Magic 05/17/03 Norwalk Virus again? - Not.

[KenP]

Hello fellow cruisers,
I am typing this live from the internet cafe live Tuesday evening 05/20/03. I am sad to report that the Norwalk Like Virus (stomach virus- nausea vomitting and diarrea) may be back.

I personally know one person with Norwalk like symptoms. She went to the med center and three other families were there getting treatment for similar symptoms. She is totally out of commission. She is a healthy young lady with no med problems. She can hardly move as she has vomitted so many times. On the way back from the tropical deck party I saw
1) a cast member cleaning up vomit in an elevator
2) a kid actively vomitting
3) an adult 3 doors down for me being wheelchaired to the med center to receive treatment for nausea and vomitting.
4) a bathroom stall near the internet cafe covered in vomit.

I have been on the infamous 11/17/02 tainted Magic cruise, I have medical training, and I am suspicious that we may be experiencing another Norwalk Outbreak.

Please note,
1) I am not trying to blame Disney
2) I realize than a certain percentage of guests will be sick each cruise (however seas are calm now- I doubt this is just seasickness)

I am just reporting what I see.

If any other DISboards members are on board, I hope they will post too.

Meanwhile, my family and I are using the Purell and handwashing frequently, and sadly I am pulling my daughter out of the kids program.

Otherwise we have had a great time

 

[luvindisneyworld]

OMG how awful.i hope you and your family stay healthy to enjoy the cruise.
OMG all thaat vomit i would be freaking out.i would run from myself if i could when i am sick.that is one thing i cant handle.that is why i dont have kids.when i see someone sick i get sick too.

 

[tezb]

Oh no, I was hoping it was gone as no one has posted anything on this topic for a while. Must be the stomach flu as there is also the Norwegian Sky w/ sick passengers. We cruise in 2 months and now I'm starting to wonder. I know you can get sick anywhere but you're chances are greater in a small enclosed space...esp if there is an illness already present. Why put yourself at risk if you know in advance...esp since we have paid so much money....and coming from a distance. I hope those poor passengers get well soon!

 

[WDWLVR]

Wow - that's amazing. We just got off the Magic on 5/17 and didn't see anything like that during our week. In fact except for the hand washing signs in the bathroom I would have totally forgot about it.

That would be very sad if it is back.

Take care - wash those hands - enjoy your trip.

Mark and I came down with terrible colds after our trip, but nothing with Norwalk symptoms (he thinks he caught it on the plane and I caught it from him - I'm about 3 days behind him in symptoms).

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Oh Noooooooooooooooooo
Hope everyone (and the ship) gets well soon
This CANNOT happen again

Ken - were you on the 11/16 cruise? or the 11/23? It was the 11/30 that got cancelled

 

[bahama97]

Oh no! We are on the 5/31 cruise. Lots of handwashing for us! I'll have to add a can of lysol to my packing list.

 

[AnnMorin]

Hopefully it is just a case of the stomach bug. A lot of stuff is still going around my son's school. I am sure it was not still on the ship from the fall so IF it is back that means a passanger must have brought it on with them.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

My family and I were supposed to be on this cruise! I know a lot of the DIS'ers that are on there and hope they check in with us soon! Thanks for letting us know KenP.

 

[khawk]

The norwalk virus is just a stomach virus. I have it now, called in sick today. My oldest DD has it also and has missed 2 days of school. My youngest DD had it over the weekend and one of their step sisters also just got over it. It started out with a headache then upset stomach, & vomiting. I finally stopped vomiting but still didnt feel well enough to go back to work today, I still have the headache. The reason people on cruise ships get the virus so easily is because you have so many people in a confined space. When you go on your cruise bring some type of wipes with you and wipe down everything in your room that you touch, doorknobs, faucets, remote controls, everything you can think of. Also wash your hands ALOT.
Kim

 

[dewla]

Is this for real? We are leaving on the May 31st cruise also! Is there a way to get official information?? Not letting my kids do the kid camp would be so sad for them! And how much handwashing and Purell can you expect children to do? Carry a bottle with them???
I hope this does not start an artificial panic. Perhaps there was a little too much alcohol ingested at the tropical party??
Laura

 

[dewla]

khawk,

Were you on the Disney cruise last week or are you just telling us you happen to be sick???

dewla

 

[khawk]

I have never been on a cruise...yet. I just happen to get sick. I was in WDW from May 7-14th but I dont think we got it there. I think we got it after we got back. My youngest DD brought it home from school, then my oldest DD got it, then me. Pretty sure my DD got it from school as their step sister was also sick and she got sick before my kids got back to their dads house. her step sister got sick before she had any contact with my kids. I have read in the past that some people seem to think that the norwalk virus is just hanging around disney cruise lines and WDW but it is a stomach virus and it is all over the country. I read in a post a few months ago (may have been on a different board) that a woman wanted to sue disney because her family got sick while at WDW. Just wash your hands alot and if you can disinfect your room, then go ahead and do it.
Kim
PS... have fun on your cruise and let me know how it went when you get back. I am planning my next trip for 3 yrs from now but It will probably be a disney cruise.

 

[KenP]

Hello. Quick update before heading to St John beach. No official news, and I don't expect any. They are still allowing self serve at the buffets so the total number sick may be small. My friend that was sick (starting Tuesday, today is Wednesday) is starting to feel better but still self confining herself. Disney has done the VCR/order anything you want from room service thing with her/ free laundry etc. Her Family is NOT confined and they are not sick so far.

I am not trying to be alarmist by posting this stuff, it's simply the best way for us all to stay informed.

Again, if there are others on this cruise 05/17/03 I would like to hear from you.

Someone asked earlier- I was on the 11/16/02 cruise.

 

[dianthus]

Ken P. ~ I feel so bad for you & your family!

I recall you posting in the fall when the virus became a problem. What's the odds of twice in 6 months?

If it is indeed the Norwalk virus again, this does not bode well for Disney at all since the first episode got so much publicity... It's odd that the Nowegian Sky in Alaska has reported problems with it yesterday. Other cruise lines that had the problem in November seemed to have beaten it. HAL, Princess, Carnival...

From your perspective, do you think the changes DCL made since your November cruise ( when it surfaced) have adequately addressed the problem?

Keep us updated! But most important- Have fun & Stay well!

 

[jlp651]

I'm assuming that the best way to take care of the transmition of this virus is hand washing and lysol etc...

Also, consider packing things like Purell...may temporarily take care of the problem...

 

[jfeasel]

KenP, Thank you for the update. Please keep them coming. 10 of us are going on the June 14, 7 day and my father doesn't have a spleen and thus has a weakened immune system due to a diseased pancreas so he catches everything he comes in contact with. Please be a snoop for us and keep us posted!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by bahama97
Oh no! We are on the 5/31 cruise. Lots of handwashing for us! I'll have to add a can of lysol to my packing list.

We brought Lysol with us and sprayed our stateroom often. I also had hand sanitizer in each of our bathrooms and we used it before we drank or ate anything. That was back in January.

 

[tezb]

you know MJ (mmouse) is on this cruise also...I hope her and her family are well as she has not posted yet. She was supposed to originally be on our cruise in July but switched to this date. Let us know how you're doing MJ!

You know it could also be food poisoning or something from one of the ports. Before our first cruise in 2000, there was a sudden outbreak of illness on the Magic and it was due to bad shrimp. It's hard w/ these symptoms to always tell what it's from. And yes, norwalk is another name for stomach flu. I know of colds/fever going around now here in California. Thought the stomach bug had faded.....

 

[KenP]

just about to leave for St. John...

In my opinion Disney has done an excellent job since November in responding to the threat. They now provide hand wipe sanitizers at all buffets. They have signs posted at entrance to each restaurant requesting guests wash hands before eating. They put soap in the handicapped bathrooms (there wasn't soap there in November). They give the kids liquid soap on their hands when they enter the clubs so they HAVE to go wash their hands on entry. They have signs in each stateroom instructing people on how to wash their hands. I sent a letter to DCL after the ill fated Nov 2002 cruise with several of these suggestions (as I'm sure other guests did). They implemented all of them.

time for the beach now

 

[LAMPSKIES]

We were one of the cancelled Magic cruisers last Nov. We ended up on the Dec. 1 Wonder and then back to WDW for two days to replace the time we were to be on the ship. I came ill Friday after the cruise. It was just a 12 hour thing. Almost like I ate something bad. I still think it was the chicken fried steak I had for breakfast. The Dec. 1, 4 night Wonder we were on had to fly in more crew members to Freeport due to the crew getting ill (they left 5 hours late from port), The post office was closed, and most of the excursions on Castaway Cay were not available due to them being short of Castmembers. (So we were told later). Let us know what happens on Castaway Cay.!!!
Thank goodness the Magic goes to dry dock 60 prior to our next sailing. I can't go thru that again.