Topic: Princess Get Issued Virus Alert!

Princess Cruises have been issued an alert by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).



In a May sailing of the Sea Princess Alaskan cruise, 44 passengers became ill, 2 percent passengers and under 1 percent crew.

CDC will issue an alert when 3 percent of passengers or crew members become ill. So when Sea Princess returned from a 10-day sailing with 128 passengers falling ill, despite Princess’s increased efforts to disinfect the ship CDC had to intervene. And then when on her next outing 142 passengers became ill! CDC then issued an alert.

According to msnbc.com when the Sea Princess docked in San Francisco on June 9, Princessheld the ship for a “prolonged and intensive sanitization,” according to a statement released by the company. Due to sail from San Francisco at 5:30 p.m. that day, the ship was held until 8 p.m. so that it could be disinfected.

Princess Cruises believe that norovirus is the bug causing passenger’s to fall ill and tests they have carried out have confirmed that the bug that causes diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain is to blame. CDC are investigating the matter.

Norovirus thrives in contained places: schools, nursing homes and hospitals. Cruises are at no higher risk.

CDC also went on board and supervised the cleaning of all cabins and public area’s to check their wasn’t any other reason’s for this high number of ill passengers.

After a thorough cleaning CDC let the ship set sail on its next cruise. A week into this cruise and it has been reported that the situation has improved with just 13 passengers and 2 staff falling ill with norovirus.

CDC haven’t just let this issue go, they are receiving daily reports from Sea princess and have given advice on new techniques when washing hands and cleaning surfaces and areas.

Lets hope this issue has been sorted!

Have u been on board a Princess Cruise and fallen ill?

Do you think CDC done enough?

When we did an Alaskan cruise with Princess a few years ago I was one of 145 passengers and 45 crew who suffered with Noro Virus

It's pretty obvious that crew members who have just got, or are incubating the virus, carry it over from one cruise to the next. Cruise companies do not like to accept this as a fact though.

QUOTE:

It's pretty obvious that crew members who have just got, or are incubating the virus, carry it over from one cruise to the next. Cruise companies do not like to accept this as a fact though.

Show us the facts.
We have looked at this problem for the last couple of years and the weight of evidence is that Noro is brought onboard by passengers, even though we have uncovered that it can be airbourne.
If you have some new evidence please post the links

My recent cruise to the Med & the Adriatic on the 'Saga Pearl II' was similarly affected. That the bug was already aboard was undeniable as a passenger we knew on board told us that her cabin steward was already sick with it the day she arrived, although he was still working! In addition we learned that a planned Day Visitors' lunch and ship's tour had been cancelled that day. Our friend went down with the virus the next night and, in accordance with procedures, was confined to her cabin for 24 hours.
I went down with it on the eve of my birthday, which I duly celebrated in the cabin with a glass (or two!) of water and dried toast, missing out on a seat at the Captain's Table at dinner. My poor wife suffered the illness a week later. This meant that we spent two full days confined to quarters, and also had to curtail our shore excursions the following day.
We do not think the ship's senior management took it seriously enough to start with. By the end of the first week several members of the entertainments staff had succumbed, followed, during the next 2 weeks, by the dancing and singing troupe, two members of the classical quartet, and goodness knows how many of the crew and 'guests'. People seemed to disappear suddenly for a day, only to pop up again looking pale and wobbly, like me, and preferring not to mention their ordeal - very British!
Some ad hoc shows, incidentally very good, had to be put on to cover the shortage of entertainers.
Once it was realised matters were getting serious, thorough cleansing of all public areas was commenced, and regular hygiene warnings issued via the daily bulletin and public announcements.
Despite this, I personally witnessed some 'guests' failing to wash their hands after using the lavatory, and one man even visited the loos to be violently sick and then returned to the dining room as if nothing had happened! He was, thankfully, quickly and efficiently dealt with, despite his evident displeasure ("Don't you know WHO I am?").
I received information from a friend on board the next cruise that there were no further outbreaks, probably because the ship spent 4 days in Dover for engines overhaul and, unsurprisingly, a comprehensive 'deep cleanse'.
PS: I did get to finally celebrate my birthday, in some style and with much liquid refreshment, as a guest of the Staff Captain. I will not be publishing the photos!

In our last two Princess's cruise's , November 2010 ( 14 days Sea Princess ) and May 2011 (3 days Golden Princess) we were not aware of nor advised of any Noro Virus outbreak on board.
We were given an handout in our cabin when we arrived and during the week by the medical officer and Captain advising us how to ensure we applied clean habits and what to be aware of. What we did notice that has changed between some ships is the only hand gel station was in the buffet when you entered and normally a crew member asked you to use it on entry. No crew member though was present at the exit part ensuring you did not enter that way,
No hand gel stations were present in the MDR at all nor were any present leaving washrooms though signs were present asking you to use a paper towel to close / open a door and deposit near the door also asking you to wash with soap provided.
In our case we always ensured we used the cabin toilet as much as possible as requested and to wash ones hands every time you could.
Lack of gel stations to my mind is the wrong cost saving measure and one never talks about re -boarding a cruise ship at each port of call.
Course then we have passengers who do not use the tongs to pickup fruits , cheese et cetra.

The norovirus was originally named the Norwalk agent after Norwalk, Ohio, USA, where an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred among children at Bronson Elementary School in November 1968.

Useful information


Norovirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

QUOTE:

In our last two Princess's cruise's , November 2010 ( 14 days Sea Princess ) and May 2011 (3 days Golden Princess) we were not aware of nor advised of any Noro Virus outbreak on board.
We were given an handout in our cabin when we arrived and during the week by the medical officer and Captain advising us how to ensure we applied clean habits and what to be aware of. What we did notice that has changed between some ships is the only hand gel station was in the buffet when you entered and normally a crew member asked you to use it on entry. No crew member though was present at the exit part ensuring you did not enter that way,
No hand gel stations were present in the MDR at all nor were any present leaving washrooms though signs were present asking you to use a paper towel to close / open a door and deposit near the door also asking you to wash with soap provided.
In our case we always ensured we used the cabin toilet as much as possible as requested and to wash ones hands every time you could.
Lack of gel stations to my mind is the wrong cost saving measure and one never talks about re -boarding a cruise ship at each port of call.
Course then we have passengers who do not use the tongs to pickup fruits , cheese et cetra.

I am not that keen on using tongs as you don't know how dirty the previous users hands were, or the user before that etc etc .
Best to try and use your cutlery or for fruit or rolls i decide on the one i want from a distance and grab it with my clean, washed, sanitised fingers. I do the same in the supermarket as well and luckily have never had norovirus. Perhaps the passengers should all have their own pair of tongs. Or is wearing of disposable rubber gloves in the buffet a bit of a overreaction.

I have a question. Has anybody done an analysis of which ports are most likely to cause Norovirus? I get the impession that some areas are more prone to the problem than others. Also, it makes sense to have initial lockdown at the start of any cruise. Things can be relaxed if there aren't any problems. It certainly makes sure everybody is aware of the situation. I realise this is more difficult on short cruises.

QUOTE:

I have a question. Has anybody done an analysis of which ports are most likely to cause Norovirus? I get the impession that some areas are more prone to the problem than others. Also, it makes sense to have initial lockdown at the start of any cruise. Things can be relaxed if there aren't any problems. It certainly makes sure everybody is aware of the situation. I realise this is more difficult on short cruises.

It has been looked at still not enough evidence on the net, it explains why some ships have an outbreak halfway through cruise. Normally it gets a hold a couple of days into the trip and spreads rapidly.
It appears that you have a period of immunity for a few months after and the crew are very careful to avoid it.