The ship's crew was fanatical about sanitation; you couldn't board the ship or enter a dining space without using hand sanitizer.
The crew wouldn't even shake hands with passengers or fellow crewmen, they bumped elbows.
Regardless, I caught the norovirus on the last day of the voyage, probably at an Indian heritage village in Ketchikan.
The doctor came to our cabin and gave me some Pepto Bismo and gave us a legal notice confining both my wife and I to our cabins (she never did display any symptoms).
So far everything is understandable but what was troubling to me was that the Oriental doctor gave me an injection of something — probably to decrease digestive-tract motility — without taking a medical history or even asking whjat medications I was currently taking.
Upon disembarkation we were segregated along with some other ill passengers and herded off the ship separately.
As compenstaion we received $100/day and free cabin service.
In light of the fact that it was almost impossible to find a quiet place on the ship away from noise, waiters/waitresses trying to sell you drinks or that infernal squaking PA system blaring at you, nothing could induce me to board one of those lazar ships agin.
I've been getting calls from Carnival at dinnertime.
Finally, lastinight, I answered the phone. They wanted to know if they can plan my next vacation. I said, I was not going on vacation anytime soon. Then she asked when I might be going, and I told her to call me back in a few years.
"He said it's likely passengers brought the virus with them when they boarded"
They always say the passenger brought it on. Absolves them of some blame and the extra costs regular decontaminations of onboard drinking water systems.
Seems to me that you found such a place on your last day of the voyage.
Why would anyone want to take a cruise on one of these ships? In addition to the boredom of sitting on a boat off the coast of an exotic land instead of actually being in the exotic land, there apparently is a very real chance of contracting some life-threatening bacteria or virus in the closed ship environment. I paid for my mother to go on a couple of these with her girl-friends this year - she was bored, but at least she didn't get sick. The next trip those ladies will take will be a Kenyan safari - no more boats.
I have this picture of the gangway being dropped and a river of puke splashing down it onto the docks...
We had an out break at a local grade school, that spread to several of the other schools, as well. They said that the virus seems to originate in shell fish, leading most people to believe that it may have started on the local Indian reservation, which claims the rights to all the shell fishing in the area and had a lot of kids at that particular grade school.
Will never go on a cruise. Between the viruses, people disappearing and criminal activity. Forget it.
What you had was MUCH MUCH worse than AIDs.
At least with AIDs you're allowed to have the run of the ship.
I have never heard a good word, or even a good syllable, about Carnival Cruises.
Some compensation! I would never get on another ship again either were I you! What a terrible experience!
You could give me the free month cruise and $100,000.00 and I wouldn't hop on one of those disgusting germ factories.
A Naughty Nurse could inject me with anything, for all I care...
About 2 years ago we were on a cruise through the western
Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an elderly
lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining
room. I also noticed that all the staff, ships officers, waiters, busboys,
etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady. I asked our waiter whom the
lady was expecting to be told she owned the line, but he said he only knew
that she had been on board for the last four cruises, back to back.
As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped to
say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on this ship
for the last four cruises". She replied, "Yes, that's true." I stated, "I
don't understand?"
She replied without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home".
Here's the proof -- when I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a
Princess Cruise Ship.
The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on
reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior
discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:
1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the
restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast in bed
every day of the week).
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free
washers and dryers, and shows every night.
4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5
worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress
replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your
inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare.
If you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a
suite for the rest of your life.
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama
Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go?
Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing
home, just call shore to ship.
P. S. And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at
no charge.