Norwalk - dare I ask?

[rosemary123]

Dare I ask the question?

Anyone know about any Norwalk virus on the ships?

 

[MarkRG]

There will always be some on the ships, as long as people board them. That is the way any bug gets onboard. What is your particular concern, that they'll quarantine the ship again? Not too likely, as they continue to have in place a very agressive policy of quarantining ill people and keeping the ship extra clean. For your end of things, bring hand sanitizer(Purell makes a good one) and wash hands often.

 

[Mjasp]

Just curious...If you are quarantined, will they let you upgrade your cabin to a verandah if one is available? It would be horrible to be sick in a cabin without getting fresh air in it, especially for the non sick members.

 

[MarkRG]

Oh that's a good question! I honestly don't remember reading anything about that specific thing one way or the other. From what I remember, they really go out of their way to make anyone quarantined as comfortable as possible, including bringing their dining room meals to the room and basically providing anything they can to make it better. That said. my guess would be it would have to be based on availability. They really can't give rooms they don't have.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Compared to previous trips on DCL, Disney is going out of their way to get people to wash their hands, with signs at about every sink, and sanitizing wipes available at the entrence to every dinning room.

I don't know anything about quarantined people as I personnaly do not have any experience or 2nd hand, 3rd hand, or even 4th hand notice.

In addition, Disney is NOT doing a very good job of trying to keep illnesses off the boat.

We were recently scheduled for a 4 day cruise that sailed on a Sunday. The Wed. before we sailed, our infant got a stomic virus. Friday night as we finished packing, the wife got it. Saturday morning, I had it. I called DCL and said the family has a stomic virus, what were our options. They wanted $255 to reschedule for the following week (3 x $85, not a very good incentive to keep illness off their boats). I tried to ask questions on the insurance covering us canceling, but since it was a Saturday (and the insurance is really another company), they couldn't answer any question. We felt pretty stuck and just waited until Saturday night when we at least didn't need the Imodium anymore and drove throught the night to get to the boat on time. I couldn't believe that after I had spoken to a DCL reprenative on Saturday, we were hit with the question on Sunday "has anyone in your party experienced any symptoms of illness in the last 72 hour"? Care to guess how we answered that question after driving all night long?

 

[Jeanny]

Originally posted by HooKooDooKu

In addition, Disney is NOT doing a very good job of trying to keep illnesses off the boat.

I couldn't believe that after I had spoken to a DCL reprenative on Saturday, we were hit with the question on Sunday "has anyone in your party experienced any symptoms of illness in the last 72 hour"? Care to guess how we answered that question after driving all night long?

Ok, I'm going to play the Devil's Advocate here... not flaming you, so don't get annoyed, just trying to understand your post...

DCL asks EVERYONE that question.... you went any way right? Were you honest in your answer... If you think about it, how many other people answered honestly? How many people who are sick, touch the handrailings, how many people who are sick touch the elevator button, how many people who are sick, DON'T wash their hands? That is exactly how the Norwalk or other "STOMACH" viruses are brought onto the ship and spread.

Should they do a pre-boarding physical exam? That would keep people occupied for the hour or so before boarding, right?? or require a doctors note from the previous 72 hours?

 

[Dreamer04]

Last Jan'12, on the Wonder, some people were quarantined and upgraded to verandah cabins.

 

[AnnMorin]

Originally posted by HooKooDooKu
I I couldn't believe that after I had spoken to a DCL reprenative on Saturday, we were hit with the question on Sunday "has anyone in your party experienced any symptoms of illness in the last 72 hour"? Care to guess how we answered that question after driving all night long?

And THAT is how the Norwalk virus gets on board. People are asked, do not answer honestly and on walks the virus to infect others. I am confused as to your saying that DISNEY is not doing a good job keeping it off, they asked you and you did not tell the truth. Should they hook people up to lie detectors? I do believe they offer at the port for you to stay at the parks etc if you have been sick. People who lie and get on the ship are the ones infecting it not the CM's who ask an honest question hoping for an honest answer/.

 

[Mjasp]

The problem I see is after your phone call informing them you were sick, when you got to the port it wasn't even noted in their computer that you had called and stated you were sick with a stomach virus, and asked about rescheduling. I see this as the problem, not the rescheduling fee.

Now in all fairness to Disney, if they were to let you reschedule for free, everyone who wanted to cancel a cruise would say they had a stomach virus.

$85 per person change fee is reasonable, IMO. Especially for people who don't take the insurance.

 

[TheGlensideGregorys]

The $85 rescheduling fee is right in line with standard charges for other transport modes such as a rescheduled flight or train (Amtrack reserved, etc.).

I don't think it's unreasonable - but Ann's point is well taken: It's not Disney's fault if people decide to circumvent the screening process.

 

[Mjasp]

Originally posted by Dreamer04
Last Jan'12, on the Wonder, some people were quarantined and upgraded to verandah cabins.

Thanks, Glad to hear that. I was curious if there was availability if they would do that. IMHO, I would even PAY.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

What I wanted to point out where Disney was doing a terrible job was the fact that I was talking to a DCL represenative about the family being sick and the represenative doesn't even mention the policy that they request people who have shown symptoms of having been sick in the last 72 hours to not board.

If the represenative would have mentioned this policy, we would not have left home.

While I agree that DCL can't just allow people to change bookings at the last minute for free that claim they are sick, I was not being given any incentive anywhere to just stay home.

As I said, I called on Saturday and DCL couldn't answer any question other than repeat what I could already read from the insurance company pamphlet.

The insurace pamphlet says that to be covered for a canceled trip, you must first see a licenced phyician who recomends cancelation of the trip before you cancel.


I won't claim those requirements are unreasonable from the point of view of the insurance company, but I made a since effort to see what I could do to fullful these requirements and ran into difficulties there too.

I started by trying to contact the pediatrition's office first since thats the most regular doctor we currently have. They offered us the ability to see a physician on Saturday (they have a small group on call for the weekends) but they only said they would see our son, treat him, and provide discharge papers showing that we had seen them, but that they would NOT provide a recomendation to not travel (they just treat, they don't provide a doctors excuse). I also called the doctor I usually go to when I'm sick (but its been a while since I've seem them). They gave me a similar story that they had an after hours physician that could see me, but they wouldn't providing doctor's excuses either. They would pass on information on my visit to me doctor who could issue excuses ON MONDAY.

From the medical front, the only advice we recieved was a nurse's claim that we were no longer contagious once symtomes of our illness went away and suggested that we go on the trip and just stay in our cabins for the first day or so.

I will say that by the time we got to the port, the only symtomes anyone was still showing was our son who still had diarea, so we did kept him out of the nursery until his symtomes disipated towards the end of the cruise.

But the over all point was that we got sick at the last minute, on a weekend where neither DCL nor local doctors were providing us with much help in what to do in our situation.

Here's what was also wrong on the money side of the issue. If we tried to cancel the trip and use insurance to recoop, that would cost us about $150 (reasonable) IF THE INSURANCE WOULD COVER IT. I couldn't get any reasurance that it would be covered. The next option was to change plans, but since we had an infant along, the cost to change the reservation was going to be $255 on a cruise that was supposed to cost us only about $1100 to begin with. If DCL made this fee something more like $150 per cabin rather than $85 PER PERSON, we might have jumped at that as well.

But by Saturday afternoon, with us feeling better (and DCL NOT saying they didn't want us to come after talking to a represenative and said the family has a stomic virus), going was the only reasonable option we felt like we had. What seemed utterly rediculous was that AFTER we get to port they ask this question about having been sick in the last 72 hours.

There question was also a bit overly broad as the question seems to indicate they don't want you on board if you've had a cold in the last 72 hours (an illness that takes 2 weeks to get over, that no body stays home from work or kids kept out of school for).

Well, not I'm just ranting and going on. Just pointing out an area where DCL needs to improve if they are really serious about keeping sick people off their ships.

 

[AnnMorin]

The question is broad so that they may discuss what your illness is/was. Some illnesses are not contagious after 72 hours while others are. The norwalk sheds, so there for your child that still had diarahia(sp) could very well have transmitted to virus to others. I do agree that when you called the CM dropped the ball by not noting in your ressie that you all had been sick. Probaby since you had stated you had insurance they assumed you were going to utilize that and not board the ship. I still do not understand though if a member of your party was still symptomatic how you could justify boarding the ship and putting other's health at risk. It is bad enough to not tell the truth when questioned about the past 72 hours but when at that moment someone is actively ill...well in my opinion that is just wrong.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I do agree that when you called the CM dropped the ball by not noting in your ressie that you all had been sick.

Where I was trying to point out the DCL dropped the ball was in not telling me that they didn't want people on the boat who had been sick in the last 72 hours when I was on the phone with them on Saturday at HOME. They instead mention this at port AFTER we had been driving for 12+ hours over night (the old left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing).

Probaby since you had stated you had insurance they assumed you were going to utilize that and not board the ship.

Afraid NOT. I was calling to ask them questions about the insurance, and they couldn't answer them or get them answered, so they had no reason to assume that I would try to use insurance to cancel the trip when I had no reasurance that insurance would cover it.

I still do not understand though if a member of your party was still symptomatic how you could justify boarding the ship and putting other's health at risk.

I can understand someone who believes we shouldn't have boarded the ship. After all, our son got sick to begin with because someone else brought their child to MDO and didn't take them home when they threw-up in the car on the way to MDO.

But it is DCL who put us in a difficult position after I made a sincer effort to deal with the situation on Saturday, but they couldn't answer any of my questions and they didn't take that opportunity to discuss their 72 hour rule.

We also didn't know if anyone was or was not still contagious (on Thursday, the Pediatrition said we should be find to take our son on the boat by Sunday, they didn't say "unless he still has diarea"). So we tried to make the most of a bad situation. We kept our son out of the nursary until he was over his symtoms towards the end of the cruise, we didn't take any excursions, we tried to be mindful of hygien (keeping our hands washes, especially after diper changes), and didn't allow our son to touch other children (or other children touch him) as kids are prone to do.

Sure it's easy to sit at home and judge us, but what do you think you would have done differently if you got placed in the exact same position. I think the way my initial post to this tread is worded answers the question of what "most" people would have done.

 

[mmouse37]

First, I do not think anyone here is judging you. I think you did the right thing as far as letting DCL know of your illness. Not everyone would do that.

But I do think the only viable time for Disney to ask that question about illness IS at the terminal.....how on earth would DCL ever be able to contact every passenger the day before and ask them that question? It would be logistically impossible.

Charging $85 per person is not unreasonable at all in my opinion...heck, it costs at least $100 per person for you to change any flight plans these days.

I do see your frustration about not being able to see the doctor for a note over the weekend...it is a Catch-22 situation.

MJ

 

[Mjasp]

Originally posted by HooKooDooKu





We also didn't know if anyone was or was not still contagious (on Thursday, the Pediatrition said we should be find to take our son on the boat by Sunday, they didn't say "unless he still has diarea"). So we tried to make the most of a bad situation. We kept our son out of the nursary until he was over his symtoms towards the end of the cruise, we didn't take any excursions, we tried to be mindful of hygien (keeping our hands washes, especially after diper changes), and didn't allow our son to touch other children (or other children touch him) as kids are prone to do.

I'm not sure how it works when someone falls ill, but wouldn't a doctors note staing your child has had diarrhea from Wednesday, explaining to the weekend doctor that you need the note as you spoke to the Ped. office on Thursday and they didn't see you till Saturday be enough. I mean you are only asking for a doctors note that your child has diarrhea. Again, I'm not sure if you need more than a note that you were seen and your child is still sick.
I'm not judging you either, but maybe you can clear up what DCL would want from someone in a similar situation, so we all will know in the future, should it happen to us.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

First, I do not think anyone here is judging you.

Well words like "...well in my opinion that is just wrong." sure sound like it. BTW AnnMorin, as I'll point out below, we were not even sure that Patrick was "someone is actively ill" because a series of illnesses ending with this one had severly changed his diet.

But I do think the only viable time for Disney to ask that question about illness IS at the terminal.....how on earth would DCL ever be able to contact every passenger the day before and ask them that question? It would be logistically impossible.

I'm not suggesting that Disney NOT ask the 72 hour question at the port, nor do I think they should try to call everyone ahead of time.

The frustration was that DCL had the opportunity to inform me of the 72 hour thing when I called them!!! BEFORE I made a 600 mile drive through the night.

I'll admit that I'm not sure what would have been said had neither my wife or I gotten sick (in which case we would not have been calling DCL on Saturday). We very well my have explained that Patrick got sick on Wednesday (96 hours ago), that our Ped said he should be go to go for a cruise by Sunday (i.e. the doctor's office knew we were getting on a Cruise ship on Sunday and that Patrick was sick on Wednesday, and they didn't see any issue), and that Patrick still had diarrea, but that it might be more because he had been on mostly a fluid diet (formula) for the last week because he already hadn't been eating because he spent the prior two weeks sick with a sinus infection and ear infection (as a matter of fact, he had had his first real meal of solid food just two hours before getting sick with the virus).

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm not sure how it works when someone falls ill, but wouldn't a doctors note staing your child has had diarrhea from Wednesday, explaining to the weekend doctor that you need the note as you spoke to the Ped. office on Thursday and they didn't see you till Saturday be enough. I mean you are only asking for a doctors note that your child has diarrhea. Again, I'm not sure if you need more than a note that you were seen and your child is still sick.

That's the question? Disney could not answer any questions for the insurance company, and the insurance company brosure says words to the effect that...

...cancelation of a trip will only be covered if you acctually visit a licensed physicion that recomends your trip be canceled and that you do this BEFORE canceling the trip.


I get the feeling that the most we could have gotten out of the issurance company might have been that a note saying the child had diarrhea might have been good enought to file a claim to recoup the $255 rebooking fee. But I don't think an insurance company is going to fork over $1100 just because a child has diarea. Like I said, the day was Saturday and the insurance company would not be available to question til Monday, but we had to make a desicsion on what to do on Saturday!

Now that it's a weekday and the issurance company is open, perhaps we should try to contact them to see what should have been done and what they will and will not cover. I don't have my paper work with me right now so does anyone have the number to contact the isurance company?

 

[Mjasp]

I don't know any Insurance numbers...But I'll ask the question before someone else does and maybe they will have it.

What Insurance sompany did you go through?

 

[HooKooDooKu]

We purchased the insurance DCL sells when you book directly with them.

Can't give you a name until I find my docs, but by then I'll have the number as well.