Just Cruises Plus

The Super bowl may be compromised due to the virus that sickened upwards of 600 passengers on the January 21st cruise of the Explorer of the Seas.  That was the opinion of a female passenger expressed in an interview aired by CBS.  The evidence was the fact that the ship docks within a few miles of the stadium.  Obviously the woman’s logic was bizarre at best.   Of course, the news media was on hand like vultures when the ship docked in Bayonne 2 days earlier than scheduled and they eagerly interviewed passengers who sought their moment of fame on the nightly news.  “Cruise from Hell” and “Nightmare cruise” are some of the terms used by news people who have no interest in the truth.

Here’s the real scoop from a passenger who was there.  The illness hit the ship early and hard.  The medical staff was clearly overwhelmed.  Dozens were lined up at the ship’s infirmary and were not seen for hours.  Others elected not to report their illness and to self medicate (Imodium).  People confined to their rooms needed room service but the room service staff was besieged with orders and, despite adding staff, could not keep up with the demand.  These are the people who were understandably very unhappy.

However, the majority of passengers did not become ill and life aboard was relatively normal although ports were missed and a few shows cancelled.  We were one of the lucky ones who did not experience illness.  We can say absolutely that the public rooms including bathrooms were kept spotless by a hard working crew.

For those who became ill, their misery lasted from 1 to 3 days.  Nausea and diarrhea were the main symptoms and those who reported their illness were quarantined for a day after their symptoms subsided.  Most of those who experienced illness had a good time once they became well, thanks to a dedicated crew and officers.  By the end of the cruise, the situation was well in hand. Very few new cases were being reported.

The captain held a meeting with the passengers and was quite up front about the problems encountered by the velocity of the spread of the illness.  He indicated that medical staff as well as Center for Disease Control (CDC) personnel had boarded the ship in San Juan and St Thomas.

The home office of Royal Caribbean did not cover themselves in glory.  They initially offered a less than WOW compensation to passengers which did not even cover the lost days.  A huge number of passengers expressed their strong displeasure at the offer.  Evidently, the captain conveyed the passenger’s unhappiness to the home office because they came back with an offer that was fair and generally accepted.

What did I learn from the experience?  Bring Imodium on a winter cruise and touch as few things as possible.

How should the cruise lines respond to these outbreaks?

Although the Norwalk Virus* is by no means limited to cruise ships (anyone who has lived at a university can attest to this), the cruise lines, in a coordinated and expedited effort, need to collaborate with the CDC to help determine how the illness is spread.

Next, the cruise lines should have a clear advertised policy on what happens when a passenger shows up at the pier for their cruise with an illness.  Currently they ask passengers to fill out a questionnaire about their current health.  I would suggest that most folks would lie rather than be denied boarding.

A plan needs to be developed in those extremely rare instances where illness strikes hundreds of people.  This should include having workers with other jobs be trained to recognize the Norwalk virus and deliver Imodium to the rooms of sick people.

Finally, the cruises lines should offer appropriate compensation when an outbreak occurs that has a significant effect on both sick and well passengers.  Cheapskate offers only alienate people.

What should you know?

The Norwalk virus is a winter malady.  If you are worried, cruise during the other three seasons.

Serious long term illness or death from the Norwalk is exceedingly rare.

Purell is useless against the virus.

Washing hands often will help stop the spread of the virus.

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*Norwalk virus was originally named after Norwalk, Ohio, where an outbreak of acute viral gastroenteritis occurred among children at Bronson Elementary School in November 1968.