As promised last week I have now put together the final part of this story, again with many snippets coming from those passengers who have been so damaged by their experiences of late with this cruise operator. This story is for those who are still suffering the ill effects of this ubiquitous virus; Norovirus, as well as those who have been hurt in other ways.
I personally believe that FO does not necessarily represent the true facts…...
During my investigation I have been informed by one victim of NV and other medical complications associated with her time on board one of these two ships, that a passenger from the same cruise alleges that her husband’s GI illness was not even recorded and she was not permitted to complete a GI sickness form for him.
How many others are not recorded in order to downplay the extent and spread of these infections?
In 2009 another CDC VSP inspection violation criticised the ship for not keeping proper medical records (FO claimed they didn’t know what they had to do??)
The following comments also relate to this particular cruise LO 1001 (World Cruise)
Mar 2010 “A Norovirus outbreak prior to departing Dover and with a small re-occurrence after San Francisco had the ship on alert. Handwash was everywhere and crew stood at the entrance to restaurants and bars offering it. For the first few days from Sydney the food in the Palms Cafe was actually served to you by staff. This was not a problem and their attention to detail on this was a reassuring comfort”. (Attributed to Chas, Cruise Critic cruise review March 2010) Also comments on surly reception staff.
NB ‘after San Francisco’ means that the infection did not end in US waters. The ship was in US (LAS and SF) 4 - 6 Feb after which it left for Australia via? FO’s statement to BBC (above) avers that there was no infection on or about 25 Jan 2010. CDC reports that no sickness had been reported after 27 Jan 2010 (that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t there, of course), but according to Chas’ account, it was on the ship after San Francisco on 6 Feb.
Schedule of Balmoral Illness - Summary Sheet
BALMORAL 2008
September 2008 Senegal
True number of sick not known
16 October 2008
True number of sick not known
October 2008 Norovirus
True number of sick not known
October 2008
3% of 1300
November 2008 Pneumonia
True number of sick not known
BALMORAL 2009
BL032 January 17 - 27 Iberia and Morocco
True number of sick not known
BL 033 January 27 - Feb 14 Cape Verde Islands
250 cases 19%
BL0917 September 9 - 18 UK & Ireland
100 sick 8%
LO 919 Sept 26 - Nov 5 New World (US and Canada)
Norovirus Code Red for part of cruise
Virulent throat and chest infection - Haemophilus influenzae diagnosed plus one passenger alleges they were subsequently diagnosed with symptoms of legionella?
Approx 200 sick 15%
BL0920 Nov 5 - 24 Mediterranean
True number of sick not known
There are apparently three cruises 29 November - 21 December where no one has reported the presence of Norovirus, what happened? We wonder if the media did not catch on to another outbreak although it could be that the virus just lay dormant which as we know, it can for months before being triggered again.
BL 0924 Dec 21 - 5 Jan Canary Christmas
351 sick 27%
BALMORAL 2010
L1001 Jan 5 - Feb 4
310 people sick 28% (During first part of world cruise in the first 4 weeks - CDC figures)
True number of sick not known after ship left San Francisco
BOUDICCA
BOUDICCA 2009
June (post Cheshire, Crewe)
October 5 - 26 2009 Adriatic
Fred Olsen and the Daily Mail report states sixteen passengers on a Mediterranean cruise were confined to their cabins after the Norovirus sickness bug hit their ship. They were isolated after the ship left Venice with 850 passengers on board. The outbreak appeared to start the previous week when the ship’s doctor confined himself to his own quarters, suspecting he had the highly contagious bug, which causes sickness and diarrhoea!
Travel Weekly later reported 57 passengers out of the 1,140 on board Boudicca have so far been affected by gastroenteritis-like symptoms. Twenty-seven passengers remained in isolation, including six who are under observation. The ship, was on a 21-night cruise of the Adriatic, departing Portsmouth on October 5 and this cruise was due to end in Portsmouth on October 26.
57 people sick 7%
December 2009 Northern Europe cruise.co.uk
The only thing to prepare for is the Health and Safety Board Inspectors finally getting their act together and investing Fred Olsen's ship "Boudicca" and impounding her. Booked a pre Christmas Cruise at short notice. Before boarding her I had heard nothing about her. On getting aboard we were all informed of the Noro Virus and the need to keep hygiene levels high, yes you hear that every where we thought.
But never on a cruise have I met these standards, the buffet meals remind me of my service days, queuing up and the staff dishing out the food. Many fellow travelers preferred this method, to me it's a delay.
"Boudicca" is a dimly lit floating garbage barge. Noro Virus, is it just another term for food poisoning? The ship blamed the passengers. Are all Fred Olsen passengers dirty or leaking faecis? Something needs to be done.
December 2009 Canaries cruise.co.uk
.....went on the Xmas Canaries Cruise on the Boudicca. never again will we go on this Cruise ship. It was obviously not fully cleansed of the Norovirus bug from the previous 2 cruises and should never have been allowed to sail. Passengers were going down from day 2 of the cruise and despite Fred Olsens protestations about the ship being clean ,
I don't believe it for one minute. They also claim that 289 out of the 800 passengers contracted the bug, I would guess that there were many more......derisory compensation "
The Reality of Sailing
With Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
By Mike Groves
