Several days ago, the travel media shared a 2018 report of cases of the dreaded Norovirus was on the decline.
Cruise Radio reported, “According to the final tally released by the CDC, only 547 cases of gastrointestinal illnesses were reported in 2018. By comparison, that’s less than half the number reported in 2017.
A cruise line is required to report an outbreak to the CDC if over three percent of passengers are stricken by illness. This means that it’s possible — perhaps even likely — more cruisers fell ill, but in small enough numbers that it did not turn into a full-blown outbreak.”
Click on the link below for the full story:
https://cruiseradio.net/2018-cruise-ship-norovirus-report-released/
Unfortunately, it was way too early to pop the champagne!
Cruise Radio recently reported that the Oasis of the Seas just suffered a huge Norovirus outbreak. “With over 275 passengers suffering from a norovirus outbreak, Royal Caribbean has made the unexpected decision to cut their current Oasis of the Seas’ sailing short, bring everyone back home, and offer all of the passengers on board a full refund.”
Full story here: https://cruiseradio.net/norovirus-outbreak-forces-cruise-to-return-home/
The fact of the matter is that the crew of the Oasis of the Seas, according to first-hand reports, went above and beyond to stop the spread of the sickness.
Here are my top tips to help prevent or lessen the effects of suffering from the Norovirus on your next cruise vacation:
1. Load up on the vitamins, wash your hands frequently and build up you immune system before your cruise!
2. If you’re sailing with kids, have an eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart talk with your kids about washing hands, coughing into the elbow crease and other prevention techniques.
3. Beware of the casino. If you’ve seen the movie, “Contagion”, the casino is a prime laboratory for spreading sickness. Sure, go ahead and gamble, but again, keep those hands clean!
4. If you do get sick, immediately inform ship’s personnel.
Scott Lara #TheCruiseGenius
