Posted on 11/16/2006 2:01:34 PM PST by quidnunc
By the time Carnival Cruise Lines' Liberty pulls into Port Everglades this weekend from a transatlantic voyage, more than 700 people on board will have been afflicted with a highly contagious, stomach flu-like illness that appears to be norovirus, the cruise line said Wednesday.
The outbreak could be the largest reported in recent years by the cruise industry.
"It's impossible for now to say what the source is," said David Forney, chief of the cruise ship sanitation program at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said it's likely passengers brought the virus with them when they boarded and it spread from there, but U.S. inspectors will look at whether food or water contributed to the outbreak.
The cruise industry, which is required to report the illnesses to the CDC, records dozens of viral outbreaks annually, with most affecting fewer than 100 people.
While often publicized, the cruise ship outbreaks are far less common than they seem, affecting about one in every 3,600 cruise ship passengers, said Christine Fischer, spokeswoman for the International Council of Cruise Lines, an industry lobbying group.
"Your chances of actually contracting norovirus are much higher on land than on a cruise," she said.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
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...
Well, it's entirely possible.
A highly contagious thing gets on a closed system of closely packed people, and it can spread like wildfire. Serious flus and plagues have spread like wildfire in very open areas.
In any case, it is not encouraging. Makes you wonder what disease-ridden person you're getting on board with who'll knock everyone flat.
Oh yeah, Kenya is real clean and non-toxic!
I absolutely hate puking. I'm obsessed with it, as my parents would tell you. I avoid stomach-sick people at all costs. Not very loving when it comes to that. Not only fear myself getting it, but it's just absolutely disgusting and the sight/sound makes me sick by itself! Other sick people, I will nurse them and entertain.
Puking - forget it! :O
Being on a ship surrounded by stomach-sickies - I would be apoplectic if not sick myself!
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.
There's no way to get away from the PA system, even in your cabin.
It's probably a maritime regulation to ensure that everybody hears emergency announcements.
Cruises - The over fed, the newly wed and the almost dead.
I'll take a pass!
I want to know how many illegals are working on those ships? No one ever talks about the strains of TB and everything else they may bring into the U.S.A.
"The next trip those ladies will take will be a Kenyan safari - no more boats."
What I love about those safaris is with either a rifle or a camera you get to shoot something.
LOL!
I've been on 5 cruises and have two more booked and I've never been sick on any of them.
I'm not over fed or newly wed and I hope I'm not almost dead.
I do agree with your tag line though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.