Is Balmoral Jinxed.

[bossmum1]

In yesterdays paper Balmoral just set sail from Britain on a 18 day cruise off coast of West Africa, 200 hundred passangers went down with vommiting bug. NOT GOOD.:( FEEL SORRY FOR THEM good start to a holiday.

[balf]

In yesterdays paper Balmoral just set sail from Britain on a 18 day cruise off coast of West Africa, 200 hundred passangers went down with vommiting bug. NOT GOOD.:( FEEL SORRY FOR THEM good start to a holiday.

 

One thing I can't work out is why FO seem to have this problem on more occasions than other cruise lines. Whenever we have sailed with them the precautions they took were much more stringent than we have seen on other ships. You could not get into the dining rooms without a member of staff giving you a "squirt".

 

On the other hand on Brilliance of the Seas last Christmas there were no obvious precautions taken except regular wiping of the stair handrails. There was certainly no disinfectant available going in to any of the dining rooms. And there was no sickness atall as far as we were aware.

 

David.

[Norfolk Brit]

One thing I can't work out is why FO seem to have this problem on more occasions than other cruise lines. Whenever we have sailed with them the precautions they took were much more stringent than we have seen on other ships. You could not get into the dining rooms without a member of staff giving you a "squirt".

David.

 

I'd wondered the same thing. The only difference we noticed against other lines is that some of their public loos still have hot-air hand dryers; the other lines we've been with dumped them long ago, and use disposable towels. Or perhaps the zealous squirting gives people a false sense of security, so they stop washing their hands frequently.

 

BTW, my husband often comments on how few men wash their hands after using the loo:eek:. This isn't something one often sees in the ladies. Ban men?:D

 

Mary

[the english lady]

we were on Balmoral last year and some people were ill. i never use the public toilets on the ship, just the cabin toilet, and I have not been ill yet...lovely ship, shame about this. last discussion on this thought it may all be the fact that a lot of fred's passengers are older, hence more sucepitable (spelt incorrect)

[durangoscots]

An interesting article in the Denver Post this morning on the increasing Norovirus incidents and nursing homes, day care centers and school in Colorado. Up a whopping amount in just the last two years .... and 2 new strains discovered in the past years (now there is not so great news). This all may combine to increase the cases on all ships. They point out that most cases are introduced from the outside (so short cruises and change in passengers might introduce it more often) and that clean, clean, clean is about all you can do. The cruise industry really takes a bum wrap when it comes to this ... it is much more common on land.... just not reported in the papers. Colorado even has privacy laws that won't let them report it to the public for nursing homes and I suspect other states have the same laws. (the reason is to encourage the institutions to report it to the appropriate authorities) Also these are smaller ships, so smaller number of illnesses make up the percentage to report (does that make sense???). Anyway .... keep your hands clean, away from your mouth. Try not to eat food you have to handle (hard to do sometimes) and enjoy your cruise. Sometimes it is just bad luck.

[WhiteStar]

When I was on the Balmoral last March the crew was very strict about sanitation, As stated you could not enter any dining area without having your hand squirted with disinfectant. The problem lies with stupid passengers. When I was in the buffet for lunch the guy in front of me picked up a giant french bread (I think it was for display) ripped off a piece and tossed the rest back among the bread and rolls.

[bossmum1]

As was the Black Prince on our cruise last Sept, a squirt at every turn. Boring but a must. The germ can linger for at least 12 days, so anyone traveling. within this span can carry the germ. This topic has been discussed before, would you tell if you are boarding that you been ill a couple of days prior to sailing, tell and risk your holiday or keep quiet and spread the germ.

[warringtonian]

Unfortunately you can spray people's hands as much as you like and you won't kill the Norovirus, which is not killed by alcohol wipes, etc. You can only kill it with bleach and they are not going to use that on your hands just before you eat. Normal hand washing is effective because of the mechanical action, i.e. the water washes the germs away.

[merecat]

The handspray on the aforementioned cruise contained no alcohol and all surfaces where being washed down with bleach,including door handles and walls,a team of experts came on halfway through the cruise and the ship was being throughly cleaned while we sailed and expert cleaners came on at Dover when we returned.

I saw many not handwashing and staff haveing to chase them to make them "have a squirt".

I don,t think FO has anymore trouble than other ships ,eg, American lines ,his ships are smaller so naturally with the age group FO caters for ,this sort of virus can spread more easily.

I have cruised for a number of years with different cruise lines and FO,this is the first time I,ve encountered Noro ,I have however come off other companies ships with chest infections ,coughs and colds.:)

[AlMAc]

My wife and I were on this cruise and all credit to FOCL for taking the very stringent precautions that they did. Even before the outbreak they were the toughest I've come across. Most other lines only squish you at the buffet, not the main waiter-service restaurants. And, contrary to what merecat states, the anti-microbial spray used by FOCL emphatically IS effective against Norovirus; much more so than any alcohol based solutions. Not as effective as chlorine but effective none the less.

 

However, I have to say that the average age of the passengers on this cruise was by far the oldest I have come across, and as "have you had it?" became almost the standard greeting when meeting new fellow cruisers for the first time it rapidly became apparent that the older the passenger the more likely they were to have succumbed. I hardly came across any obviously under 70s who had gone down with it. Given that FOCL apparently appeals to this older market, is there a possible link between this and their reportedly higher incidence of Norovirus? Just a thought.

[merecat]

Hi AIMac, I think you have me muddled with the previous poster ,nowhere have I stated that the antibactrial spray used by FO is ineffective against Noro.Confusion somewhere.

I said that it contained no alcohol.:)

[Parsman]

As the ship is now off on its "Northern" world cruise it will interesting to learn if the Norvirus problem is a thing of the past. I know when I sailed on the ship to the Caribbean last October very stringent steps were taken to control the bug and this seemed to be successful. I hope this can avoided from now on.

Much of this is self-interest as I am joining this cruise in Singapore for the sectors to Vancouver. Hopefully the chill of Alaska will control any germs!!

[balf]

I think the remark about the disinfectant gel used by FO (by warringtonian if you will read the threads) is another instance of statements of opinion masquerading as facts. Perhaps warringtonian could let us have the source.

 

David.

[Norfolk Brit]

I think the remark about the disinfectant gel used by FO (by warringtonian if you will read the threads) is another instance of statements of opinion masquerading as facts. Perhaps warringtonian could let us have the source.

 

David.

 

Alcohol gel does not kill norovirus. Source: my mother (a retired pharmacist). There are now products on the market which do kill the virus, and perhaps the one used by Fred Olsen is one of them.

 

Mary

[balf]

Alcohol gel does not kill norovirus. Source: my mother (a retired pharmacist). There are now products on the market which do kill the virus, and perhaps the one used by Fred Olsen is one of them.

 

Mary

 

I am sure you are correct. It is unlikely that any cruise line would use a product that did not work.

 

David.

[Norfolk Brit]

I am sure you are correct. It is unlikely that any cruise line would use a product that did not work.

 

David.

 

Pity, really. I was rather hoping that drinking a great deal would make one immune:(.

 

Mary

[gaelsail]

I am sure you are correct. It is unlikely that any cruise line would use a product that did not work.

It does work for certain bugs :(- but is not a replacement for simple and thorough hand-washing that takes care of many others :).

 

Perhaps some of the passengers do think it is a replacement :confused: ?

[welwyngirl]

Pity, really. I was rather hoping that drinking a great deal would make one immune:(.

 

Mary

 

Well, it seemed to work for me! I was on the cruise and remained healthy - except for the odd hangover!

[shecat7]

It surprises me that "fred olsen,s head office", replies on the cost of the price of a bottle of beer, but does not get involved in far more important issues.

The good point is that like all the cruise companies who do read the boards, they are the only one,s who seem fit to reply.

I know that cunards restaurant staff read these boards on management level.

Soon to be on the Boudicca for its "translantic crossing " comming home.

Steve

[balf]

Pity, really. I was rather hoping that drinking a great deal would make one immune:(.

 

 

 

Mary, I have never had a problem when the lergy has been raging all around me, so I would say a dram or two or three or........ does indeed work. Ask your GP for a prescription.

 

David.

[Norfolk Brit]

 

Mary, I have never had a problem when the lergy has been raging all around me, so I would say a dram or two or three or........ does indeed work. Ask your GP for a prescription.

 

David.

 

David, have never had the lurgy either so have reached the pleasing conclusion that only teetotallers get it. And while I'm typing at you, I thought your writing style was rather familiar so checked back, and lo and behold, you are who I thought you were. Wondered where Mufi had gone - always rather enjoyed his posts:).

 

Mary

[balf]

David, have never had the lurgy either so have reached the pleasing conclusion that only teetotallers get it. And while I'm typing at you, I thought your writing style was rather familiar so checked back, and lo and behold, you are who I thought you were. Wondered where Mufi had gone - always rather enjoyed his posts:).

 

Mary

 

Well I am pleased to have a style recognised. You are very perceptive. CC messed up my log in password in some way - glitch in the soft ware - so I had to be reborn. I miss mufi at times.

 

David.

[Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines]

In response to your recent posts the hand foam we use is non-alcoholic and chlorine-dioxide-based. It is a more dermatologically-refined version of what is used all round the vessels and just part of the overall sanitisation process enacted in response to any Norovirus outbreak.

 

 

Regards

 

 

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Head Office, Ipswich

[welwyngirl]

Seems Balmoral IS jinxed! They're having to avoid pirates now!

 

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Pirate-Attack-Off-Somalia-Cruise-Ship-Balmoral-Targeted-By-Bandits-In-Gulf-Of-Aden/Article/200903115235097?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_1&lid=ARTICLE_15235097_Pirate_Attack_Off_Somalia%3A_Cruise_Ship_Balmoral_Targeted_By_Bandits_In_Gulf_Of_Aden

[merecat]

Well ,there you go ,you,ll have to cruise on another ship ,just in case then.;)