Info and advice, please -- "People were sick on board"

[CPR]

I keep reading from those who have recently returned that "people were sick on board." How did you learn people were sick? Is there any public announcement, or it is rumors? Is it definitely still Norwalk virus? Is there a way the ship's medical staff can determine if it's Norwalk or just a stomach flu? How do they decide whether to confine you to your cabin, or for how long?

I'm glad to hear about the kids in the clubs having to wash their hands on the way in, etc., and we are ready to handle our time outside the clubs with wipes, etc. But I have three small children -- two who will be in the clubs (one still sucks his thumb--YIKES!) and one toddler. They are GOING to touch things, handrails, etc. There's only so much you can do...

I am making myself sick thinking about this. We sail in 5 weeks. I have been counting on this for a year. I can't imagine what it will be like if someone in our party gets sick...

How did you deal with this?

 

[mcnuss]

Is there a way the ship's medical staff can determine if it's Norwalk or just a stomach flu?

No.

They are GOING to touch things, handrails, etc. There's only so much you can do...

Precisely! Do what you can, control what you can control, and have a great time. Think about it: does your toddler sit in the grocery cart? Do you know who sat there last, or before that, or before that? How about school? If your kids are school aged, then they are exposed every day to an amount of germs that would give you nightmares. And let's not forget that the schools are not cleaned as frequently or as well as the ship. My kid got sick as a baby from something at the pediatrician's office. Foolish me let her play with the toys in the lobby. As a new mom, I did not give it a thought, but after that it hit me (duh!) - the kids in this place are here bc they're sick!!

Do not worry yourself over this. If you or they get sick, it will be terribly bad luck, but it could happen anywhere this winter. We escaped the Thanksgiving cruise w/o even a sniffle or a tummy rumble, 6 weeks later, DD had the flu for a week.

Have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DopeyRN]

We saw 3 different kids vomiting. My sister saw a family packed up and leaving the ship...in Grand Cayman if i remember right. Was walking down the hall to our cabin and heard a mom melting down over the fact that her child was quarantined. Talked to a woman who had 2 kids in their group quarantined. Policy was changed mid week as to the buffets.
We were told nothing.

Now that being said, I agree with mcnuss. The kids in my group were 9, 11 and 11. I was able to control more (though my son slipped into a pool behind my back). Little ones are exposed to illnesses all the time, esp if they are in daycare. I doubt the incidence was much, if any, higher than what is going on right now in your own community. I worried too, but in the end there really is not much you can do. Relax, plan, be excited and have a great time!

 

[CPR]

Thank you for your good advice. Yes, my older kids are at school and I just hope for the best with them and with all of us by washing our hands each and every time we come back into the house, from anywhere. And of course I put the baby in the shopping cart, etc. So...I will relax and let the germs take their best shot, if they must! We have generally been a healthy bunch (knock on wood). The truth is I am probably in more danger of getting sick from the plane trips to Florida than from being on the ship.

Thanks for putting everything in perspective for me...

 

[tezb]

Don't quote me on this, but basically I think Norwalk Virus is the same as stomach flu...same symptoms....just another name.

 

[quidam]

We were on the Wonder last week and one of us got pretty sick from what seemed to be the Norwalk virus despite the INSANE hand washing and the Purell. My opinion is that there is nothing you can do about it. You catch it or you don't.

 

[CRB#33]

Don't quote me on this, but basically I think Norwalk Virus is the same as stomach flu...same symptoms....just another name.

That's what I thought. I've had the stomach flu with the same symptoms as the Norwalk. No one ever called it by a name. It was just YUCK to me.

(BTW, I quoted you...Sorry! )

 

[jporter]

I got very sick on the Wonder last month, stomach flu type thing.
The good news is no one else in my family got it and it only lasted
24 hours. I did not see anyone else sick on the ship. I kind of think
I had food poisoning. I wouldn't worry if I were you. J.

 

[kajohn]

We were on the 2/8/03 Magic and I didn't see or hear about one person being sick. I worried and worried before we went, even so far as emailing DCL and asking about their quarantine policies etc.

My children were 5, 7 and 9. They swam in the pools (yes I let them in the Mickey pool!) they went to the kids clubs many times, and I even let them hold the hand rails and push the elevator buttons!

I did talk about proper hand washing, before meals etc. but did not freak out about it.

I did not want to spend my whole week in a worried panic, and said if it happens it happens, enjoy every minute while you can!

My husband did have a head cold (plugged up head, but very little sneezing) from Tuesday on, but he was careful, washing his hands frequently etc.

Maybe it was just by my strong will and determination, but none of the rest of us got the cold until we got off the ship on Saturday, that afternoon 2 of my kids and myself got it!

The point is don't worry, it won't help, just do the normal precautions and have a great time! In 5 more weeks you should be way past the normal season for Norwalk anyway!

P.S. My 7 year old has a nasty habit of chewing on things, his lanyard etc, and he still didn't pick anything up!

 

[katerkat]

We were on the 2/22 Magic and we didn't see/hear anyone who was sick. They also were letting us handle the food server stuff at the buffets, something I heard they weren't doing to prevent the spread. I touched a lot of stuff and didn't get sick. Just wash your hands a lot.
AND -- don't over react if you see someone who gets sick. One of the kids in our group puked at AP. It was hot in the room and he had a lot of cake from his mom's birthday celebration, and with the excitement, well, he lost his entire dinner. It was rather nasty. But an hour later, he was cleaned up and fine -- even let us tease him about it. So not all puking is automatically "Oh my gosh, it's the Norwalk!"

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by CPR
The truth is I am probably in more danger of getting sick from the plane trips to Florida than from being on the ship.

DH and I BOTH ended up with a stomach bug the first full day back from our trip in January. I think we probably picked something up from the flights --- spent most of the day in airports and on three different planes, all of which have recirculated air. That is said to be a germ-infested situation.

 

[dvarallo]

Originally posted by katerkat
We were on the 2/22 Magic and we didn't see/hear anyone who was sick. They also were letting us handle the food server stuff at the buffets, something I heard they weren't doing to prevent the spread. I touched a lot of stuff and didn't get sick. Just wash your hands a lot.
AND -- don't over react if you see someone who gets sick. One of the kids in our group puked at AP. It was hot in the room and he had a lot of cake from his mom's birthday celebration, and with the excitement, well, he lost his entire dinner. It was rather nasty. But an hour later, he was cleaned up and fine -- even let us tease him about it. So not all puking is automatically "Oh my gosh, it's the Norwalk!"

Are you saying that a child puked in AP and wasn't quarantined? I was on the 1/25 Magic and out of our party of 10, the 3 youngest (all 5 yo)were quarantined for 72 hours. The first threw up in OC after she slipped on a hula hoop and banged her head. Then my son and niece got sick the next day and were also quarantined for 72 hours. It didn't matter what the cause. If you threw up or had diahrrea, you were quarantined. Half our party were flown home from St. Thomas on Tuesday. It turned out that 2 of the 3 kids did not have the virus.

 

[tezb]

No problem CRB...I just meant I wasn't completely sure but thought Norwalk was basically another name for "stomach flu."

I sure hope this goes away by Summer. We cruised twice in July and never saw anyone vomiting in public places on the ship...unless we were just lucky. Doesn't sound very pleasant or appealing for a vacation.

 

[mmouse37]

My 3 year old nephew threw up in the club and was not quarantined (1/4 Magic)....they knew he was running around and had just eaten....they did separate him from the other kids until my sister got there and they even gave him a new t-shirt to wear since his was unwearable. They sealed his dirty clothes in a bag for my sister.

MJ

 

[reneesam]

I too am surprised that any child who vomits or has diahrrea in any of the public ship facilities is not sent to medical services.

My 2 yr old was on a heavy duty antibiotic for an ear infection for 5 days before we cruised. She had a "loose stool" once in Flounders. No fever, no vomiting, no more loose stool, no frank diahrrea, nothing more. We were seen in medical services the next morning because neither of our kids would be allowed to use the clubs again until we were cleared. Dr. Bob (a very nice guy, BTW) agreed entirely that it was from the antibiotic (Augmentin at a fairly high dose) but still had to confine us to our stateroom for 24 hrs per CDC guidelines.

BTW, this was on the 2/8 cruise. While I didn't see anyone getting sick elsewhere, there were a few sick folks in medical services.

 

[pigelet]

On our 1/25 cruise, many people were sick. Either we saw it or heard about it. What was disturbing to us is that you only get quaranteened if you go to medical services. ONLY. Crew members came out with gloves and masks to clean it up but no-one asked them to go to get medical advise.
While none of us got sick on the cruise, we all got something upon return.

 

[marley]

Just to put things in perspective, January and February are horrible months for viruses regardless if you are on a ship or at home. My guess is the people that got sick on the ship would have caught their "bug" at some point regardless. Unfortunately, it just happened on their vacation. We've all had that happen.

The last two years, my entire family has had the stomache virus and horrible colds and flu like symptoms making January and February miserable months for us. I have vowed never to go on vacation during these two months. Too risky

I have a 3 year old, who is not in daycare, and he still picks up everything his 6 year old sister brings home from school.

There is only so much you can do to avoid being sick and I would just enjoy your vacation and take normal precautions you would take at home and then sit back and enjoy and cross your fingers

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I'm on the disboards at this moment because my 5 year old is running a fever. She's sleeping at the moment and I needed a break. Better to be sick at home than sick on vacation.

 

[dvarallo]

I agree that it is better to be sick at home rather than on vacation and that January and February are probably the 2 months where viruses are rampant. What I don't agree with is the fact that Disney only quarantines you if you see the doctor. This is a big reason as to why the virus spreads. Word has gotten around that you will be quarnatined if you see the doctor, therefore, people rush back to their staterooms with their sick child and continues to spread the virus. If Disney is going to quarnatine anyone for throwing up, they should quarantine everyone. My son had diahhrea because he had been taking antibiotics for a strep throat he had the week before and the upset his stomach. The doctor on the Magic told me to stop the antibiotics, didn't switch him to another antibiotic and my son ended up developing pneumonia. He wasn't contagious because he had been on antibiotics for three days before the cruise and he was still quarantined. My niece who was sick was diagnosed with an ear infection when the doctor examined her prior to releasing her from quarantine. That combined with the rocking on the boat made her sick. What Disney is doing as far as their quaranatine policy is wrong. They will not get this virus under control if they only quarantine some of the passengers. I guess they must be easing their restrictions since the January 25th cruise because then it was a mandatory 72 hours, not 24 hours.

 

[pigelet]

Dvarallo: I agree with you. If a crew member has to clean it up most likely it was the parent who reported the accident. They should be taken to get checked out. Although Jan and Feb are big "sick" months, this virus started in Nov and is still going around. Disney has taken a lot of precautions but not be so carefree about the vomitting going on all around the boat.