Welcome to Cruise Information.Com, a non-commercial cruise planning
guide. Here you'll find cruise reviews, port reviews, and shore
excursion information. This month we're featuring information on the
dreaded Norovirus after Royal Caribbean's brand new ship, Liberty
of the Seas, suffered an unfortunate outbreak on their second week
of cruising.
NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK
by Paula Hughes Court, Editor
As most of us know the best way to prevent catching the highly
contagious Norovirus is to watch hands thoroughly with soap and water
continuously while cruising. The second most important tip is to be
conscious of touching any part of your face, especially your mouth and
nose. Unfortunately, for those of us traveling with children this is not an
easy task because children put their fingers in their mouth. To help
prevent my family from catching the Norovirus we follow a strict
sanitizing routine on every cruise. So far the following tips have helped
us to remain Norovirus free after numerous cruises:
1. Never touch elevator buttons, door handles or stair rails with your
hands. Use your shirt, a napkin or anything besides your fingers. Have
you ever thought about how many people touch the door handle going
into and out of the pool area?
2. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately upon entering
the stateroom and before touching anything.
3. I personally believe most Noroviruses are passed along at the
buffet. Always sanitize your hands upon entering the buffet, then
sanitize again after touching the serving utensils but before eating. I
also think it would be a great idea if young children were not allowed to
serve themselves. I may be over-cautious but I never allow my
daughter to handle the serving utensils even though she's eleven. If
she gets sick, we'll all be quarantined.
4. Speaking of quarantine, know this: If you go to the clinic for free
medical care during a Norovirus outbreak you will be quarantined
along with your healthy family members for a minimum of 24 hours.
Most quarantines last around 48 hours for ill passengers and 24 hours
for healthy passengers sharing the same cabin. Cruise lines do this to
help prevent the virus from spreading further. The Norovirus typically
doesn't show symptoms until 24-48 hours after contact with an infected
person. Most cruisers are shocked when this happens even though it's
standard protocol on most, if not all, cruise lines.
5. Don't let the Norovirus scare you from cruising. This virus also
spreads through schools, hospitals and nursing homes. An infected
person brings it onboard with them. The cruise lines then do
everything they can to stop the spread once it starts.
LIST OF NOROVIRUS CRUISE SHIP OUTBREAKS BY SHIP-FROM
THE CDC
CAYO LEVANTADO SAMANA
Cayo Levantado Samana is a new cruise port for Norwegian Cruise
Lines and a featured private island for MSC Cruises. Though
Norwegian cruise ships list Cayo Levantado as a port stop, visitors
should know that the actual tenders take passengers to the town of
Samana, not to the island of Cayo Levantado. Currently, the best and
cheapest way for cruise passengers to see Cayo Levantado is to book
a cruise shore excursion directly through Norwegian.
Review of Cayo Levantado Dominican Republic
ROYAL CARIBBEAN FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
Royal Caribbean International Introduces First Surf Park at Sea Aboard
Freedom of the Seas
Active cruisers wondering “what’s next?” have their answer. Royal Caribbean
International – the cruise line that introduced the first onboard rock-climbing walls,
ice skating rinks and in-line skating tracks – now will offer guests the chance to
“hang ten” a hundred miles out to sea with the first-ever shipboard surf park
aboard Freedom of the Seas.
RCCL FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
BERMUDA CRUISE
RADISSON SEVEN SEA LUXURY CRUISE ON SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR
The discovery upon arrival of a chilled $65 complimentary bottle of champagne
in our suite set the stage for a fantastic luxury cruise to Bermuda on the Radisson
Seven Seas Navigator. A whirlwind week followed filled with wine tastings,
gourmet meals at lunch and dinner, luscious Viennese dessert buffets in the
afternoons, first class entertainment by the energetic Peter Grey Terhune Group,
and onboard lectures by sixth generation Bermudian Lt. Col. Hollis.
Detailed Review of Radisson Seven Seas Navigator Cruise to Bermuda
CARIBBEAN SHORE EXCURSIONS
Check out our Caribbean shore excursion reviews before your next Caribbean
cruise.
Belize Shore Excursions
Cozumel Shore Excursions
Roatan Shore Excursions
Cayo Levantado Shore Excursions
COZUMEL SHORE EXCURSIONS
Cozumel, which lies 11 miles off the mainland,is the largest inhabited island in
Mexico. During the past few years, Cozumel has become the most popular cruise
port in the Caribbean. More than 2.5 million cruise passengers are expected to
visit this year. Cozumel offers great beaches, snorkeling, duty-free shopping and
an exciting nightlife.
Review of Cozumel
LUXURY CRUISE
We’ve all seen the ad. An elegant waiter wades through crystal clear water and
delivers caviar to a lucky woman lounging on a float. Here’s a little known secret.
That woman could be you. And for less money than you’re paying for a
contemporary cruise now.
If you’re tired of being “nickel and dimed” to death, which seems to be the norm on
most cruises today, consider a luxury cruise where everything is included in the
fare. No more $3 a bottle for water, $6 for wine and mixed drinks, $25 and up for
reservations in the “specialty restaurant”, extra fees for exercise classes, etc.
These charges can total several hundred dollars, resulting in shock upon receipt
of the final bill.
COMPARISON OF FREE PERKS ON LUXURY CRUISE LINES
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2006
New Itineraries, New Departure Cities and Exotic Ports of Call Entice Guests to
Explore on Royal Caribbean in 2006. From a Voyager-class ship in Europe to new
options in Alaska to new departures from Philadelphia, Royal Caribbean
International is offering an unparalleled mix of ships and destinations in 2006.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2006
guide. Here you'll find cruise reviews, port reviews, and shore
excursion information. This month we're featuring information on the
dreaded Norovirus after Royal Caribbean's brand new ship, Liberty
of the Seas, suffered an unfortunate outbreak on their second week
of cruising.
NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK
by Paula Hughes Court, Editor
As most of us know the best way to prevent catching the highly
contagious Norovirus is to watch hands thoroughly with soap and water
continuously while cruising. The second most important tip is to be
conscious of touching any part of your face, especially your mouth and
nose. Unfortunately, for those of us traveling with children this is not an
easy task because children put their fingers in their mouth. To help
prevent my family from catching the Norovirus we follow a strict
sanitizing routine on every cruise. So far the following tips have helped
us to remain Norovirus free after numerous cruises:
1. Never touch elevator buttons, door handles or stair rails with your
hands. Use your shirt, a napkin or anything besides your fingers. Have
you ever thought about how many people touch the door handle going
into and out of the pool area?
2. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately upon entering
the stateroom and before touching anything.
3. I personally believe most Noroviruses are passed along at the
buffet. Always sanitize your hands upon entering the buffet, then
sanitize again after touching the serving utensils but before eating. I
also think it would be a great idea if young children were not allowed to
serve themselves. I may be over-cautious but I never allow my
daughter to handle the serving utensils even though she's eleven. If
she gets sick, we'll all be quarantined.
4. Speaking of quarantine, know this: If you go to the clinic for free
medical care during a Norovirus outbreak you will be quarantined
along with your healthy family members for a minimum of 24 hours.
Most quarantines last around 48 hours for ill passengers and 24 hours
for healthy passengers sharing the same cabin. Cruise lines do this to
help prevent the virus from spreading further. The Norovirus typically
doesn't show symptoms until 24-48 hours after contact with an infected
person. Most cruisers are shocked when this happens even though it's
standard protocol on most, if not all, cruise lines.
5. Don't let the Norovirus scare you from cruising. This virus also
spreads through schools, hospitals and nursing homes. An infected
person brings it onboard with them. The cruise lines then do
everything they can to stop the spread once it starts.
LIST OF NOROVIRUS CRUISE SHIP OUTBREAKS BY SHIP-FROM
THE CDC
CAYO LEVANTADO SAMANA
Cayo Levantado Samana is a new cruise port for Norwegian Cruise
Lines and a featured private island for MSC Cruises. Though
Norwegian cruise ships list Cayo Levantado as a port stop, visitors
should know that the actual tenders take passengers to the town of
Samana, not to the island of Cayo Levantado. Currently, the best and
cheapest way for cruise passengers to see Cayo Levantado is to book
a cruise shore excursion directly through Norwegian.
Review of Cayo Levantado Dominican Republic
ROYAL CARIBBEAN FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
Royal Caribbean International Introduces First Surf Park at Sea Aboard
Freedom of the Seas
Active cruisers wondering “what’s next?” have their answer. Royal Caribbean
International – the cruise line that introduced the first onboard rock-climbing walls,
ice skating rinks and in-line skating tracks – now will offer guests the chance to
“hang ten” a hundred miles out to sea with the first-ever shipboard surf park
aboard Freedom of the Seas.
RCCL FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
BERMUDA CRUISE
RADISSON SEVEN SEA LUXURY CRUISE ON SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR
The discovery upon arrival of a chilled $65 complimentary bottle of champagne
in our suite set the stage for a fantastic luxury cruise to Bermuda on the Radisson
Seven Seas Navigator. A whirlwind week followed filled with wine tastings,
gourmet meals at lunch and dinner, luscious Viennese dessert buffets in the
afternoons, first class entertainment by the energetic Peter Grey Terhune Group,
and onboard lectures by sixth generation Bermudian Lt. Col. Hollis.
Detailed Review of Radisson Seven Seas Navigator Cruise to Bermuda
CARIBBEAN SHORE EXCURSIONS
Check out our Caribbean shore excursion reviews before your next Caribbean
cruise.
Belize Shore Excursions
Cozumel Shore Excursions
Roatan Shore Excursions
Cayo Levantado Shore Excursions
COZUMEL SHORE EXCURSIONS
Cozumel, which lies 11 miles off the mainland,is the largest inhabited island in
Mexico. During the past few years, Cozumel has become the most popular cruise
port in the Caribbean. More than 2.5 million cruise passengers are expected to
visit this year. Cozumel offers great beaches, snorkeling, duty-free shopping and
an exciting nightlife.
Review of Cozumel
LUXURY CRUISE
We’ve all seen the ad. An elegant waiter wades through crystal clear water and
delivers caviar to a lucky woman lounging on a float. Here’s a little known secret.
That woman could be you. And for less money than you’re paying for a
contemporary cruise now.
If you’re tired of being “nickel and dimed” to death, which seems to be the norm on
most cruises today, consider a luxury cruise where everything is included in the
fare. No more $3 a bottle for water, $6 for wine and mixed drinks, $25 and up for
reservations in the “specialty restaurant”, extra fees for exercise classes, etc.
These charges can total several hundred dollars, resulting in shock upon receipt
of the final bill.
COMPARISON OF FREE PERKS ON LUXURY CRUISE LINES
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2006
New Itineraries, New Departure Cities and Exotic Ports of Call Entice Guests to
Explore on Royal Caribbean in 2006. From a Voyager-class ship in Europe to new
options in Alaska to new departures from Philadelphia, Royal Caribbean
International is offering an unparalleled mix of ships and destinations in 2006.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2006
CRUISE-INFORMATION.COM
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