Sick After Dream Cruise

Sorry to hear that he was sick :( It definitely was no fun after the cruise, and I can't imagine getting sick during your trip.
THANK YOU!! He is starting to "join the living again" but is so upset he missed his vacation. "I didn't even see Mickey mom"! i feel so horrible! Regardless of the reason it happened to him, please stay healthy and wish nice trips to all!!
 
On another subject - some are so quick to blame the food preparation with the implication being it was on the ship...but how do you know a passenger didn't either have bad habits beforehand and be carrying it from their own food prep at home OR from food prep in somewhere s/he ate before the cruise. And once they have it, it spreads through things like the serving utensils and whatnot that THEY handle. Sorry, but until proven it was a crew member you cannot pin it on the crew. (not "you squirk" - "You" the person/people who keep harping on food prep.)

Noro sheds in feces for 2 weeks after a person recovers, so they feel better and go back to work and if they aren't vigilant hand washers the disease spreads. It could be the food prep people OR it could be the people touching the handles on the buffet OR it could be the person carrying the prepared foods on the trays. There are so many places that your food is from the time its prepared to the time it reaches your mouth. Like a previous poster said we think we have control but really we do not. We can control washing our own hands but the 4 or 5 other people who have handled a plate before it gets to your hands we cannot control. I am not 'harping' on the crew because fellow vacationers are just as much at fault. In fact I will go to the sit down restaurants on board over the buffets b/c that eliminates at least one group of people around my food.
 
Our kids brought Noro home from school a few years ago. I've never been so sick in my whole entire life. It wiped out the entire school! It spreads so easily. This and motion sickness are my biggest cruise fears!
 
OP, we were on the same sailing. None of us from our party of 5 got sick. And while I'm very strict with my children on washing their hands, they can't keep them off everything they touch nor their faces, eyes, mouths or each other. So I guess just good luck on our part?

Sorry to hear about you though!
 


Does anyone disinfect the handles and sides of their suitcases? You know, the places where all the porters and luggage handlers, from the airport to the ship carry your luggage?

Does anyone know how long Noro lives on surfaces? Can it be transmitted hours or days after lying on a soft or hard surface?
 
Does anyone disinfect the handles and sides of their suitcases? You know, the places where all the porters and luggage handlers, from the airport to the ship carry your luggage?

Does anyone know how long Noro lives on surfaces? Can it be transmitted hours or days after lying on a soft or hard surface?

Unfortunately, it looks norovirus can live on surfaces for days or even weeks! :crazy2:

https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/downloads/keyfacts.pdf
 
OP, we were on the same sailing. None of us from our party of 5 got sick. And while I'm very strict with my children on washing their hands, they can't keep them off everything they touch nor their faces, eyes, mouths or each other. So I guess just good luck on our part?

Sorry to hear about you though!

Or good genes. There's a certain percentage of the population who is completely immune to norovirus genetically. It's apparently about 20% of the population.
 


Or good genes. There's a certain percentage of the population who is completely immune to norovirus genetically. It's apparently about 20% of the population.
This! I wish I could find this out and I remember reading some of the prior DNA/ancestry testing kits used to be able to test for this and I'd seriously love to know this as I find it fascinating. :) Perhaps others who have tested for this can chime in and advise who they used and how they did it (not to hijack the thread OP).

Thanks @anricat :)
Heather
 
This! I wish I could find this out and I remember reading some of the prior DNA/ancestry testing kits used to be able to test for this and I'd seriously love to know this as I find it fascinating. :) Perhaps others who have tested for this can chime in and advise who they used and how they did it (not to hijack the thread OP).

Thanks @anricat :)
Heather

I had the Ancestry.com one and it did not test for this. A friend of mine had the 23 and Me testing done and this was in her results. Other companies might as well, but I know that 23 and Me does. I wish I'd had that one, but the Ancestry one was a gift. It didn't test for much except the geographic regions my ancestors were likely from.
 
I had the Ancestry.com one and it did not test for this. A friend of mine had the 23 and Me testing done and this was in her results. Other companies might as well, but I know that 23 and Me does. I wish I'd had that one, but the Ancestry one was a gift. It didn't test for much except the geographic regions my ancestors were likely from.
Interesting! I think they removed the "medical" information however this is the company I was leaning on using. I need to do more research as I thought I read you can take the information they provide, then log on to other websites with your information and they'll provide more of the detailed medical information.

Thanks,
Heather
 
Or good genes. There's a certain percentage of the population who is completely immune to norovirus genetically. It's apparently about 20% of the population.

Interesting! Is it possible then that my children can be immune and my husband and myself not? Because my husband and I had it about 5 years ago but not my children (who were not yet 1 and 3 at the time).
 
Glad you are better now!! There are TONS of people with this in my area. It's rampant this time of year. We spent a weekend at a ranch recently, and by Monday one of the girls we traveled with had got it. Then of course her entire family ended up with it since they all shared a room. We were clear...maybe my obsessive hand washing and love for alcohol wipes.
 
Does anyone disinfect the handles and sides of their suitcases? You know, the places where all the porters and luggage handlers, from the airport to the ship carry your luggage?

Does anyone know how long Noro lives on surfaces? Can it be transmitted hours or days after lying on a soft or hard surface?


I do, as well as my room multiple times a day since the stateroom attendants are touching multiple doors before opening yours!
 
OMG I know what you mean with this!! I have seen teachers at the school where I work who wash their hands BEFORE using the bathroom and it confuses me so much. What good does that do??

For some people, it does make sense to wash their hands BEFORE they use the restroom, in addition to after. I used to laugh when my grandfather would wash his hands BEFORE going to the bathroom. Now too I have a profession where what might be on my hands BEFORE I use the restroom is WAY worse then what might be on them afterwards. (But I still wash them afterwards).

But for that teacher, who knows? Habit?
 
The menus are a big culprit in the dining room!
That's why it's so important that EVERYONE does take the Sani wipe they hand you just before they enter the dining room!
Of course, the staff must practice excellent personal hygiene as well for this to work...
 
re: Handles of suitcases!! I do, as well as my room multiple times a day since the stateroom attendants are touching multiple doors before opening yours!

Ha - and here I thought nobody is as OCD as me about that!
I do this as well, but can't always catch the rest of the family in time.
 
Interesting! Is it possible then that my children can be immune and my husband and myself not? Because my husband and I had it about 5 years ago but not my children (who were not yet 1 and 3 at the time).

I'm not really familiar with the way that particular gene works. For some genes, yes, it's possible to be a carrier but not express the gene. With that one, though, I really don't know how it's expression works.

It's also possible it wasn't Noro. There are lots of other bugs that can cause gastroenteritis.
 
We were on the three night, 1/13 Dream cruise. The morning after we got back I developed severe vomiting and diarrhea, and it sounds like several others in our DIS group did as well. My DH joined the group for the cruise after us because he was curious if others were going to get sick, and apparently several off that sailing are as well. For anyone sailing, please be extra careful with your hygiene! A few of us emailed DCL to make them aware that we were sick, but wanted to make others aware so that you can take precautions. In ten Disney cruises this is the first time any of us has gotten sick.


winter is noro season (also on land), so a winter cruise has a higher probability of it striking you down...
hygiene is important of course, but even if you're 100% vigilant, it can get through in your food (gross i know, but it can happen)...
 
I too am a bit OCD about hand washing/sanitizing. Even though most people cleanse their hands before entering the dining area, do they clean them again AFTER they've handled the buffet tongs? And how many germs are we collecting while holding (aka "wiping") our hands down the rail while taking the stairs? And lastly, remember that even though you washed your hands after using the toilet, did you turn off the dirty faucet with your just cleansed hands? And then opened the door with them as well? Sure, people know the paper towel trick, but I don't see many actually doing it.

Sure, there are dozens more ways that we expose ourselves to extra germs (as in more than the norm, since we are now in close proximity to thousands of people- how bout those elevator buttons?). We can't live in a bubble, but there are ways to decease our exposure.

But we all know that nothing is full proof.
 
Oh my goodness; I NEVER touch the railings on the ship! Or elevator buttons. And I always use a paper towel to turn off faucets (and my elbow to turn them on and get the paper towel if a lever is needed). Disney is good about having doors that push open (elbow) to exit the restrooms and trash cans right by the exit for people like me who use the paper towel to touch anything after washing! Tongs at buffets... that's a toughie! Maybe I'll use a saniwipe. lol
 

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