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Any more instances of Norovirus on the ship or does it seem to have mostly passed (for now)?

Yes and yes-ish. The worst seems to have passed for most people but of course there are going to be folks coming down with it up to a day or so after the cruise ends.

Our final port isn’t thrilled about us coming in but we are hoping cases drop before we have to dock and declare.

Millions of belly bug germs descending into a city and its airports and hotels and taxis is never much wanted.

I hope to share more tummy virus stories too but just haven’t had time. Plus, I’m not supposed to say much ha.

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Stomach Virus + Taco Tuesday + Waterslide =

= a waterslide slicked in diarrhea + a landing zone full of vomit + one very ill man.

Onlookers were really upset by the scene and the closure of the slide.

“He should’ve stayed in if he was sick!” “How do you not hold it?” “A grown man shit himself?”

But others, and the staff, just shook our heads grimly. This virus comes on mostly without warning, and the turbulent waterslide and poolside snacks on top of Taco Tuesday pushed this man’s infected stomach past its limits.

The lifeguard and slide monitor said they heard his whooping turn into a wail and yelling, but far and away, it was the change in water color everyone saw first.

It hasn’t even been 24 hours since the previous night’s Taco Tuesday, and it showed in what was passed down the slide.

A slimy, with soft pieces in a toxic brown-yellow liquid hit the landing area just after his wails reached everyone’s ears. Only, neither the sound nor flow stopped, as defecated bits of…taco? Enchilada? pooled up.

The first guard thought it was vomit for a split second, but the others in the crowd claimed they knew right away that it was fecal matter.

Before anyone could react, the man plunged from the slide, flailing and splashing, into his own chlorinated diarrhea.

The slide doesn’t filter into a pool, just a long shallow tub. The mess didn’t have anywhere to go, and between flailing in the after to stop moving and trying to grab at the seat of his swim trunks, he covered himself and splashed a bit into the air.

When he finally stopped moving in the water, he started to stand, realized he was in literal pool of his own diarrhea with a horrified crowd, and promptly vomited a gush of epic proportions. No belch, nothing, just an open mouth with sick pouring out.

Lifeguards got him out and wrapped in a towel, but not before he anxiously pushed them away screaming for the bathroom. He accepted the towel when he realized the closest bathroom was across the pool area, groaning angrily as he wrapped it tightly around his middle. We’d learn later that he’d soil himself in the towel again, his digestive system ejecting dinner so violently that he’d demand two more. He complained to the nurse that the slide was as out of control as his intestines and the crowd.

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Are you expecting that the food at the surf and turf night might exacerbate any tummy illness symptoms. I can imagine seafood going straight through a sick belly. I hope that staff are able to keep everything on track and prevent any embarrassment for guests!

We are doing our best to not expect that to happen. Out of… professionalism? Pride? Order of Ops? There is not much of a plan in place if that were to occur.

That said, tonight will tell. Taco Tuesday last night passed without extreme chaos, but not without incident. I’d share more but it’s just so damn busy.

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The best / worst stomach virus epidemic sounds.

The splash of tummy contents from either end hitting another surface.

The forceful ejection from either end letting everyone in earshot know they’re sick.

Every single splash is someone’s last meal hitting the floor. In the toilets, it’s someone’s diarrhea spraying the bowl.

It’s always followed by a moan of distress.

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The menus and provisions are confirmed so far in advance that surf and turf formal night is happening, while the stomach bug creeps through.

Super appreciative of the kitchen staff for executing a high level, decadent, rich menu while being short staff or perhaps “no ando al 100” (which means not quite feeling perfect).

Hoping all of our guests have a great time and we don’t have any more tummy virus cases tonight!

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His poor stomach is practically a case study.

Javi* (name has been changed) started his shift four hours ago. He swears he wasn’t feeling ill when he clocked in, but he came back to find me (a manager) just after punching out for his meal break.

Poor guy was chalk white and shaking, sweating. I didn’t see him much earlier, but I know this wasn’t the same cheerful, funny guy I knew.

Long story short (and believe me, he was trying make it short), he went to take his break. He went straight to use the facilities (el baño, el inodoro, he kept saying softly) and that’s when norovirus hit.

He obviously must have felt ready for some sort of bowel movement, because it wasn’t so much an accident, but definitely required a toilet clean. He was obviously embarrassed and in a hurry to get back to the same inodoro to clean up after himself, but I didn’t quite understand and kept him in conversation.

Needless to say, his female colleague had to close that men’s room, clean the stains he left in the toilet bowl and rim (I’m so sorry, Javi!), neutralize the odor and fully sanitize and document the cleaning.

So now poor Javi was in front of me, his manager, palming his audibly grumbling pot belly (he is NOT a heavyset guy), with his face alternating between that ghastly white and bright pink.

“I’m sick, estoy infermo,” his voice cracks weekly. “Anduve suelto…” (turns out, this was him letting me know his bowels were loose 😕 but I didn’t realize…yet).

By now, his palming had changed to all out rubbing his gut, and his voice was so soft that the digestive bubbling was a roar in comparison. Before I could even say anything, he spoke again, gasping. “Tuve… tengo diarrreaa…” as he winced through what could only be a stomach cramp.

Javi moaned the last word so it sounded like “dee-ah-ree-ah.” By then, I was still so shocked at how suddenly he’d become ill that his pronunciation prevented me from comprehending.

But he was sweating again, and again, poorly pale, mumbling, “me siento raro…” his eyes finally met mine and he said clearer “I’m sick.”

Finally, it clicked. Poor Javi had punched out, possibly with a strange tummy sensation but fully expecting to eat dinner…until he was suddenly sat on the toilet with explosive mushy diarrhea. And he was doing his best to tell me honestly, hand on his midriff, moaning under his breath, “diarrrea.”

Needless to say, I sent him straight to the medical bay (much to his disappointment and embarrassment). I know he wanted to get back to bunk and nurse his belly ache, but since I had to document his sickness…

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It’s good to hear that no one is being forced to keep working through tummy symptoms!! I know that pools can often be a source of infection for diarrhoeal type illnesses. I imagine this risk could be important to manage on a cruise ship day to day however during a norovirus outbreak those risks would be so much bigger. Unfortunately I’m sure that despite warnings many guests are still visiting the pools while unwell even tho they know they shouldn’t swim while they have the runs. Hoping for your sake that there are no incidents in or around the pools!! It would be a complete nightmare to clean that sort of thing 😬

Thank you for considering the pool and lifeguard staff. They are definitely at risk in their own way. Some new Order of Ops have been implanted to keep the pools, hot tubs and water features clean but it’s required constant diligence.

We’ve continued sailing and the seas have been okay, but the virus is definitely spreading and at this point, other guests are noticing.

If you’ve cruised before you know that bugs and germs circulate on every voyage but it takes a real outbreak to notice a defined uptick in cleaning/prevention.

Sorry for the delay. I’ve been quite busy in every sense of the way…..

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Bellies that make that audibly nauseous gurgle right before they spew

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Guess who has a new brainrot? (It’s me, I have a new brainrot.)

I just HAD to draw this scene from a YouTube video, especially after @illnessandinjury and I figured out we were in this shit together haha

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I don’t think my tummy is well enough for me to work the evening meal shift.

To be honest, it feels as icky as that horrible mess of sick from some poor noro victim.

Not quite a stomach ache. No full on rumbles or gurgles or unwelcome noises. Just feeling kinda heavy and unpleasant and uncertain and sick all throughout.

What’s happening to my belly?! 😭

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I can’t shake the image. It was a sizable amount, but hardly chunky, the kind that had clearly been turning in a sick stomach for a while before getting ejected onto the ground.

It didn’t even splatter much, I can only imagine the poor sickie stopped in their tracks and let go, unable to move until it was over.

And the color… nothing they could’ve eaten is naturally that shade or consistency. Oh their poor stomach.

I don’t often get sympathy tummy but my mind and tum are just quaking from the sight.

Chats and messages always welcome but pls read my pinned post if you want me to respond or post!

Just walked by a literal puddle of neon green-yellow sick. Bluck.

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Just walked by a literal puddle of neon green-yellow sick. Bluck.

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How fast could a meal move through a sick tummy??!

I don’t feel so good… 🤢🧻

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Oh my gosh I hope they’ve been stepping up cleaning protocols to cope with the cruise ship outbreak. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be for everyone involved! Especially the custodial workers when every slight stomach sensation could mean they’ve got it as well. Crossing my fingers that there’s enough staff to cover any absences due to illness, the idea of someone having to work while experiencing norovirus is A: concerning from a medical perspective and B: Awful for the person involved. Imagine having to run to the bathroom midway though cleaning up after someone who’s belly has expelled its contents in a hallway. I hope you manage to avoid any particularly nasty symptoms if you have caught it!

Thanks, you hit the nail on the head. The reports have showed that a few staff have reported symptoms already, and every little tummy twinge has everyone on edge.

As for working through an upset stomach, well, we have policies in place but it’s up to the individual to know when they’re sick and this bug comes on so fast that it’s impossible.

I had to dispatch a second cleaner for a similar thing that you described. A guest couldn’t keep their stomach down (and we had some rocking with rough seas) and the first staff to respond ended up in the same restroom as the poor guest who was still heaving their guts.

And when the ship is rocking like that…that contagious mess tends to….spill all over unless it’s cleaned asap.

The bug is spreading fast.

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Have you had any reports on the cruise ship of guests having stomach accidents (either end) in public areas or have they mostly managed to make it to the bathrooms in time? Also is it mostly just guests who have been affected or are the crew also catching it too?

Not too many accident as of the most recent report (there would have to be a spike for it to make the report) but the next one is due soon, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

I’ve heard it’s mostly guests but haven’t gotten today’s update and usually staff get it a bit delayed than guests.

Good questions and I’ll try to answer more asks as they come about this.

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My guts are literally groaning and gurgling with sickness and discomfort but

1) I’m still on the clock

2) Quick breathing exercises have been marginally helpful in keeping my tummy calm but it feels like everywhere smells like vomit and/or diarrhea or food

Having an upset stomach on a cruise is one of the worst feelings like yiiiiiikes this outbreak is bad

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Oh shit.

I can’t say much due to confidentiality, employment agreements, and not wanting to dox myself but I can confirm:

The stomach virus boarded one of our cruise ships.

Honestly, I could’ve told them that, but medical confirmed it tonight before the evening meal ended.

Highest tier guests who fall ill are gently escorted back to their staterooms, or the medical bay.

Others are mandated to either of those spots, without a kind escort but with stares ranging from indifference to disgust from everyone.

If anyone’s ever reported to a ship’s sick bay during a norovirus outbreak…you know it’s ugly stuff.