What it's like on a cruise when passengers have gastro
There are a few words that can ruin your time on a cruise. “storm”, “pirates” and “iceberg” are all pretty bad, but we think the pick of the bunch may well be “gastro”.
Otago Daily Times business editor Dene Mackenzie has explained just how bad this can be in a recent column describing how his 11-day cruise from Brisbane to Vanuatu and Noumea was struck down by norovirus on day two.
“When we were told of the outbreak of norovirus, it was not played up at any stage. Groups of passengers had disembarked in Lugenville for a day of exploring. Some passengers had complained of temperatures and had, at the last minute, decided to stay on board. To be fair, temperatures at Lugenville were hot and not what we were used to at home in Dunedin's winter,” Mackenzie writes.
“That night, there was no update on norovirus issued by the captain but there was a subtle shift in procedure. Three days after the initial warning of norovirus, this passenger was expecting a more informative update. Rumour had more than 100 people of about 2000 confined to their rooms, including the people next to us, it seemed. I could not get this confirmed from any staff.
“Suddenly, at dinner, there was no longer the ability to pile your plate up high with food. Instead, you pointed and the wait staff provided your food. In fact, that was a welcome change, as immediately you started eating less.”
Mackenzie went on to explain how the norovirus affected the amount of activities available to passengers who hadn’t yet been stricken down by the illness.
“Two days later, the dining rooms were near empty at 7pm. The popular Riviera Bar was serving five people and only a handful were outside watching the top-of-the-table AFL game on the large outdoor screen,” he wrote.
“We continued to get notes in our room about washing hands thoroughly and taking care to not use public facilities, unless it was urgent.
“Several on-board activities were curtailed. The choir in which I was singing was hit by illness defections but we still got to sing on the last day at sea.
“During the cruise, we had had only one meal on our balcony, a champagne breakfast that sounded nice in the reading and was outstanding in the delivery. The rest of the time both Dave and I went to the restaurants. No need to book; there were always tables available.”
Have you even been on a cruise that’s stricken by norovirus?