-Caveat Lector- Coincidence is like a rubber band. Stretch it too far and it snaps. ~~ZELAZNY, ROGER (1937-1995, Science fiction and fantasy author) {Doorways in the Sand, 1976}
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2190472,00.html Disney Ship Reports Hundreds Sick Friday November 22, 2002 5:10 AM PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - About 100 passengers on a Disney cruise ship contracted a contagious stomach virus, shortly after more than 500 people on another cruise ship came down with a similar illness, Disney officials said Thursday. Passengers and crew members on the Disney Cruise Line ship Magic became ill Wednesday. The ship departed Nov. 17 from Port Canaveral with 3,200 people on board and returns Saturday. Disney will clean and disinfect the ship at sea, spokesman Mark Jaronski said. Disney's terminal and other locations also will be cleaned. Sick passengers will be offered compensation. There are no plans to cancel any scheduled cruises aboard the Magic, he said. Disney made its announcement the same day that Holland America's cruise ship Amsterdam returned to port for a stem-to- stern scouring after more than 500 people on its last four voyages became sick. The ship had been scheduled to leave on a 10-day Caribbean cruise Thursday, but the voyage was canceled so the vessel could be sanitized. After the latest passengers disembarked, 573 crew members began cleaning the ship, emptying garbage cans and wiping down remote controls, clock radios, even Bibles. During the next 10 days, crew members will replace 2,500 pillows and dry-clean, steam-clean and disinfect every surface aboard the ship, which is 780 feet long and has 690 staterooms. The Holland America cruise line said that during the ship's just- completed 10-day voyage, 58 passengers and 18 crew members developed symptoms associated with the Norwalk virus. Eighty- seven of the 1,305 passengers left the ship at various ports in the Caribbean and were flown home. In all, 454 passengers and 70 crew members have become sick within the past month during four successive voyages aboard the Amsterdam. The virus, spread through food and water and close contact with infected people or things they have touched, can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting. The cruise line had spent more than 10 hours scrubbing the Amsterdam with a chlorine solution before it departed on its latest voyage. On the cruise, passengers were barred from serving themselves at buffets or touching any food or drinks but their own. ``They were cleaning all the time. You'd see people and then they would not be there for dinner, so you knew they got sick,'' said Lori Druckeroff, a Boynton Beach retiree. The cruise line is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Holland America Line is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. http://www.naplesnews.com/02/11/florida/d858716a.htm Infected Holland America cruise returns to port Friday, November 22, 2002 Associated Press PORT EVERGLADES — The troubled Holland America Line cruise ship Amsterdam returned to port Thursday, awaiting top-to-bottom scouring after more than 500 people caught a contagious stomach virus on four separate voyages. Holland America officials said 58 passengers and 18 crew members developed symptoms similar to the Norwalk virus during the 10-day voyage. Eighty-seven of the ship's 1,305 passengers left the ship at various ports in the Caribbean and were flown home. John Landy and his wife, Ruth, from Long Island, N.Y., talk about their cruise on the Amsterdam after they left the ship in Fort Lauderdale early Thursday. Holland America has announced the ship will miss its next cruise as the crew works to rid it of stomach virus that has affected hundreds. The couple are upset because they did not know about the virus until minutes before they boarded the ship. J. Pat Carter/AP Many passengers said they enjoyed their vacation despite the problems and did not mind the frequent reminders by crew members to wash their hands and avoid customary greetings. "Rather than shaking hands we rubbed elbows," said Joel Bennett of Bel Mar, N.J., a bassist for a Tommy Dorsey orchestra that performed onboard. "They did everything they reasonably could." Other passengers said they resented not being told of the virus and the precautions until just before they boarded the ship just outside Fort Lauderdale. Passengers were not offered an option of postponing or canceling their trip without losing their full fare. "There should have been full disclosure. As far as I am concerned, they put us in harm's way," said Joseph Carbonell of New Britain, Conn. The virus, spread through food and water and close contact with infected people or things they have touched, can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting for up to two days. The cruise line had spent more than 10 hours scrubbing the Amsterdam with a chlorine-based solution before it departed on its voyage after 181 passengers and crew became sick on the previous trip. Those who became sick were asked to remain in their quarters to keep the virus from spreading. "They were cleaning all the time. You'd see people and then they would not be there for dinner, so you knew they got sick," said Lori Druckeroff, a Boynton Beach retiree. On the last cruise, passengers were barred from serving themselves at buffets or touching any food or drinks but their own. Crew members wearing plastic gloves doled out buffet dishes. "It was a wonderful trip — we had no trouble at all," said Becky Wiechers, a retiree from Menlo Park, Calif. "As long as you washed your hands all the time, you were fine." In all, 454 passengers and 70 crew members have become sick over four sails on the Amsterdam. The ship has had a total of 7,648 passengers and crew members during that period. Passengers on later cruises were notified of the virus before sailing. Passengers who became sick were given a full refund and a 25 percent credit on a future cruise. The cruise line paid for their travel expenses to return home. The Amsterdam had been scheduled to leave on a 10-day Caribbean cruise Thursday but the voyage has canceled so the ship could be cleaned. Passengers booked on the voyage were being given the option of a refund or upgraded travel packages. After the passengers departed, an army of 573 crew members began cleaning the ship, emptying garbage cans, swiping remote controls, clock radios — even Bibles. During the next 10 days, crew members will disinfect the ship, replace 2,500 bed pillows and dry- clean, steam-clean and scour every surface. The cruise line is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government agency that oversees cruise line illnesses. Holland America temporarily pulled another ship, the Ryndam, from service for a week in July to disinfect it. The ship had 388 reported cases of a Norwalk-like virus. A lawsuit seeking class-action status was filed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in August on behalf of Ryndam passengers. One passenger who became ill sued the company last week. Company officials have declined comment on the lawsuit. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2190472,00.html Disney Ship Reports Hundreds Sick Friday November 22, 2002 5:10 AM PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - About 100 passengers on a Disney cruise ship contracted a contagious stomach virus, shortly after more than 500 people on another cruise ship came down with a similar illness, Disney officials said Thursday. Passengers and crew members on the Disney Cruise Line ship Magic became ill Wednesday. The ship departed Nov. 17 from Port Canaveral with 3,200 people on board and returns Saturday. Disney will clean and disinfect the ship at sea, spokesman Mark Jaronski said. Disney's terminal and other locations also will be cleaned. Sick passengers will be offered compensation. There are no plans to cancel any scheduled cruises aboard the Magic, he said. Disney made its announcement the same day that Holland America's cruise ship Amsterdam returned to port for a stem-to- stern scouring after more than 500 people on its last four voyages became sick. The ship had been scheduled to leave on a 10-day Caribbean cruise Thursday, but the voyage was canceled so the vessel could be sanitized. After the latest passengers disembarked, 573 crew members began cleaning the ship, emptying garbage cans and wiping down remote controls, clock radios, even Bibles. During the next 10 days, crew members will replace 2,500 pillows and dry-clean, steam-clean and disinfect every surface aboard the ship, which is 780 feet long and has 690 staterooms. The Holland America cruise line said that during the ship's just- completed 10-day voyage, 58 passengers and 18 crew members developed symptoms associated with the Norwalk virus. Eighty- seven of the 1,305 passengers left the ship at various ports in the Caribbean and were flown home. In all, 454 passengers and 70 crew members have become sick within the past month during four successive voyages aboard the Amsterdam. The virus, spread through food and water and close contact with infected people or things they have touched, can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting. The cruise line had spent more than 10 hours scrubbing the Amsterdam with a chlorine solution before it departed on its latest voyage. On the cruise, passengers were barred from serving themselves at buffets or touching any food or drinks but their own. ``They were cleaning all the time. You'd see people and then they would not be there for dinner, so you knew they got sick,'' said Lori Druckeroff, a Boynton Beach retiree. The cruise line is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. -- Outgoing mail is certified virus free Scanned by Norton AntiVirus <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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