I just read in a Miami paper that Disney canceled the 11/30 sailing of the Disney Magic because of the virus.

sorry about the called , I meant canceled.

I think that is a smart call on Disney's part. I think some people on HAL are filing suit.

That some people are filing suite based on the fact that &quot;Holland American knew or should have known&quot; [from filing] only shows that something should be done to reform our tort system. The implication in Sandie's posting is the filing proves negligence....not true. Note the attorneys are from California..<BR>Wonder if they have the movie rights.<BR><BR>How could HAL keep healthy-appearing people off the boat as there are no symptoms during incubation. It's like suing the Super Bowl because it rained.<BR><BR>

I beleive this ship sailed many times over and over again with the same repeated issues. In Disneys case they were given a choice. Probably to CYOA. If you were given a choice, and then became sick if was your choice. Disney has all ready pulled the Magic out of the cruise circuit. HAL did not. I am not enforcing the filing of a suit. We all know people are &quot;sue crazy&quot; these days. Whether or not there is any validity to a suit is neither here nor there. I am simply stating some people have chose to do with the emcouragement of attorneys--no doubt.

I beleive the suit is based on the fact that HAL knew about the virus and allowed the ship to sail.<BR><BR>Who knows how successful the suit will be since all other outbreaks of the Norwalk virus in hotels, office buildings and on other cruise lines saling Alaska was stopped by cleaning.<BR><BR>Paul

Paul--read the filing, available on line. The cause of action is &quot;Holland American knew or should have known&quot;...key words being &quot;should have known.&quot; <BR><BR>HAL followed CDC recommendations from start to finish. CDC is the experts. So where is HAL's liability? <BR><BR>The cause of action is negligence in that HAL &quot;should have known&quot; the CDC is full of ...., and a bunch of California lawyers know best.<BR><BR>If American lawyers were faced with the prospect of paying the defendant's legal fees when they lose [as in many other countries] this type of frivolous suit would decrease. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

Hal did some things wrong. <BR><BR>On some of these cruises passangers were NOT notified of the virus being on board.<BR>On the fourth sick cruise, passangers were notified in the boarding terminal. There was no excuse for this. These passangers should have been notified way before this. <BR>The PR person from Hal said everyone choose to board. RIGHT!!! Hal refused to give anyone a refund.<BR>People were put off the ship and flown home. (I read that AA refused to allow them on a plane without a doctor's clearance note. I believe this was in Curacao). These people were not given a choice. Disney did not put anyone off their ship. They did give people a choice. <BR> <BR>The Amsterdam rep from Hal would not give future passangers any information except &quot;We are cleaning the ship&quot;. <BR><BR>I am not sue happy, but maybe there is some validity to this law suite for those that choose to sue.

Before joining any class-action suite, be sure to contact your own atttorney to see if you are liable for any costs.<BR><BR>Paul

This isn't any different that kindergartners having viruses that they pass around at school. It is a virus that gets passes from human to human - so a human brings it on board - it is not the fault of the cruise line.<BR><BR>It is unfortunate that this is happening, but it isn't anything new - it's always been a problem - the media is just making more of it than before.<BR><BR>I am sympathetic - no one wants to get sick on vacation - however, come on people! Suing for getting a stomach virus? What's next? It's ridiculous and the attorneys should have to pay court costs for even taking the case. It is frivolous in my opinion.<BR>

Probably won't be long until someone pops up on a t.v. talk show telling how horrible it was.<BR>More than the vulture attorneys who take these cases, you have to blame the juries who award damages for these silly lawsuits.<BR>In the end, it will be the cruising public who has to pay for these suits in the form of higher rates.

How about Ottawa where a strain of virus that they believe is Norwalk is spreading through hospitals. One hospital closed. Where is CNN?<BR><BR>Do people know that 3,744 cases of dengue fever have been detected in Mexico this year? Where is CNN?<BR><BR>Doggone, it's not safe to go anywhere.<BR><BR>I wonder if CNN is going to report when the ships are sailing virus free? Of course not. It's not their kind of news.<BR><BR>Paul<BR>

I am in the process of booking a March cruise. I would not consider HAL, not because the virus invaded their ships, but because of how they handled the problem and the communications once the virus was confirmed. Shameful customer service. Shameful corportate culture.

Hi John,<BR><BR>What happened was quite unfortunate. HAL certainly did not ignore the passengers that became ill. HAL is not NCL. Have you heard something different?<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>

My, my, my. People who weren't on the cruise or sick are certainly judgmental of those who were and are plenty mad about it. Lawsuits being frivolous or not certaintly depend on &quot;who's ox is getting gored.&quot;

Sally -- The issue is not &quot;whose ox is being gored&quot; but one of greed and common sense. The idea of suing over a few days lost vacation [no matter how distressful] is foolish. <BR><BR>Your attitude is the traditional &quot;me first&quot; without any thought of consequences, impact on others, or validity of feeling. Just ME ME ME!

Grumpy since money is not an issue maybe you would like to fork over the cash to all the people that have suffered the loss of money. Or maybe we should use some common sense and let the companies that have the money stop hiding behind foreign registry and step up to the plate and pay up. <BR><BR>When the big &quot;Tylenol Scare&quot; happened years ago they pulled all their product at great expense. It turned out to be one of the greatest marketing coups in their favor in history. I trust them because they looked out for ME and not themselves.

We recently sold our boat, sailing the Great Lakes for the last seven years. We have had many guests on board who have gotten seasick. Once sick, you throw up over and over again until all you have is dry heaves. Could some of this be seasickness? Who determined the cases to be Norwalk Virsus? One doctor on board? How many were hangovers? Have the sick been interveiwed to determine if there was a common thread? What about the water holding tanks on board? Maybe it is a virus, but I think it is easy to say &quot;it's a virus&quot; instead of really investigating.

OK, Use([email protected]), explain to me exactly how the passengers have lost money due to the Norwalk virus?<BR><BR>It is the cruise lines who have refunded the cost of cruises, gave them 50% off the cost of future cruises, and taken ships out of service. You are saying passengers who came down with an illness have lost money, or had an unpleasant time which they deserve compensation.<BR><BR>And why do you think in your wildest imagination that &quot;money is not an issue&quot;?<BR><BR>From what I can see, no passenger has suffered a financial loss. They purchased passage, and they received such. Maybe it was not their dream trip but they got what they paid for.<BR><BR>What does foreign registry have to do with anything? The cruise operating companies are headquartered in the US, and listed on the NY stock exchange. If not, the California lawyers could not sue them.<BR><BR>I know, I know--don't confuse your beliefs with the facts.<BR><BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Grumpy, you may as well talk to the wall. There is a smell of money in the water and the sharks and their attorneys are starting to circle.<BR>Anyone who says &quot;it's not the money&quot; is full of bull***t and they know it. It IS the money. <BR>Another poster was right in that some of these supposed illnesses were probably hangovers. I think it would be neat if these &quot; suits&quot; backfired and the cruise lines sued some of these people for bringing this &quot;virus&quot; on board, knowing they were getting sick, then spreading it around.<BR>Little wonder that some of the world hates Americans.I would rather see an outright crook anyday than some of these people who profess to be fine upstanding citizens, then try to hop on something like this to make a few bucks or get a free cruise. At least a guy with a gun in your face while he takes your wallet is upfront about it!!<BR>