[In awe of TV]

It's really sad that this is happening. Cruising is such a wonderful, fun experience. To get so sick while on vacation is just horrible. And horrible press for the cruise lines and truly magnificent ships.

I guess I've been lucky and have not gotten sick on any of my trips, neither have my kids. It must be very scary for the passengers. Once they get off the ship, in most cases they would have to fly home. What a mess, poor passengers, I really feel for them.

Unfortunately this is happening quite frequently now. I would think twice before booking again.

[tucson]

Does anyone think it's food poisoning, I've had it 2x and I had all the same symptoms that they're having on the ship. Both times I was very sick, couldn't even walk from being so weak! I was on a vacation both times, but not on a cruise. Eating out in restuarants, and one of them was at a buffet by the pool for guests of the hotel in Cancun. I had to go to the ER b/c I was so sick, found out I had salmonella from eating a cheeseburger from a very popular restuarant in So.Fla.

[TexaninVA]

Each time we think about taking a cruise ... this type story pops up which makes us think maybe not.

Another thought ... don't think it would be good to use a hot tub or sauna onboard a ship this big.

[kaydee]

Germs spread whether it here or there. Been on 20 plus cruises & so far never have gotten ill. Hopefully my luck will continue. I find it very hard to believe that the cruise line is responsible for any negativity. Why would they want their reputation marred in any way. Every crew member stresses sanitizing and sanitizers are surely provided. It is the passengers responsibility to take precautions by using those sanitizers and wash their hands often. In the meantime, since we love cruising, we will continue to book. We are sailing in Sept & Nov.

[BarryRX]

...

[Happydaz]

I think the cruise lines do every thing they can to limit outbreaks like this on their ships. We love to cruise and will continue doing so. Being out on deck and watching the ship cut through the water is exhilarating. Visiting foreign ports is exciting as well. Staying home is not an option for adventurous people. Listening to some of the posters one would think that almost every single ship has a cholera outbreak. Let's see, how many cruise ships go out each year and how many had to return to port because of an illness outbreak? That would be an interesting fact to know.

[travelguy]

we have cruised many times and have not experienced any of the viruses and other intestinal problems that others seem to think run rampant on all cruise ships. unsanitary people spread these germs, plain and simply. didn't your parents teach you to wash your hands? and not cough on the food?

[BarryRX]

Originally Posted by travelguy

we have cruised many times and have not experienced any of the viruses and other intestinal problems that others seem to think run rampant on all cruise ships. unsanitary people spread these germs, plain and simply. didn't your parents teach you to wash your hands? and not cough on the food?

Please read some of the earlier posts on noroviruses. Anyway, on a ship with 6,000 people, one must assume that there are a bunch of people not washing their hands and coughing on the food. On my last cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic, one very sick 5 year old was throwing up on the floor in the middle of a very crowded buffet. The crew immediately marked off that area of the floor and in minutes cleaned it up, but who knows how much of that stuff got aerosolized when it hit the floor. Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S., with between 19 to 21 million cases a year and more than 56,000 hospitalizations.
Once an infected person gets onboard a ship, the virus can be spread quickly, mainly through hand contact with ship railings, bathroom doors, and especially buffet food.
The industrial-size servings of food on a cruise ship with hundreds of passengers can be particularly worrisome, since once the virus enters the food it can spread rapidly. Food can also get more easily contaminated with the virus if it sits out for several hours, as is often the case with buffet-style meals.
And so many people being in one place eases the virus's spread. In close quarters it doesn't get away, everything's concentrated.

[OBXNana]

We were in Puero Rico when this ship came to port. Our hotel notified the guests if we had gone around the town (we had) to be aware the cruise ship was in the area. Not only does this affect the people on the cruise ship, but also when they port and the guests walk around the town buying from local merchants or seeing the sites, the germs don't stay on the cruise ship.

Our hotel was 15 minutes from the area of the ship. They were pro active, but not in a way that would scare the guests. They simply made us aware of how the germs can come to port.