12/7 The Virus Attacks Again

[knappfamily]

wE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM THE 12/7 AND I AM SHOCKED TO HEAR SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY DID NOT SEE OR HEAR OF ANYONE SICK!!!!!!! WE WERE A PARTY OF 8 AND BY TUESDAY NIGHT MY HUSBAND, MY 7DD AND MYSELF HAD ALL HAD OUR TURN WITH THE VIRUS. TWO DOORS DOWN FROM US A FAMILY OF 3 HAD IT. A LADY HAD STOPPED ME IN THE ELEVATOR WEDNESDAY ASKING WHERE I FOUND THE GADORADE....HER DH COULD NOT STOP VOMITTING. MY LIST COULD GO ON AND ON. THE REASON SOME MAY NOT HAVE SEEN OTHERS SICK WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MINUTE YOU REPORTED IT THEY ISOLATED YOU TO YOUR ROOM. IF YOU WOULD NOT STAY THERE ...YOU WERE SENT HOME. WE SAW A FAMILY IN TEARS LEAVING IN GRAND CAYMAN .
ANOTHER ONE ON COZUMEL. YOUR TIME SERVERED WAS 72 HOURS FROM THE LAST EPISODE. ONE MAN I MET AT GUEST RELATIONS WAS MAD BECAUSE HIS 6DS HAD MISSED TWO DAYS ALREADY AND WAS NOW MISSING CASTAWAY CAY. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME DON'T GET ME WRONG. BUT THE VIRUS IS STILL THERE AND I WISH WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED IT.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

I don't believe the "virus is still there", I really believe the cause is people bringing it back on board. I did see most of what you saw so I don't think anyone is saying it didn't happen

 

[howardk613]

If you took a sample of 3000 people in any population, in the winter, I guarantee you that 5 to 10 percent of them would have the flu or flu like symptoms at any one time. All this hype about peolpe getting sick on the ship is just that, hype. We were on the 11/2 cruise and there were people with these symptoms (including myself) but no big deal was made about it. Only after it hit the press did all of the uproar start. In my opinion it is much ado about nothing. If you want to be free from sickness , germs etc. then you should completely disinfect your home and stay in it for the balance of your life. Life is a gamble and you have to be in it to enjoy it so go on the cruise and enjoy yourself and don't worry about things that you can't control.

 

[hydster]

not just on cruise ships! Cruising during times when illnesses are at their peak is a chance WE ALL TAKE! The Norwalk has hit our school system hard here in the last month with our kids NOT escaping it either! I firmly believe that the virus is EVERYWHERE and while it stinks to have to stay in your room to avoid spreading it and it stinks to have your vacation interrupted I dont think it has anything to do with Disney or the ship!Every year there are 181,000 cases of the Norwalk Virus reported in the US alone. People usually call this the "Stomach Flu" but it is the Norwalk Virus. Norwalk moves like greased lightening through families and groups of people - schools, hospital wards, long-term care facilities - striking the healthy and the not-so-healthy with equal ease. Infected people shed the virus through their stool. In the process of wiping themselves, they can easily contaminate their hands. If they don't wash them properly, they can deposit the virus on bathroom or other surfaces or can spread it to other people by hand-to-hand contact. The minute a newly infected hand goes into the mouth, the cycle begins again. So keeping people in their rooms LIMITS the amount of interraction people have with each other therefore limiting the chance of even greater infection rates!

I read this and thought how true it is of MANY things... Hermits rarely get this disease," quipped Dr. Brian Ward, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University in Montreal whose family just suffered through a bout of Norwalk but most of us choose NOT to be hermits so that is the chance we take. Do we have to like it NO but we deal with it and that means ALL that are involved including Disney. I am sure they didnt like keeping people in their rooms as much as you didnt like it but it is a necessary thing!


I am very sorry that your trip was interrupted by such a terrible virus but so was my Thanksgiving and last year our Christmas all of us were sick. It is unfortunate that you paid money to be sick but I think it is the luck of the draw! ALso if you were one of the ones who was NOT sick would you want all those who were sick roaming around breathing on you and touching things? I HIGHLY DOUBT IT! So Disney (In my opinion did the RIGHT thing here) and I am glad to see that they confine people to keep the thing from hitting ALL passengers and crew!
I am truly sorry but I dont think Disney is to blame!
JMO
Heidi

 

[kpgclark]

Knapps-

Just wondering, what do you do in that tiny room for so long? That would have driven me crazy. Also, how do they know if you leave the room? Is this what they do if someone catches the flu when there is no high alert for Norwalk? Also, not that they needed to, but did Disney offer any extras because you were forced in your room such as books, toys, or videos for your daughter?

 

[walter]

My wife and I were on this cruise and did hear that some passengers became ill, but a vast majority of the passengers were very healthy indeed. We had a great time and did not mind the extra precautions taken by DCL. In fact, as we left our stateroom for the last time :, we saw the cleaning staff in haz mat wear getting ready to clean the rooms. I classify haz mat wear as disposable coveralls/footwear covers, masks, gloves and in some cases, goggles.

 

[Dennis the WDW Menace]

As an adult, having ben hit with this on the ship, all I can tell you is that you feel so bad that all I did was sleep and walk to the bathroom. They constantly called me to make sure that I was doing OK and if I needed anything, yes they brought me water, soup, soda, gatoraid, anything I asked for. I don't see if their was any way to see if you were staying in your room or not, but if you do have this virus the last thing you want to do is be out in public. Having a more than casual knowledge of this illinness, I have treated many over the years with this, you could say that when the summer ends the flu season starts. Largely spread by children, they get from school and bring it home for all to enjoy, it is hard to confine. Since DCL does have a large number of children, just coming from those infected school environment, and putting their fingers and hands in their mouths then touching hand rails, door nobs, counters, anything within their reach, also: coughing and not covering their mouth is one sure way the virus is spread and does so very quickly. It does happen each year and will occur next year.
Disney did one thing that may help stop one area where you can contact the virus, they would not let people touch the food in the buffet line. This is my one area of personal irratation when people let their children touch food at buffets and then put the food back in the buffett, even sometimes putting the food in their mouth and putting it back. Some parents even laughing and making jokes about little Johnny constantly doing this when thoy go out to eat. Disney placed all of food on your plate and even would pour Ketsup on the childs plate rather let them tough the bottle and possibly spread the virus.
But be advised, you will notice that the CDC classifys this as a "Norwalk like virus". The true Norwalk virus is very nasty and lasts 7 days or more in most cases, CDC also uses names as 24 hour virus, stomach flu, 2 day flu, and Gastrointestinal virus. The other types of flu that they try to catch with the flu shot are not covered in the Norwalk type virus, so the flu shot may not help with this.
What helps is handwashing, teaching you children the importance of handwashing and covering their mouth when coughing, and staying as healthy as possible. Still, you can get this virus.
The only thing you can do is go with the flow (sorry for the pun) and enjoy any Disney experience as much as you can.
This is my two Disney pressed cents worth.

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

In agreement with Denise, viruses spread very easily on the ship. Out of the 46 members of our DIS thread, 22 came home with a cold/cough. Things really spread on that ship. It's a bit like being on a plane for 7 days, we re-breath each others air quite a bit. (I want a verandah next time).
On my Oct 19th Magic cruise, my family all came down with really rotten colds on the last night. (My daughter ended up on a ventilator and in the ICU for 4 days immediately upon our return).
I noticed a few coughs at the evening shows the first few nights, then it escalated noticeable with each night. I wouldn't mind seeing some better ventilation in the Theater. I'm glad they stopped the galley tours. On editing my video of our galley tour, I noticed how much the one kid on the tour coughed all over the place during the whole tour. I hadn't let my kids come along as it was listed under 'Adult Enrichment Series' in the navigator, hence the video for the kids.
Do everything possible to boost your immune system before going, then just follow hygiene guidelines and hope for the best.

 

[CathyCanada]

This virus is in nursing homes and even hospitals, up here in Canada, so for infected people to go on the ship and give it to others is no surprise. I do feel bad for you, despite all the precautions, it must have been disappointing, but I think Disney did what they could to rid the ship/crew as the originators of the virus.
Cathy

 

[AnnMorin]

I started with vague stomach problems on thursday which I attributed to the amoxicillian I started taking. DH had same issues come friday. Today (sunday) I have pretty intense diarihha (however you spell it) Do I think I have the virus- I don't know it- could still be from the amoxicillian. But if I do I surely don't blame disney. Heck I could have got it on the plane home, from the rental car etc. They did everything they could to protect me and my family. It seems to be that people are bringing it on board with them. I do feel bad for those quaritined but I feel it was the right choice to contain things. I would assume disney will be doing something to compensate them-like giving them 72 hours credit towards a new cruise or something. But really to blame them for getting sick-that seems a strech. Both my DS and I got ear infections on board (and the $200.00 medical bill that comes with them) is that Disney's fault? IF Disney DID NOT quarentine those who were ill then they would be at fault for others getting sick.
I do have on small gripe that I wish they had told me that my deck (five) was the one that was hit so hard in the beginning of the week, I may have been more vigulent. However in hind site, how much more vigulant can one be, we used purell, the wipes they gave us and washed our hands. Just like kids pass strep throat through a school, viruses spread.

 

[TnRobin]

Having been confined to a stateroom for 48+ hours myself with a sick child - two years ago. I will agree it is definitely no picnic. I missed most of the day at St Marteen and all the day at St Thomas, except when DH releaved me for a few hours of shopping. DCL was nice enough to refund mine and DSs excursion tickets. I told DH to go ahead.

That said, confinement is the only way to keep this type of stuff from spreading. I know you were disappointed in being confined. I know 2 days drove me bonkers, 3 would have been even worse. Keeping people confined for the entire incubation period keeps other passengers from being infected. I know I would be livid with DCL had they released a child too early and then that child infected my child in the club.

 

[CamColt]

Im so sorry for all those who have gotten sick on the ship. That has got to be the worst thing. I picked up a nasty cold on our last cruise(maybe got it on the plane on the way down) and it was such a bummer. I cant imagine being really sick.

Im just curious about something though. How do they keep track of sick people leaving their rooms? How do they even know if you are sick in the first place?

 

[AnnMorin]

If you go to the medical center with complaints they surely would know- but what about folks like me , I was expecting a CDC form that I could tell them I was nauseas but none ever came. On Friday when DH had prepaid for parasailing and was VERY queezy we went down to guest services and told them so. They gave him a refund on the excursion but did not ask about our family medical situation. We are both quite sicker as today goes on, luckally DS is ok so far. But I still don't blame disney-

 

[taswira]

It seems to be a no-win situation - - If someone suffers stomach cramps and diarrhea, that person is not likely to report it to Medical Services, because they don't want to be confined to their cabin. I don't believe Medical Services can immediately diagnose Norwalk if you report to them. The symptoms are too similar to other things. If the person continues to roam the ship and the islands and <I>does</I> have the virus, they are contaminating others and adding to the spread of illness. <B>Not having received a report that a particular room was "sick," no <I>special</I> steps would be taken to decontaminate that stateroom for the <I>next</I> guests</B>. It would be cleaned, but not as extensively as is needed after contamination.

No one wants to be confined to their stateroom because of an upset stomach, but how bad does it have to get? Didn't one of the CDC articles state that people can harbor this virus and be contagious before exhibiting symptoms other than "just not feeling well," and that <I>some</I> people are hardly affected at all, while others become miserably ill?

Those of us cruising have to live with the possible consequences. In no way is this DCL's fault. They are doing EVERYTHING within reason to keep this in check, but <B>they need all guests to be totally up-front about their state of health</B> . . . even without being asked. That will be the only way to keep the "sick" numbers as low as on the recent cruise.

 

[stancan]

Just got back from the magic with my wife and three young children. We had a fantastic time , the service was secound to none and we absolutely did not see or hear of anyone getting sick.
In fact , we thought the ship was cleaner than a hospital. We did not make it a point to " look for sick peaple", I have never been a hypochondriac, but I am sure there where more than a handfull on board . We ate in all the restaurants , we swam in all the pools, we touched the hand rails and pressed the elevator buttons. We met a lot of nice peaple from all over the world and did many island activities. We also booked the magic for the same time next year.

 

[ppiew]

As sorry as I am about people who get sick while on vacation, I cannot for the life of me imagine why ANYONE would want to be around other people while sick and possibly infect them!! To be angry at a cruise line for taking the 'quarantine like' precaution is ludicrous! It is the height of irresponsibility and selfishness to knowingly and willingly pass on some disease to another person. I would hope people would be more sensitive to others and NOT do ANYTHING to jeopardize someone else's health. No, I wouldn't want to be left in a stateroom for a couple of days with a sick family member either - but neither would I want to be socializing with those who are already sick and just don't give a hoot about anyone else!

 

[JODIELYN]

hI ALL!

We just returned also, and will post a report at some point... but wanted to comment on this thread.

There were 19 of us in all. No one had symptoms of the 'virus'. One evening DH vomited, but we attributed that to food/etc in Cozumel.

Did hear of a few families leaving the boat, but didn't press for details.

One of our party had a cold and went to the medical area for some sudafed and left because there was quite a few people in the waiting room and she didn't want to pick up something more.

DH & I both came home with colds, and DS7 does have a bit of diariah... but... i attribute that to travel food, etc..

All in all... awsome trip! Wouldn't have changed a thing and I applaud Disney for all of it's efforts.


Jodie

 

[taswira]

From <I><B>Maritime Today</B></I>:

Another Cruise, Another Batch of Sick Passengers

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12/16/02 10:06:AM

A mysterious outbreak of stomach ailments has again struck the cruise industry, the latest in a round of low level yet high profile sickness attacks to hit the beleaguered cruise industry. The latest outbreak reportedly happened onboard Carnival's Conquest, which arrived Sunday to New Orleans after a west Caribbean cruise on which about 260 passengers and crew members got sick. It had carried 3,160 passengers. It was disinfected and set sail again Sunday evening with only four cancellations and 38 people who just didn't show up.
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<font color=C30003>At least <B>DCL</B> seems to have it <I>somewhat</I> in check!</font>

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

You are all going to think I am crazy for thinking this, but ...

We were on the 11/3 wonder cruise and my DD (2 3/4) was fine until the last night - she started to get a fever. We spent the next three days following our cruise in WDW and she just wasn't herself and still running a fever. The day after we got home I took her to her pediatrician and she had an ear infection - the first one she had ever had. The next couple of weeks she had been complaining about her belly so I took her to the pediatrician and they took a urine culture and she had aweful diarreah (sp?) and she is still running a fever. Last week she went back to the pediatrician because now she has a cough that she can't get rid of.

I know these are not symptoms of the Norwalk Virus, but she has been sick since we got off the Wonder on 11/7 with all different kinds of things going on. She has never been sick before, nothing to call the doctor about. So I am wondering if she could have caught something else while on the wonder - or somewhere else for that matter?

Thanks for listening.

Lisa

 

[Cindyluwho]

RIDISNEYLOVERS, tell your doctor that you were on the cruise ship and get his opinion. Also, call the Center for Disease Control, their number is on their website http://www.cdc.gov/ they can tell you what illnesses can be transmitted while in a confined space (cruise ship), the ports you visited, etc. They are very, very helpful. It could be a stomach bacteria, etc, but the CDC and your doctor would be the people to ask.