CDC is reporting a suspected outbreak of Norwalk virus affectinf 700+ on Carnival's Liberty departed Rome on 3 Nov.
M

Wow!!

That is a lot of sick people.

What a way to have a holiday. I was in Rome 3 weeks ago off a cruise ship.

All I can say is whew!!!!Thank Goodness I was okay.

Percy

Check out sickness outbreaks on www.cruisejunkie.com events at sea, you may be terrified to ever set sail again. Really though, millions of peopls sail each year so the chances of you being on a sick ship hopefully aren't that bad. It really irks me that people get on the ship knowing they are ill. Eh, and the unsanitary things people do also around food buffets.

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/events.html

Yes and that is exactly we try our best to avoid the buffets anywhere - cruise lines, resorts, local joints even. They are a breeding ground for germs. Plus, since few people bother to wash their hands after toilet functions it is probably odd that there are fewer outbreaks.

I was astounded, when using the men's room on our recent cruise, at how many men did their thing (both kinds of thing) and just zipped up and strolled out with NO HAND WASHING!!! Disgusting! Do you want them in front of you at the buffet? Oh my god!

Anyone who cruises without the anti-bacterial hand wipes and actually uses them many times a day is ....
M (MD, etc.)

I should have said "fails to use them".
M

So if my hands are clean, I should be safe, right? (sail in January)

Wash your hands often and also be sure to use the hand sanitizer that is available throughout the ship. On our recent cruise with RCCL the staff was stationed at each entrance to the dining rooms and you were required to use sanitizer - they squirted it on your hands. If everyone would just wash their hands and use sanitizer these outbreaks could be reduced to almost zero.

19 cruises - been sick on one - that was about 5 years ago. Now, besides washing our hands more than frequently, we try to stay outside a lot. Which means actually getting on on the balcony when the weather is good and keeping the door open at times. If you dont have a balcony, go to an outside deck and try not to be in the most crowded areas on the ship.

One thing that bothers me is the staircase; most of us use the railing, but think about the germs there!

And the bathrooms - when leaving public bathrooms, don't handle the doorknob! Ok, that's a bit anal (pardon the possible pun) - but grab a kleenex or tissue and open the door with that and then discard.

My husband swears that alcohol will keep the bugs away, and I have to say that *he* has never been sick!