Magic 11/16/02 Illness - THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN POST ABOUT THIS INCIDENT

[WRH3MD]

Well, I AM a doctor and got off the Magic exactly one week ago. If I could, I'd get right back on it. I'm a surgeon not an internist specializing in infectious diseases (internists think surgeons drag their knuckles when we walk) but I do know a few things about infection, how it spreads and how to prevent it. This is a GI virus and not the bubonic plague. I genuinely feel bad for those on all the cruise ships whose vacation was ruined by this but, unless sabotage can be proven, I think this is an unfortunate incident and I trust all involved are working in good faith to get rid of it. They are probably as upset about this as anybody. I have enough confidence in the Disney corporation and DCL in particular that they would not even inadvertantly let poor practices or carelessness risk such an event. It makes no business sense for Disney, DCL or the people on the Magic to cut corners on hygiene or safe food preparation. If nothing else, Disney, at all levels, know risk management. They consistently get sterling marks when inspected by outside agencies. Get real folks. Wash your hands with soapy water after you go to the bathroom. Cover your nose when you cough or sneeze and respect your fellow cruisers by simply using common sense. Just like your mother said (or should have said). It will be a little over 200 days before I get to cruise on the Magic again. I wouldn't miss it for the world!

 

[AnnMorin]

I hope that helps to calm people down!

 

[madcoco]

Well said.

 

[DopeyRN]

I just heard this on our local news. They said it is a virus and that all on the Magic have been confined to their cabin?? This does not make sense...first...it just sailed today. Second, they would really confine everyone???

And IMHO...this could happen Christmas shopping in the mall or catching a movie. It would help if everyone would wash hands, but that will never happen.

 

[MickeyB426]

On the local news here it's reporting that 275 on a "Disney Cruise ship" are sick with stomach virus. That's over 10%.

But it's Saturday, so wouldn't the boat be docked and all passengers, including patients, off the boat by now?

Perhaps that's how they got the number.

 

[Michelle]

Folks, go read the start of the thread.

The infected cruise was the 11/16 sailing, they are all off the ship today, the 11/23 sailing is delayed until later this evening as a mega-crew is onboard disinfecting everything and federal health inspectors are looking at everything. There are links to several news stories in the thread, here is the one from the Orlando Sentinel:

Orlando Sentinel Story 11/23

This sailing is expected to sail sometime later tonight.

 

[disfanatiks]

Dopey RN - I believe that they are referring to this past weeks cruise. The usual event is that if you come down this illness, you are confined to your stateroom.

In the case of the HAL Amsterdam, all who were sick were put off the ship on the next scheduled port and flown home at HAL's expense. I think that 27 people were flown home from Curaco...

From all that I have read, Disney did not fly anyone home. All who were ill were just confined to thier stateroom.

As we have sailed on both Disney and HAL. I believe both are very safe and I would sail again on either line in a minute...

 

[Disney Dreamer]

I'm getting queasy just thinking about all those poor sick cruisers. Especially the three year old boy! Yuck!

Kudos to the stateroom hosts and all DCL employees who are most certainly working hard to get the ship cleaned up. I don't envy them.

Pixie dust to all you 11/23 cruisers! I think the Magic will be the cleanest ship on the water! Have a great time.

 

[CamColt]

OMG! They just showed a clip of the CMs washing down the ship on the NBC nightly news. Of course I yelled(immediate reaction when seeing a Disney ship, LOL!) and DSs came in to look. After my 2 yo saw the ship he ran in the playroom, got 2 little models of the ship(matchbox car size), brought them back to me, pointed at the tv and said "2 Disney Boats". I cant believe he just recognized the ship. That just made my day!

Anyway, it looked like they were doing a good job of cleaning, even the floors up on deck 9, I believe. Hopefully this weeks sailing will get out not too late, and things will go smoother for them.

 

[AnnMorin]

It is almost seven pm here, getting ready to soak in a tub full of "herbal remedies" anyone hear if they have set sail yet today or will it be later tonight?

 

[sap1227]

The ship left about 6:00 PM tonight!

 

[my3kids]

NBC Nightly news just said DCL would refund anyone unsatisfied with the cruise. Surely they were referring to refunding the monies of anyone who chose not to said this week. Would they really refund the fares of anyone who just returned and called to say they weren't satisfied???

 

[ppiew]

Let's face it folks, the media have screwed up repeatedly on this story. Even Disney's own ABC Peter Jennings last night stated that the Magic had returned to port - saying/implying an interruption of the cruise. It makes one wonder about other 'information' we receive on a daily basis. Anyway - Bon Voyage and happy sailing to the Magic Cruisers.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I was starting to feel a little better/more reassured that the CDC let the Magic sail and only 1hr late. However, now it's DH saying we're not sure until Tuesday!!

 

[mystery mouse]

I have been reading through this thread and find it all very interesting.
I work in an elementary school and we always have some sort of virus going around, stomach bug, strep throat etc. I constantly wash my hands as this is the best prevention method against catching anything but even with hand washing I still come down with something a couple of times a year. I wouldn't stay home from work just because the stomach bug was going around.
We also sailed on the Wonder this past August 18th. Just before we sailed we were sent a letter by DCL that there was a case of rubella(german measles) on a previous Wonder cruise. I did check to make sure we all had our immunizations and then went and had a great cruise and never even thought about it once while we were on the cruise.
I can't wait to cruise again.
To all those cruisers on the Magic now I hope they have a magical cruise.

 

[LisaFB]

I haven't read this entire thread since I just got home and am exhausted from traveling, but we just got off the Magic today and everything is fine (except for the poor people who were sick for about 24 hours). We didn't get sick and neither did anyone we know. We saw them cleaning out the staterooms as we were leaving and complately changing all the sheet, towels, etc...

 

[TChrist05]

OK....all Magic 11/30 cruisers...lets just get ready to party and not worry about this stuff.....sometimes you can actually talk yourself into not feeling well.....I did it when I was in grammer school and did not want to go that particular day....but we will know that the ship will be the cleanest that it has ever been...Period! Let's just enjoy Thanksgiving.....Oh...Happy Thanksgiving everyone....and then hit the ship.....the welcome aboard buffet awaits!
6 days to the "MAGIC"!!!
Tom

 

[919Florida]

I HATE THE NEWS....I JUST CAME BACK IN FROM CATHING FOX NEWS AT PORT CANAVERAL AND ALL THE HOSTS BACK IN THE STUIDO ARE BASHING CRUISING!!!! THEY ARE SAYING HOW NONE OF THEM WILL EVER CRUISE AGAIN AND YOU ALWAYS GET SEA SICK, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...EVEN THE REPORTER SAID HE AND HIS FAMILY CRUISE AND GOT SICK AN HOUR AFTER THEY SAILED....THEY WOULD NEVER DO IT AGAIN. THEY ARE GIVING CRUISING A BAD NAME!!!! REPORT THE FACTS, AND LEAVE YOUR PERSONAL COMMENTS OUT OF IT. On the other hands....maybe this will drop the price of future cruises!!!! They showed live footage from the inside the Magic, in the dining rooms.

Release the facts, correctly if possible.....I don't want to hear about how you do not like cruising.....blah, blah.....they more harm than good.

MJ [/B]

I caught the same thing you did this morning. The network that is supposed to be FAIR AND BALANCED was not so FAIR this morning. I sent an e-mail to the show and I think you all should take the time to say something also. Here is the e-maill address:
friends@foxnews.com

 

[KenP]

Hello, this is KenP again and we are home from the Magic 11/16/02 cruise.

Let me please add a few more observations.

First, it was very difficult to get information about the situation. As others have said the news outlets were giving out some mis-information.

I think I had a better handle on things having been there and talked with actual sick guests.

The serious of the illness is being under-reported. I talked with a guy who's who family of 5 got sick. The illness lasted 48 hours. He stayed up all night watching his daughter because she was vomitting in her sleep and physically could not stand. He was afraid she would swallow his vomit. It's easy to read stuff on a bulletin board and think this is some mild nausea but this was TERRIBLE STUFF!

INteresting thing was the only member of his family that didn't get sick was the baby who didn't eat the ships food. I am not saying the food caused the illnessed, but the CDC is investigating this possiblity.

The media is reporting that Disney offered full refunds or orther compensation to guests that got sick. This guy asked for nothing and got nothing. He plans to write a letter. Whether Disney should offer compensation is a whole separate debate, but the media made it sound like Disney was automatically shelling out refunds and free vouchers. They weren't.

The main complaint I had with Disney was poor communication on their part. They sent a brief letter on Thursday to the guests but offered no further help.

I'm glad that they took extra measures to clean the ship, but the biggest thing they could have done would have been to send out a flyer on Thursday and Friday to the guests with updates. Even if the situation was the same, the flyer would have reminded people to wash their hands. This is so much more important than scrubbing down the ship!!!

Most people had no clue about what was going on, and continued poor hygeine practices. I observed it. I made a suggestion that they post a CM at the entrances to restaurants and remind people to wash their hands or at least post a sign. Nothing like this was done. Also I made a suggestion that they put soap in the public handicapped bathrooms (which also include a changing table). I know for a fact that the handicapped bathroom next to Palo and on Deck 9 near topsiders did not have soap. This was not done. One of the members in my party was wheelchair bound and could not wash her hands properly in the public bathrooms after a bowel movement. THink about it. (Apparently one wheelchair bound guest slipped on some soap in the past and Disney's response was to remove all soap from the handicapped bathrooms)

My opinion was that Disney was more concerned about liability and fault rather than the guests safety. In the same paragraph let me say that I love Disney and have been very impressed in the past. But in this instance they made some serious errors. No one or no company is perfect - I hope they learn from it.

I have been let down.

 

[Cindyluwho]

KenP, I'm with you 100%. Disney is a great company but they really messed up this time. I, too, was on the cruise (as I posted in another thread)and I'm very dissapointed. Not because the illness was present but because they could have done much more to stop the spreading before it got out of hand. The first person in our party to get it came down with it at about 2am Monday, and asking around the next day we found that others had it at this time as well. Disney didn't even put the notes under the door until CNN broadcast the news and passengers on the boat found out and went to guest services. They even had the gall to tell people that they were the only ones on the boat who were sick. They were dishonest, plain and simple. My first cruise on the Magic was in NOvember of 2001 and we loved it so much we rebooked, but this has left a nasty taste in my mouth, in more ways than one!