Topic: Mercury rising... Massive outbreak goes from bad to worse

Things aren't going too well aboard Celebrity Mercury this week.



The latest report indicates that more than 20% of passengers have now fallen ill with Norovirus, bringing the current cruise to a stand still, and delaying the next one by two days.

As a result, the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) has recommended a rare "no sail" approach in order to deal with the problem.

An extensive cleaning/disinfecting operation is now in full force and will carry on for 3-4 days.

Fortunately, outbreaks as bad as this are extremely rare. So too, is three outbreaks in a row.

Celebrity execs are saying that the problem lies with passengers bringing the illness onto the ship -- apparently, South Carolina (Mercury's base) is experiencing a higher than average number of norovirus outbreaks this winter.

Perhaps we should send in Kim & Aggie... ;)

Response by Celebrity Cruises President Dan Hanrahan about what is happening to the vessel:

What will be different about the cleaning process than Celebrity's usual Code Red response?

DH: By bringing the ship in one day early -- and delaying its departure by two days, we'll have 78 hours to do a full cleaning. In this case we're bringing on 50 additional crewmembers (some are breaking their holidays, others we're borrowing from other ships). We've hired a carpet cleaning company -- up to a dozen of its staffers will steam clean every carpet on Mercury. We're going to use Bioglobe's electro-static sprayers. This is a new technology and it works a little bit like the spray guns you use to paint cars. In this case you go into a room and spray. This is effective because they're able to venture into hard to reach spots (under tables, a chair arm, inside the closet, on the hangers). It's really effective.

We have hired a retired CDC vessel sanitation staffer to provide guidance and counsel. We also have six of our shoreside management team to provide more oversight to the cleansing process.

CC: With all these extra workers, why do you need three-plus days to clean the ship?

DH: Giving us a few extra days allows us to go through the process of cleaning two more times! It's important to understand that the incubation period of Norovirus is 36 hours, so it's possible that a ship could experience two incubation periods in that time. This way, effectively, the virus dies twice.

We're hiring 30 workers who will clean the port terminal after everyone leaves the ship Thursday. Other than that, we have talked with the Centers for Disease Control, which likes our plan. The CDC has been very good partners in helping us to figure out how to get rid of this.

CC: How will you ensure that this period of sanitizing Mercury will work and that passengers on its cruise departing Sunday won't be affected?

DH: We'll start out in Code Red. Passengers won't be able to serve themselves from the buffet, sanitizers will be everywhere, and we'll be encouraging all to wash their hands. Even though this ship will be spotless (I don't know how it would be possible for Norovirus to live after the three day break), chances are that someone could bring it on, and that's reality. So we'll start the ship off in full Code Red, and we will ask people to respect their fellow guests, to wash their hands with soap and water, and if they do get ill, to honor the quarantine period.

We've also made an offer to anyone who, booked on Sunday's cruise out of Charleston, is nervous about contracting Norovirus. We've given these passengers the option to cancel their cruises and receive a full refund, plus a 15 percent credit toward a future voyage. So far, about eight percent have taken us up on it.

Let's see if their measures work!

I wonder why they don't have the first 36 hours of every cruise in a Code Red situation with people not serving themselves at the buffet, etc?

I know that this will mean increased staffing but if they can prevent new passengers bringing the bug onboard from passing it on then surely this has a cost benefit?

QUOTE:

I wonder why they don't have the first 36 hours of every cruise in a Code Red situation with people not serving themselves at the buffet, etc?

Code Red affects the whole ship, obviously, not just the eating areas. The library is closed, pencils aren't handed out for the daily quiz, packs of cards aren't available for bridge...maybe that's one of the reasons they are reluctant to impose an automatic code red by default.

Blame it all on Norovirus and no mention on the main culprit Food Poison.Unless a Medical team do blood tests and Stool tests the Norovirus cannot be detected.Energency treatment like Imodium and or an injection will slow down Diorhea only and may appear later on.Food Poison is another matter and will run its time over 7 days without treatment as none is available.Both lead to a far more Important situation that of Dehydration. At least 3.5 ltrs of Water mut be drank daily and all food ignored,until such times as the offending virus etc has passed.Followed by a light diet in order to replenish the body salts lost.

Personal Hygeine is also a major factor for both,but with the absence nowadays of Laundrys onboard this issue gets ignored.Its common sense to wash hands after a visit to a toilet but then a few minutes later on touching a chair back,a cup or glass puts the whole excrcise back to square 1.At breakfast Buffet all ships display up to 50 glasses of juice and more prepared up to 30 mins ago and displayed in an open display.Bacon,Eggs and other cooked items are hours old and have been kept in warming trays until required for as long as 5 hrs.Burgers are generally halfed cooked then brought out and finished off in front of us on a grill.The list is endless,and those mentioned are their to be seen quite openly wheras accusations by Shipping Companys that passengers are to blame are fruitless.

Having not travelled with P&O for ome time on my last Cruise with them they certainly lead the field on Hygeine.A team of 2 continually made visits to refrigerated displays of food and did thermometor tests on that food.Higher standards of food preperation need to be practisd on all Ships.Even though necesary it is just not goodenough to place a passenger in isolation then make horrendous charges for an injection that does little or no good.Our own DHS website deals with all these isues in detail and should not be ignored.

The refurbishment of an older Cruise ship is purely window dressing new Carpets,tables etc..but the real offender seweridge piping is impossinble to access.This problem is well addressed on the new A380 Aircraft and soil is moved at rapid speed.We have to be more dilligant when Cruising regrds to Hygyne and the Food we are being offered simply say no thank you.Much better than going through Hell for a week.This post only outlines the problems onboard Cruise Ships and where great numbers of people live together during their time on the Ship.

I went though this forum. Its good one . If Norovirus is uncomfortable for those who contract it (including yours truly), it's almost never fatal. The medical industry has offered advice on the best ways to avoid it, which include washing hands thoroughly

I believe that if All ships for the 1st two days of a cruise Imposed a code red type system I.E only the staff serving food & no helping yourself etc, This would help to stop the virus spreading in the 1st place & as the incubation period of Norovirus is 36 hours, so 48hrs of caution should pay dividends.

Silver ion coatings on surfaces are said to prevent transmission of bacterial & viral infections. Even if only the handles of loo doors were so treated......

The passengers have been told to arrive as normal and they will be sanitised using the electro-static sprayers, getting into all the hard to reach spots. They will be held in pens for 48 hours whilst the ship is being processed and the passengers will again be sanitised on the second day. After 48 hours, both passengers and ship will be guaranteed bug-free and the passengers will be able to board and enjoy the remaining days of their cruise in a clinically clean manner. No port visits will be permitted to prevent bugs being brought on board and other shipping will not be permitted to come within hailing distance. Any passenger or crew member showing symptoms of any illness will be set adrift on an open boat.

Not true of course.................the ultimate sanction.