Hi - I'm a new member to this forum as well to cruising. I have only taken one cruise so far on RC Radiance of the Seas. I currently have booked a cruise on HAL Amsterdam on an Alaskan cruise. Now I have been reading all the sanitary problems across the boards that has been happening on HAL ships in particular the Amsterdam and Ryndam am seriously having second thoughts. I don't want to pay thousands of dollars to bath in fecal water and get sick! Perhaps a switch to their newer vessel, Noordam, which is sailing the same itinerary?

Hi Meriflower: There are certainly sanitary problems reported with greater frequency over recent years (not that they didn't exist before). However, I've looked over the websites listing sanitary issues, and the problems appear to extend to many lines - including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, etc, etc.

The Amsterdam issue occurred in April, and I can only assume that HAL has done everything in its power to rectify the situation. There have been no recent complaints on www.cruisejunkie.com. which lists incidents on cruise ships.

I encourage you to check out the CruiseJunkie website and list to see that all major cruiselines suffer from sporadic outbreaks of illness.

Careful hand-washing is probably the best prevention against GI illness transmission. If you want to take it a step further, using only bottled water for drinking is another possibility, but I think that's probably excessive.

The Amsterdam is a very lovely ship, and is a nice, smaller size. Leads to a more intimate, yet fun, experience. I'm sure the Noordam is lovely as it's new... but it is bigger, and there's more people about. On a certain level - more people = more likelihood of illness = more likelihood of getting sick

Just a humble epidemiologists opinion. Hope it helps!!

Thanks SSUS_NJ! I did have a chance to look at the list on cruisejunkie.com (including the Radiance!). I guess I wasn't aware of the frequency of it occuring and was put off by it hence my post.

The Amsterdam does look very lovely and as a smaller ship perfect for Alaska's inside passages.

I just got back from 9-3 from a cruise on the Ryndam. I had the same concerns as you as I had been reading nothing but bad reports on the Ryndam and the sanitation problems. I can tell you that we had a GREAT cruise with absolutely no problems whatsoever. I have started to believe that if people got sick it was because someone came on board sick and then passengers didnt use the Purell stations that were offered to them. Dont worry, you will have a great time. They will ask you in the port before you even board if you have been sick and they have Purell stations all over. Use them, better safe than sorry.

I agree that hand-washing is the most important prevention of illness aboard a cruise ship - or anywhere, for that matter. We carry those little Purell gel containers with us all the time, to use before eating in restaurants, etc.

We went on a family cruise in January, and my daughter, who is also an epidemiologist, brought pocket Purell dispensers with her and gave them out at dinner the first night. It made for a great picture, in addition to being a good idea.

Sandy

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy:
We went on a family cruise in January, and my daughter, who is also an epidemiologist, brought pocket Purell dispensers with her and gave them out at dinner the first night. It made for a great picture, in addition to being a good idea.

Sandy

Sounds like a great picture... did the ship's photographer post it in the gallery???

Just remember if you take the little bottles of Purell to pack them in your checked baggage. We had to toss ours. Luckily we had some more in our checked luggage.

quote:

Sounds like a great picture... did the ship's photographer post it in the gallery???

We had someone from the next table take the picture of the 20 of us holding up our Purells. We all look very happy!

Now if only that stuff would work on spinach...

Sandy

Spinach... yes, definitely!!

OK, everyone listen carefully - DON'T EAT SPINACH, ESPECIALLY on a cruise ship!!!!!