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Are these illness's being brought aboard by crew or passengers from third world countries. Are enough safeguards being implemented to guarantee immunization of all crew from wherever they live are up to date?
Are things like the whirlpool spas etc., being anti-bacterial treated to the degree one would expect given they are virtual petrie dishes for humans and breeding grounds for bacteria?
Is passenger travel history being updated to include recent trip to countries of known illnesses being monitored?
Is the cleanliness of ships being given enough priority in light of quick turn around times from cruise to cruise?
Is food safety considered to the degree it should be when produce is purchased while en-route?
Should all cruise lines form a co-operative agency to provide universal oversight of all of these issues in a pre-emptive effort to control or eradicate this problem? Should they all unite in some degree to make sure provisions for ALL ships are provided by regularly sampled and tested foreign providers.
Should every passenger be issued a self contained breathing apparratus Haz-Mat suit and duely cautioned to not wear it while swimming in the the pool?
best way to prevent noro virus is to educate the idiot pax who haven't yet gotten the message about washing hands thoroughly after they wipe their butts
Many years ago I took a Carnival cruise and it was fun but kinda gross. The crew did a good job of cleaning but there were just so many people they couldn't keep up. I remember taking a stroll around the ship and the seas were rough so I had to hold onto the railings on the stairs as a result my hands were sticky with filth. I wonder how many people don't even consider the germs then use their unwashed hands to eat or touch their faces?
I think handwashing and avoiding the dirt in the first place would solve alot of problems on these cruises but of course if it is coming from the kitchen that is another issue.
It's sad, and puzzling. For almost a decade we took cruises every year--and had a circle of friends who did the same. Never heard of mass illnesses like this, and never witnessed problems on any of the ships we took. We preferred Princess over the less expensive Carnival--but we had friends who regularly took Carnival and never saw any problems. The problems all seem to have started in the last 4-5 years--which makes me wonder what changed at that time. Did they make cutbacks on the cleaning?
Well, with primarily buffet style eating and people less inclined to actually WASH their hands (sanitizer is a joke) AND allowing children at the buffet stations to serve themselves, I can see why many get sick.
I got sick during a cruise and I didn't know which end to handle first, lol.
Since I am sure I will cruise again, I just make sure I load up on antacids, anti diarrea meds, ask my doctor for a few antinausea meds, small bottles of Lysol and antibacterial wipes.
I went on 3 cruises in the past and had a blast. Never thought about getting sick. I think the news enjoys reporting these stories and making a big deal of them. There are tons of ships coming and going without incident. But...even so I have to admit it's really turned me off going on anymore cruises. Getting sick is never fun, but the idea of getting really sick while being stuck in a teeny tiny room with a teeny tiny bathroom REALLY sounds awful.
Are taking these cruises really worth the risk? Are they that great? Just wondering...I have better ways to spend my money and time. I don't see the appeal, but to each their own.
best way to prevent noro virus is to educate the idiot pax who haven't yet gotten the message about washing hands thoroughly after they wipe their butts
This exactly.
It has nothing to do with crew members bringing them aboard from "3rd world countries." There is plenty of noro right here in the US. To my knowledge, cruise ship outbreaks are not a new thing. You have lots of people in very close quarters, all eating the same food, prepared by the same people, and all touching the same surfaces.
The best thing anyone can do is WASH THEIR HANDS thoroughly and often.
I seriously doubt there was any less frequent occurence of noro back in the olden days then now and were likely contained to the same pctg of pax, However there are many more ships and instead of 1000 people, now they are pushing over 5,000 and 3,500 is the norm. So naturally there are more occurrences.
A sure sign that the ship is dealing with an outbreak will be the prominant positioning of the Purell stations and a ships officer standing watch (with a pi$$ed off look on their faces) to make sure everyone is using them.
Unlikely that the majority of the outbreaks are being introduced by the crew because when they go into a lock-down mode, guess who's on their hands and knees doing the cleaning and breathing in the bleach fumes? Everyone from bartenders to waiters to cabin attendants to laundry workers. After they're done scrubbing every square inch of surface, they get to go back to their regular jobs.
A better prevention policy would be to drag the Bickersons on vacation kicking and screaming out of their cabins at midnight, hand them a scrub bucket and a gallon of bleach and have them do the cleaning. Maybe then they'd start washing properly before they start picking through the buffet with their grimey little fingers.
Are taking these cruises really worth the risk? Are they that great? Just wondering...I have better ways to spend my money and time. I don't see the appeal, but to each their own.
I'm with you. There isn't anything I can do on those ships that I can't do on land.
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