, except in the shower. Those two things have worked in all kinds of seas from mill-pond calm to 20 ft waves on the Pacific. My husband takes Dramamine and has never been seasick either.

[emeyers]

Another good idea for the prevention of seasickness is the seasickness patch. It's available by prescription only, so ask your doctor about it. It's a small patch, actually, that you stick behind one ear. It takes four hours to go into effect, so put it on before you board the ship or before the ship sets sail. After that its effectiveness lasts four days. Then you take it off and apply another one. It really works. Pills don't work for me; the seasickness patch does, as do the seabands, which can be purchased in any drug store. They work even on those tenders, which can be murder on rough seas.Ellis

[dforeigner]

As others have mentioned, sea sickness will cause vertigo but you will not get a case of the black water rapids. On the other hand, with the Noro Virus, you get vomiting and...:D

[cmalibu1]

Great question. I would think that trained medical staff will definitely be able to tell the difference if you can describe and keep track of symptoms and aggrevating factors. If you are concerned about being quarantined for seasickness and you know its not a virus, be sure to tell them that you dont have any aches, and you feel dizzy (vertigo symptoms) -if thats really how you feel.

 

I would also stress that there is no diahrrea included, and symptoms subside with a dramamine. Also when on land do you feel slightly better? If so be sure to stress that.

 

If they are sure its seasickness you should be fine. When talking to you, if its a virus they could tell by your pallor alone. So I would assume that you shouldnt be worried IF its ONLY seasickness. Which is pretty common on cruises.

[coiran]

If there is a choice between the two - I would choose seasickness - it can be easily remedied, whereas Noro will take a minimum of 48 hours and you will be soooooooooooooooo sick. DW and I contracted it, fortunately, at home and it is not a pretty sight.

 

Ron

[cherylakers]

I had what I believe was Noro in Egypt in January. Severe vomiting so much so that they called a Dr. on board our small riverboat for about 12 of us. The Dr. said it was the Egyptian food we were not used to, but I think it was Noro. Over half our riverboat of 138 people got sick. I had only the vomitting which lasted about 12 hours solid until the Dr. gave me a shot and medicine to stop it. I did not have a low grade fever though as someone suggested. Some of the people had severe "D" and no vomiting. It affected all of us differently, but it went through the ship in about 3 or 4 days. Going down the hall in the morning you could tell who was sick with the "Do not disturb signs" out. I was lucky I was over it in 1 1/2 days and back to normal.

[sultan_sfo]

On both land vacations and cruises, I love to eat "street" vendor food, if it is temp hot! D but no V may result. Sometimes it is Immodium to the rescue -- definitely not Noro but I suppose on board they may not know the difference.