Dear friends,
While we were exiting the plane that wasn't allowed to leave for Vancouver I
commented on the fact that we didn't have much time because we had a ship tocatch! We were standing in the aisle, ready to leave. A woman still seated heard me, and with a very concerned face spoke up to tell me that her friend had just returned from a terrible trip to Alaska where many of the people on board became very ill with the Norwalk Virus. I didn't imagine that it was likely
the illness-burdened ship was ours, since there were four or five others making their last visits to Alaska for this year. Therefore it came as a complete
surprise as we left the gangkplank and were welcomed aboard, to be handed this letter which the rest of the passengers had received hours before.
"Dear Guest,
You may have heard reports about a common gastrointestinal (GI)
illness that has been prevalent at land-based facilities and has
similarly impacted cruise lines. An unusual number of guests were
impacted by this flu on the previous sailing of the ms Veendam."
The letter continues: "Please know that the safety and comfort of our
guests and crew aboard our ships is of paramount importance to HollandAmerica Line. Due to the situation on the prior cruise, we are takingadditional measures which include implementing a special cleaning and
sanitizing protocol developed in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You will notice many of these
measures on board. For example, the Lido Restaurant will have complete
service as opposed to the self-service that is present during normaloperation.
"To place the matter in context, it is important for you to know that thistype of GI illness is common throughout the world. It typically runs its
course in 24 hours without serious or long-term health effects. However,
people with chronic illnesses and those who are immuno-compromised may wantto consult their physician. The best way to prevent occurrence is byfrequent and thorough hand-washing with soap and water. While it is
impossible to guarantee that the extraordinary measures taken will prevent further cases, these actions have generally been effective in breaking theperson-to-person spread of this illness.
One element in our special cleaning program is what we refer to as super-
sanitizing the vessel between cruises. This involves bringing a specialcleaning crew onboard here in Vancouver. To enable them to complete their
work, we will not offer early embarkation on this cruise. Instead,
embarkation will begin at 1:30 pm with the scheduled sailing time still
set for 4:00 pm.
If you are concerned about this GI illness and wish to cancel your cruiseprior to departure, we will reimburse you in full for your cruise fare. If
you have any questions or concerns before boarding the ship, please let oneof our staff know. We will have a nurse in the terminal to answer any
questions you may have." (They also provided a contact phone number).
"We can assure you that every one of the 14,000 men and women of Holland
America Line are dedicated to providing the award-winning quality, service, comfort, care and value for which we are renowned. Thank you for your
continued support. Holland America Line".
***
You can imagine how horrible it must have been on a ship of about 1,000 people,
many of them ill and passing the illness along others so that wave after wave of
people sickened. Any ship with two or more sickness-plagued cruises in a row would be avoided by travellers as the facts were reported, and the whole line would be tarred with the brush of not managing sanitary ships.
We found that there were indeed, very stringent cleanliness rules aboard, and that they were strongly though courteously enforced. There were masked cleaners continually cleaning areas that people touch, such as corners, elevator buttons,
hand-rails between levels, washrooms. No food items could be touched by passengers, including cardboard cartons of milk. There was virus killing hand-lotion for use before entering any area where food was
served. Trays and dishes were handed to you. You couldn't just help yourself.
In all public washrooms there were virus-killing wet wipes with signs that instructed they be used to open the washroom door when leaving. We were advised by
signs to wash our hands in good warm water for 20 seconds, with soap often during the day, and of course, *always* after washroom use. And furthermore, not to
shake hands with
anyone.
Ben seems to have had a presentiment. While we were packing on the last day he
began singing an old German sea shanty in German that basically goes this way:
"We're becalmed off Madagascar, and we've go the plague on board. The drinking
water in the buckets is unhealthy, and every day we must throw a dead sailor wrapped in his hammock overboard." Believe it or not, this chanty sounds quitepleasant, and not like a dirge.
It struck me at tea second day aboard that Ben had been singing that song, and it probably had been a sub-conscious warning. I shared the thought while chatting with table-mates, people I didn't know but with whom I had been seated. This was before we knew if the infection in the ship would be overcome. The little story caused such uproarious laughter from the couple, (as jokes often do, if they have a slightly scary meaning in them for you.) The next day whenI saw the woman she said they told the story about Ben's singing to people they
were with that night and how hard they all had laughed over it.
Ben's ability to sense danger comes through his mother, who most notably proved it by saving her family from a moving Russian front during WW2. When there
was nothing to indicate that anything had changed for days, she suddenly insisted that they leave immediately. Others who stayed the day were caught in the Russian Zone, and didn't get out until many years had passed. She used to say she knew things "by the pricking of her thumbs." I don't know what that would feel like. Ben just seems to know things, such as the time he cabled me in Germany at his parents' house that I shouldn't let our 5 year old little
boy visit the school for retarded children, where Ben's sister taught, in case
he should catch measles. The thing was, that our boy was already in bed with a
good red case of the measles when the cable arrived. He caught them in England where we were first. That's the way Ben is. And he's been proven accurate often enough that I listen -- when the message comes in time -- and clear! ;->
The captain of the Veendam told us all through the ship's intercome, that if no
one became ill on the ship during the first 48 hours after we sailed, we had been successful together in overcoming the Norwalk Virus.
I'm glad to report that we all were so careful that the illness was overcome. The captain said Norwalk virus is endemic in some places in Alaska, and thatin Seward Alaska on the last cruise some people who went ashore picked it up and brought it aboard. We always have to disinfect our hands when we board the ship again after being ashore. I guess those people didn't. We didn't visit
Seward on our trip.
Yesterday I read that if the threatening Bird Flu becomes pandemic, one of the main things that we will all be advised to do will be to wash our hands often. And thoroughly. To keep our hands away from our faces, especially eyes, nose and
mouth. And to get our flu shots this autumn.
Warm good wishes to you all, Mary
